Process for manufacturing calcium carbonate materials having a particle surface with improved adsorption properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879139-B2
Application number	US-99872209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2009
Priority date	Dec 4, 2008
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing calcium carbonate materials having a particle surface with improved adsorption properties of dispersant, using at least one lithium ion-containing compound, the calcium carbonate material obtained by this process, the use of the calcium carbonate materials in paper, paints and plastics, as well as the use of the lithium ion-containing compounds in the manufacturing process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for manufacturing a calcium carbonate material comprising the steps of:
a. providing at least one calcium carbonate material in the form of an aqueous suspension or in dry form,
b. providing at least one lithium ion containing compound selected from the group consisting of lithium hydroxide, lithium oxide, an inorganic monomeric lithium salt, an organic monomeric lithium salt, lithium carbonate, a lithium sulphate, lithium citrate, lithium hydrogen carbonate, lithium acetate, lithium chloride, and a lithium phosphate, in dry form or in aqueous solution, or any mixture thereof,
c. combining the at least one lithium ion containing compound of step (b) with the at least one calcium carbonate material of step (a), so that the lithium ion concentration in respect to total dry calcium carbonate is from 10 to 2000 ppm, and
d. subjecting the material from step (c) to one or more of grinding, dispersing and upconcentrating steps to obtain a calcium carbonate material, wherein a totally neutralized polyacrylic acid dispersing agent is introduced in step (a) and/or step (c) that is not the lithium ion containing compound, wherein the solids content of the calcium carbonate material is from 45 wt % to 82 wt %, and wherein the calcium carbonate material has a Brookfield™ viscosity after 1 hour of production of below 2000 mPa·s measured for one minute of stirring at 21° C. at a rotation speed of 100 rpm, and a Brookfield™ viscosity after 8 days of unstirred storage of below 2000 mPa·s measured for one minute of stirring at 21° C. at a rotation speed of 100 rpm.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material is provided in the form of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) obtained from at least one calcium ion source and at least one carbonate, hydrogen carbonate and/or CO2 source, or in the form of a natural carbonate containing mineral material (GCC).

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material comprises natural calcium carbonate (GCC), marble, calcite, limestone and/or chalk, precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), vaterite and/or calcite, dolomite or a mixed carbonate based filler, calcium associated with magnesium and analogues or derivatives, clay or talc or analogues or derivatives, or any mixture thereof, talc-calcium carbonate, calcium carbonate-kaolin, or a mixture of natural calcium carbonate with aluminium hydroxide, mica or with synthetic or natural fibres, or a co-structure of minerals, a talc-calcium carbonate co-structure, or a talc-titanium dioxide co-structure.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material is a natural calcium carbonate (GCC), a precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), a mixture of GCC and PCC, a mixture of GCC, PCC and clay, or a mixture of GCC, PCC and talc.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material is natural calcium carbonate (GCC) selected from marble, chalk, calcite or limestone.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material is precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) selected from calcitic, rhombohedral or scalenohedral PCC.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in step (a) the at least one calcium carbonate material is wet or dry ground before being combined with the at least one lithium ion containing compound in step (c).

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material is ground in the presence of a dispersant and/or grinding aid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material of step (a) is wet ground before being combined with the at least one lithium ion containing compound in step (c).

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material of step (a) is wet ground and upconcentrated before being combined with the at least one lithium ion containing compound in step (c).

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material of step (a) is wet ground, screened and upconcentrated before being combined with the at least one lithium ion containing compound in step (c).

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in step (d) the at least one lithium ion containing compound and the at least one calcium carbonate material are ground.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the ground material is subjected to one or more of screening, upconcentrating, dispersion, drying and/or redispersion steps.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground at a pH of above 7.

15. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground at a pH of above 7.5.

16. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground at a pH of between 8.5 and 10.5.

17. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground at a pH of between 9 and 10.

18. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one lithium ion containing compound and the at least one calcium carbonate material are ground at a temperature of above 5° C.

19. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one lithium ion containing compound and the at least one calcium carbonate material are ground at a temperature of from 20° C. to 120° C.

20. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one lithium ion containing compound and the at least one calcium carbonate material are ground at a temperature of from 45° C. to 105° C.

21. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one lithium ion containing compound and the at least one calcium carbonate material are ground at a temperature of from 85° C. to 100° C.

22. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground in an aqueous suspension at a solids concentration of from 10 to 82% by dry weight of calcium carbonate material.

23. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground in an aqueous suspension at a solids concentration of from 50 to 81% by dry weight of calcium carbonate material.

24. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground in an aqueous suspension at a solids concentration of from 60 to 80% by dry weight of calcium carbonate material.

25. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one calcium carbonate material and the at least one lithium compound are ground in an aqueous suspension at a solids concentration of from 65 to 72% by dry weight of calcium carbonate material.

26. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the ground material obtained comprises a fraction of particles finer than 1 μm of more than 20 wt %, based on the total weight of ground material.

27. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the ground material obtained comprises a fraction of particles finer than 1 μm of mo

Assignees

• Gane Patrick A C
• Buri Matthias
• Karth Beat
• Pudack Claudia
• Omya Int Ag

Inventors

• Gane Patrick A C
• Buri Matthias
• Karth Beat
• Pudack Claudia

Classifications

• C01P2004/62

  Submicrometer sized, i.e. from 0.1-1 micrometer · CPC title

• D21H17/69

  modified, e.g. by association with other compositions prior to incorporation in the pulp or paper · CPC title

• D21H19/385

  Oxides, hydroxides or carbonates · CPC title

• C08K9/04

  Ingredients treated with organic substances {(treated with macromolecular compounds C08K9/08)} · CPC title

• C01P2006/22

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