Mineral slurries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10781107-B2
Application number	US-201615562366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

Stable mineral slurries and methods of making stable mineral slurries.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising combining, in suitable amounts, a inorganic particulate material, a viscosity buffer, and liquid to form a mineral slurry, wherein
the mineral slurry has a total solid minerals content of at least about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the mineral slurry,
the mineral slurry comprises at least about 40% by weight of the inorganic particulate material, based on the total weight of the slurry,
the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week after formation without agitation;
the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) talc (2);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising kaolin (1) and polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms, of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copal mer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 to 95 percent by weight and that the molar ratio of epoxide units to tetrahydrofuran units is from 1:0.5 to 1:3.

2. A method of making a mineral slurry which is stable for at least one week without agitation, the method comprising combining in a liquid an inorganic particulate material with a stabilizing amount of a viscosity buffer, wherein:
(i) the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week without agitation, and/or
(ii) the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
(iii) the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) talc (2);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising kaolin (1) and polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copolymer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and
wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 to 95 percent by weight and that the molar ratio of epoxide units to tetrahydrofuran units is from 1:8.5 to 1:3.

3. A mineral slurry comprising an inorganic particulate material and a viscosity buffer, wherein:
(i) the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week without agitation, and/or
(ii) the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
(iii) the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) a mixture of talc (1) and talc (2);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising kaolin (1) and/or polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms, of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copolymer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and
wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 to 95 percent by weight and that the molar ratio of epoxide units to tetrahydrofuran units is from 1:0.5 to 1:3.

4. A mineral slurry comprising an inorganic particulate material and a viscosity buffer, wherein:
(i) the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week without agitation, and/or
(ii) the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
(iii) the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) talc (2);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising kaolin (1) and polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms, of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copolymer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and
wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 to 95 percent by weight and that the molar ratio of epoxide units to tetrahydrofuran units is from 1:0.5 to 1:3.

5. A mineral slurry comprising an inorganic particulate material and a viscosity buffer, wherein:
(i) the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week without agitation, and/or
(ii) the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
(iii) the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) talc (1);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising kaolin (1) and polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms, of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copolymer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and
wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 to 95 percent by weight and that the molar ratio of epoxide units to tetrahydrofuran units is from 1:0.5 to 1:3.

6. A mineral slurry comprising an inorganic particulate material and a viscosity buffer, wherein:
(i) the mineral slurry is stable for at least one week without agitation, and/or
(ii) the Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of the mineral slurry does not increase by more than 200% following one week without agitation, and/or
(iii) the mineral slurry has a Brookfield viscosity (100 rpm @ 1 minute) of no more than 1600 cP following one week without agitation, and
wherein the mineral slurry comprises:
(A) talc (1) and talc (2);
(B) a viscosity buffer comprising an organic material comprising ester and/or ether functional groups, or another non-mineral, non-polyacrylate material;

and wherein the non-mineral, non-polyacrylate material comprises a polyalkylene oxide adduct of the formula R—X; and
(C) a polyacrylate dispersant,

wherein R is the radical of a monoalcohol of 8 to 22 carbon atoms, of a monocarboxylic acid of 8 to 22 carbon atoms or of their oxalkylation products with from 1 to 20 moles of an epoxide of 2 to 3 carbon atoms (e.g., ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) and X is the radical of a copolymer of an epoxide of 2 or 3 carbon atoms and tetrahydrofuran, and
wherein the total amount of epoxide and tetrahydrofuran units in R—X is from 60 t

Assignees

• Imerys Minerals Ltd
• Imertech Sas

Inventors

• Verstuyft Lieven
• Dollani Helen

Classifications

• C09C1/42 Primary

  Clays · CPC title

• C09C1/28

  Compounds of silicon {(C09C1/0009, C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C01P2004/53

  bimodal size distribution · CPC title

• C01B33/40

  Clays · CPC title

• C01P2006/22

  Rheological behaviour as dispersion, e.g. viscosity, sedimentation stability · CPC title