	US 12,234,360 B2
	Reducing hygroscopicity of a mineral material
Christian Jacquemet, Lyons (FR); Jacques Mongoin, Quincieux (FR); and Jean-Marc Suau, Lucenay (FR)
Assigned to COATEX, Genay (FR)
Appl. No. 17/424,700
Filed by COATEX, Genay (FR)
PCT Filed Feb. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/FR2020/000041 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 21, 2021, PCT Pub. No. WO2020/174132, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1901932 (FR), filed on Feb. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0081569 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. C09C 1/02 (2006.01); C09C 3/00 (2006.01); C09C 3/04 (2006.01); C09C 3/08 (2006.01); C09C 3/10 (2006.01)

CPC C09C 1/021 (2013.01) [C09C 3/006 (2013.01); C09C 3/041 (2013.01); C09C 3/043 (2013.01); C09C 3/08 (2013.01); C09C 3/10 (2013.01); C01P 2004/61 (2013.01); C01P 2004/62 (2013.01); C01P 2006/12 (2013.01)]

19 Claims

1. A method for reducing hygroscopicity of a material (M) comprising calcium carbonate, the method comprising:

(A) preparing an aqueous suspension comprising (A1) water, (A2) the material (M), and (A3) a homopolymer (P);

(B) wet grinding the material (M) in the aqueous suspension, to obtain a ground material (M);

(D) drying the aqueous suspension of the ground material (M), to obtain dried, ground material (M); and

(E) treating the dried, ground material (M) with a treatment agent comprising a hydrophobizing agent,

thereby obtaining a product material (M),

wherein the homopolymer (P) is prepared by polymerizing a compound comprising acrylic acid, an acrylic acid salt, methacrylic acid, or a methacrylic acid salt,

wherein the homopolymer (P) has a molecular mass M_W, measured by SEC, in a range of

from 3,000 to 5,000 g/mol,

wherein the homopolymer (P) has polymolecularity index (_PI) in a range of from 1.5 to 2.9, and

wherein carboxylic acid groups of the homopolymer (P) are at least partially neutralized by: 70 mol % of Na⁺; and

from 10 to 30 mol % of cations comprising consisting of Na⁺, K⁺, and/or Li⁺.