Cold wax dispersion process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10175593-B2
Application number	US-201615250326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A method includes grinding a wax into wax particles having a size in a range from about 600 microns to about 800 microns forming a mixture of the wax particles with water and a surfactant; and homogenizing the mixture to form a wax dispersion, the homogenizing step is maintained below about 35° C. A wax dispersion includes a wax a surfactant; and water, particles of the wax dispersion are a uniform, irregular, non-platelet morphology. A wax dispersion made by a process includes grinding a wax into wax particles having a size in a range from about 600 microns to about 800 microns, forming a mixture of the wax particles with water and a surfactant, and homogenizing the mixture to form a wax dispersion, the homogenizing step is maintained below about 35° C. and the wax has a uniform, irregular, non-platelet morphology imparted by combination of the grinding and homogenizing steps.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
grinding a wax into wax particles having a size in a range from about 600 microns to about 800 microns;
forming a mixture of the wax particles with water and a surfactant; and
homogenizing the mixture to form a wax dispersion;
wherein the homogenizing step is maintained below about 35° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing the wax particles through a sieve to separate out particles larger than about 800 microns.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising returning particles larger than about 800 microns that did not pass through the sieve back to a further grinding step.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the wax dispersion to a particle size of about 50 microns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grinding step is performed with a blender.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the blender is equipped with a blade having a configuration that propels the wax in the grinding step upward in the blender.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the blender has a fill volume of about 45%.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wax has a melting temperature (T m ) in a range from about 70° C. to about 100° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wax is a paraffin wax.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wax is a polyethylene wax.

11. A wax dispersion comprising:
a wax;
a surfactant; and
water;
wherein particles of the wax dispersion are a uniform, irregular, non-platelet morphology.

12. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the wax has a melting temperature (T m ) in a range from about 70° C. to about 100° C.

13. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the wax is a paraffin wax.

14. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the wax is a polyethylene wax.

15. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the surfactant comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, and combinations thereof.

16. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the surfactant is present in a range from about 0.2 percent to about 7 percent by weight of the dispersion.

17. The wax of claim 11 , wherein the wax is present in a range from about 35 percent to about 45 percent by weight of the dispersion.

18. A wax dispersion made by the process comprising:
grinding a wax into wax particles having a size in a range from about 600 microns to about 800 microns;
forming a mixture of the wax particles with water and a surfactant; and
homogenizing the mixture to form a wax dispersion;
wherein the homogenizing step is maintained below about 35° C. and wherein the wax has a non-platelet morphology imparted by combination of the grinding and homogenizing steps.

19. The wax of claim 18 , wherein the wax has a melting temperature (T m ) in a range from about 70° C. to about 10° C.

20. The wax of claim 18 , wherein a sieving step is performed prior to forming the mixture.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Vandewinckel Judith M
• Marcell Kevin F
• Cheng Chieh-Min
• Marion Brian J
• Smith Scott M

Classifications

• G03G9/0804 Primary

  whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium · CPC title

• G03G9/08782

  Waxes · CPC title

• B02C23/12

  with return of oversize material to crushing or disintegrating zone · CPC title

• G03G9/0821

  characterised by physical parameters (magnetic parameters G03G9/083) · CPC title

• G03G9/0812

  Pretreatment of components · CPC title