(Melt-) extrusion process for the preparation of alkali metal carbonate, bicarbonate and sesquicarbonate formulations using a melted functionalizing agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407648-B2
Application number	US-201716093114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 13, 2016
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a formulation comprising an alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal bicarbonate salts, alkali metal carbonate salts, alkali metal sesquicarbonate salts and combinations thereof, wherein said process comprises the step of extruding a paste-like composition comprising a functionalizing agent and the metal salt. The invention furthermore relates to a formulation obtainable from said process and to the use of this formulation in various applications such as in plastic foaming or in food and feed leavening compositions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for preparing a formulation comprising an alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal bicarbonate salts, alkali metal carbonate salts, alkali metal sesquicarbonate salts and combinations thereof, wherein said process comprises the steps of:
(a1) melting a functionalizing agent to a temperature above the melting point of the functionalizing agent to obtain a melted functionalizing agent, and mixing the melted functionalizing agent with the alkali metal salt to obtain a paste-like composition; or
(a2) mixing the functionalizing agent and the alkali metal salt to obtain a mixture, and heating the mixture to a temperature above the melting point of the functionalizing agent to melt the functionalizing agent within the mixture and to obtain a paste-like composition; or
(a3) mixing the functionalizing agent and the alkali metal salt to obtain a mixture, and, to obtain the formulation,
(b1) extruding or melt-extruding the paste-like composition obtained in step (a1) or (a2), or
(b2) melt-extruding the mixture obtained in step (a3) at a temperature above the melting point of the functionalizing agent to melt the functionalizing agent to obtain a paste-like composition during extrusion,
wherein the paste-like composition undergoing extrusion comprises at least 25% by weight of said alkali metal salt, based on the total weight of the composition undergoing extrusion, and the functionalizing agent,
wherein the functionalizing agent is selected from the group consisting of oils, fats, resin acids and esters and salts of oils, fats, resin acids and esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and fatty acid salts other than calcium stearate, waxes, shellac, poly(methyl)methacrylates, and combinations thereof,
wherein the waxes comprise from 16 to 46 carbons,
wherein at steps (a1) or (a2) or (a3), the weight ratio of the functionalizing agent is at least 30 parts per 100 parts of the alkali metal salt.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein at steps (a1) or (a2) or (a3), the weight ratio of the functionalizing agent is at least 35 parts per 100 parts of the alkali metal salt;
and wherein at step (b1) or (b2), the formulation is in form of a powder, filaments or granules, comprising alkali metal salt particles and the functionalizing agent.

3. The process of claim 1 , comprising after step (b1) or (b2) the step:
(c) cooling the formulation to below the melting temperature of the functionalizing agent to obtain a cooled formulation in form of a powder, or cooled filaments or cooled granules of the alkali metal salt and the functionalizing agent.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the filaments or granules are further milled.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the melting point of the functionalizing agent is at least 0° C., and is at most 140° C.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalizing agent is, or comprises, an oil and/or a wax, and the oil comprises 12 to 22 carbons.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalizing agent is, or comprises, a fatty acid that is a compound according to formula (I)
R—COOH  (I)

wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated C6 to C32 alkyl group.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalizing agent is, or comprises, a resin acid that is a tricyclic diterpene carboxylic acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalizing agent is, or comprises, beeswax.

Assignees

• Solvay

Inventors

• Kabbabe Malave Jorge Alejandro
• Detoisien Thibaud
• Cavalier Karine

Classifications

• C11D3/382

  Vegetable products, e.g. soya meal, wood flour, sawdust · CPC title

• C01D7/14

  Preparation of sesquicarbonates · CPC title

• C11D11/0094 Primary

  Process for making liquid detergent compositions, e.g. slurries, pastes or gels · CPC title

• C11D7/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C11D9/12

  Carbonates · CPC title