Title of Invention	AN ALUMINUM-DOPED PRECIPITATED SILICA
Abstract	ABSTRACT 805/MAS/2001 An aluminum-doped precipitated silica The present invention relates to an aluminum-doped precipitated silica, wherein the silica particles have a BET surface area of more than 300 m2/g and the aluminum is distributed uniformly in the silica particles.

Full Text

The invention relates to an aluminum-doped precipitated silica and a process for preparing the same. Silicas and aluminum silicates prepared by precipitation using sodium silicate solution and sulfuric acid, sodium silicate solution and subsequent addition of a soluble metal salt are known. In these preparation processes, metal ions in the form of their salts or solutions thereof, for example, Zr, Ti, Zn ions, are added in a variety of ways. These ions may also enter into chemical bonds of constituents of the silica/silicate surface and may be not removed by simple washing. These ions generate cationic charges on the surface of the silicas/silicates and as a result, when used in the coating of inkjet papers, for example, ensure fixing of the usually anionic dyes and ensure bright colors m the paper coating. For the use in the paper industry there is a need for fillers which in inkjet media, for example, absorb the ink effectively and maintain the brightness of the colors. In order to be able to raise the printing speed and to reduce the size of the printed dot in inkjet printing, rapid drying is vital. One way of meeting these requirements is to apply coatings containing silica to the media. These coatings permit rapid ink absorption, enhance the dot definition, and promote the defined circular propagation of the ink droplet. Furthermore, they prevent show through or strikethrough of the ink and produce high color densities. For the use in the paper industry, therefore, there is a need for fillers which are extremely easy to disperse, which absorb the ink well in inkjet paper or inkjet film, for example, and which maintain brightness of the colors. The preparation of doped and undone silicas and silicates has already been extensively described; for example, in 179939, DE 117 22 45, EP 0 798 266, DE 314 42 99 or DE 124 50 06. All of the precipitations described therein for preparing silica comprise three process steps: 1,) introduction of water and, optionally, sodium silicate solution, optionally adjustment of pH, conductivity by adding salts or solutions thereof (e.g., sodium sulfate), 2.) precipitation phase: here, usually by adding a mineral acid such as sulfuric acid, the precipitation of the silica or silicate is brought about; 3.) acidification of the silica/silicate suspension prior to further workup. All three phases are characterized by a specific temperature, metering and pH regime, possible interruption stages and/or intermediate stages, or the addition of different salts or solutions thereof. In order to produce cationic sites on the surface of the silicas/silicates, at least divalent metal ions are added to the precipitated silica (EP 0 493 203), The metals in question may comprise alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals, transition metals (e.g., Ti, Zr, Fe, Ni, Zn), or aluminum. These metals may be added as Ions In the form of their salts or solutions thereof. The salts may comprise organic salts or complexes, examples being carbonates, polycarbonates, or else inorganic salts such as halides, ox halides, nitrates, phosphates, sulfates, oxide sulfates, hydroxides, oxide hydroxides. The ions mentioned manifest their activity especially if they are integrated (chemically bonded and/or physically fixed) in the surface of the silicas or silicates. For this to be so, however, the treatment of an already precipitated silica or silicate (suspensions thereof) with salts or solutions of said ions is not sufficient. EP 0 492 263 discloses such silicas and processes. For their preparation, metal salts for doping are applied either to pre-prepared and resuspended silica or to silica suspensions which have already been subjected to precipitation but not yet filtered. In both cases, although the metal ions are deposited on the surface of the particles, there is no chemical incorporation of the metals into the silicate structure. Doped silicas prepared in this way bleed easily, and the metal ions may be released. Silicas often have to be ground in order to obtain a certain particle size. Even ungrounded silicas are exposed in further processing steps to mechanical stresses (e.g., by mixing or kneading) which lead to the partial destruction of the original particles. Where silica particles which have been doped only on the surface with foreign metals are broken down, these smaller particles have surfaces containing no foreign atoms. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide aluminum-doped silica in which the aluminum has been substantially embedded into the silicate structure. The present invention accordingly provides aluminum-doped precipitated silica wherein the silica particles have a BET surface area of more than 300 m2/g and the aluminum is distributed uniformly in the silica particles. The doping is preferably carried out with AI2O3- The mass fraction when using other aluminum compounds can be calculated with reference to AI2O3. The silica of the invention preferably has the following parameters, which may be met independently or simultaneously: AI2O3 content of from 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, preferably from 0.05 to 0.25% by weight; DBP absorption of from 500 to 200 g/100 g, preferably from 250 to 350 g/100 g; particle size of less than 15 μm, preferably from 5 to 12μm, and in particular from 10 to 12)im. The BET surface area of the precipitated silica of the invention is more than 300 m2/g, preferably from 350 to 800 m2/g, with particular preference from 350 to 600 m2/g. The invention additionally provides a process for preparing the aluminum-doped precipitated silicas, which comprises successively a) heating a mixture of water and sodium silicate at from 70 to 86°C and adding sulfuric acid until half of the sodium silicate is neutralized, b) aging the mixture for from 30 to 120 minutes, c) adjusting the mixture to a pH of from 3.0 to 7.0 by adding sulfuric acid, d) filtering the mixture and washing the filtercake, e) spray-drying and/or grinding the washed filtercake, with the proviso that an aluminum salt solution is metered in in steps a and/or c of the process, the precipitated silica has a BET surface of more than 300 m^/g, and the aluminum is distributed uniformly in the silica particles. Following their preparation, the precipitated silicas obtained in this way may be filtered off and used further in the form of the filtercake redispersed in water or after drying of the filtercake (e.g., in spray dryers, nozzle tower dryers, spin flash dryers, Buttner dryers or rotary tube furnaces) and grinding (dry or wet, e.g., in a wet-jet mill). The abovementioned aluminum salts may be added in the form of their salts, in the form for example of chlorides, nitrates, carbonates, oxides, hydroxides, oxychlorides, phosphates, oxyhydroxides, oxide sulfates, polycarbonates and/or sulfates, at different points in time and at different stages of the process of the invention, i.e., the precipitation. It is possible to add the aluminum salt solution to the mixture continuously during steps a) and/or c) of the process. Furthermore, the aluminum salt solution may be added to the mixture in step a) and/or in step c) of the process, in each case prior to the addition of the sulfuric acid. In each embodiment, optimum incorporation, or good physicochemical bonding of the ions to the still-growing silica/silicate surface, is ensured and a high effective concentration at the surface of the silica particles is ensured even by small amounts of the aluminum ions, A point to be emphasized with this type of doping is that the aluminum can only be removed by destroying the silica/silicate structure. Where the aluminum salts are added throughout the precipitation period, they are also incorporated into the internal structures of the silica/silicate. By this means, with optional subsequent grinding (dry or wet grinding) of the silicas of the invention, particles are again obtained which have cationic sites on their entire surface. The percentage fraction of the aluminum in the surface regions of the particles may, however, be a multiple of the weight percentages averaged over the particle mass, especially when the addition is made at the end of the addition of the sulfuric acid. In one particular embodiment, one or more of steps a), b), and c) of the process may be operated with shearing, using for example a Dispax reactor. It is also possible to add the aluminum In a sulfuric acid solution. Judiciously, aluminum sulfate is dissolved in the sulfuric acid which is also used to precipitate the silica. The general parameters of the precipitation reaction such as temperature, stirring speed, concentration of the sodium silicate solution or sulfuric acid introduced correspond to those during the preparation of undoped precipitated silicas and may be taken, for example, from DE 117 22 45, EP 0 798 266, DE 314 42 99 or DE 124 50 06. Use of the aluminum-doped precipitated silicas of the invention Modern inks used in particular with all varieties of what is known as Inkjet printing and its related processes are anionic in nature. It is therefore very important with regard to the fixing of the colorants {dyes and pigments), the brightness of the color, and the depth and definition of printing that the media to be printed have on their surface, or in their surface regions, particles having an at least partly cationic surface. Silicas and silicates are already widely used today for abovementioned formulations of a coating (e.g., paper coating, film coating). Modification of these silicas and silicates so as to generate active, i.e., available, cationic sites on their surface meets the present-day requirements owing to the anionic colorants that are frequently used. Because of the influence of the incorporated metal ions on the refractive index, further advantages may result with regard to use in transparent media, such as in connection with the use of silicas/silicates in coatings for films. Accordingly, the invention further provides for the use of the aluminum-doped silicas of the invention, and, respectively, the doped silicas prepared by the process of the invention, as an additive in the production of printable media or as flatting agents. In particular, silicas of the invention may be used in coatings for, for example, Inkjet papers and in coatings for other printable media, such as films, including overhead films, or printable textiles, fabric screens, or paper in general. The silicas of the invention may be used not only in the form of dried and optionally ground products but also as dispersions. Advantages in further processing, and cost advantages, lie above all in the use of dispersed filtercakes of the precipitated silicas/silicates of the invention. The precipitated silicas of the invention may further be hydrophobicized in whole or in part by treatment with silanes as described, for example, in DE 117 22 45, EP 0 798 266. DE 314 42 99 or DE 107 45 59. For use in papermaking it is possible to admix the dispersions of the silicas of the invention with auxiliaries customary in the paper industry, such as polyalcohols, polyvinyl alcohol, synthetic or natural polymers, pigments {Ti02, Fe oxides, Al metal filters), but also undoped silicas (precipitated silicas or Aerosils). The invention further provides colored coating formulations for paper, comprising polyvinyl alcohol and aluminum-doped precipitated silica having a BET surface area of more than 300 m2/g, the aluminum being distributed uniformly in the silica particles, In the form of a suspension having a solids content of from 10 to 30% by weight. The aluminum-doped precipitated silica may be prepared as described. The colored coating formulations of the invention may comprise further constituents such as water, latex, styrene acrylate, polyvinyl acetate and/or polyvinyl¬pyrrolidone. Furthermore, the precipitated silica doped with aluminum in accordance with the invention may be used as a flatting agent in coating materials. Coating materials which can be used are, for example, alkyd resin coating materials or other baking enamels. The examples which follow are intended to illustrate the Invention without restricting its scope. The formulation described in the standard comprises not only precipitated silica but also pyrogenic silica, which likewise contributes to increasing the color brightness. Accordingly, it is clear that when using the precipitated silica of the invention better results are obtained even without the addition of pyrogenic silicas. Description of the invention: Example A1 - A3: The precipitating vessel is charged with 47 kg of water and 16 kg of sodium silicate {d = 1.35 g/cm3 modulus Si02: Na20 = 3.3) and the mixture is heated with stirring to 75°C. Sulfuric acid (50%, d = 1.340 g/cm^) is metered into this initial precipitation charge over 30 min at a rate of 41.2 ml/min. At the same time, aluminum sulfate (d = 1.284 g/cm^ 7.38% by weight) is metered into this first precipitation stage by way of a second feed point. Following 25 minutes' precipitation, the shearing unit (Dispax reactor) is switched on. Shortly after the end of the addition of acid, the silica begins to flocculate. The supply of acid is interrupted for 60 min (waiting stage). Thereafter, the addition of acid is continued at 47,2 ml/min over a period of a further 35 min with simultaneous addition of aluminum sulfate. Subsequently, the resulting silica suspension has a pH of 3.4 and a solids content of 73.5 g/l. The shearing unit is switched off. The suspension is passed through a filter press and washed free of sulfate. The filtercake is spray dried and the powder is ground to a d50 value of from 10.5 to 11.5 μ m and subsequently classified. The dried product has the following physicochemical properties: Example B1 - B3: Colored coating slips are formulated on the basis of straight silica with a solids content of 15% and also 14% to 18%. The Brookfield viscosity is measured at 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 rpm 1 day after preparing the coating slips. The colored coating slips prepared are applied to standard untreated paper with subsequent drying and calendering of the paper samples. The print test is carried out in four-color printing using an HP Deskjet 550 C and an Epson Stylus Color 800. The overall evaluation encompasses the ease of incorporation, the coating behavior, the coating adhesion, the absorption behavior and the printability. To prepare the colored coaling slips for inkjet purposes, for example, especially the standard formulation, 30 parts of polyvinyl alcohol (RVA) are introduced into the total amount of water and dissolved at 95°C, Subsequently the silica or the silica mixture (precipitated and pyrogenic silica) is incorporated at 1000 rpm and then dispersed at 3000 rpm for 30 minutes. The colored coating slips are not admixed, as usual, with additives and cobinders. The colored coating slip formulation Is not further enhanced for optimum properties. Coating slip formulations for different media are given, inter alia, in Technical Information Bulletin No. 1212 from Degussa-Huls, FP Division. The use of the precipitated silicas in accordance with the invention may be applied to other formulations. The sample was applied sheetwise (DIN A4) using a Dow coater at 50 m/min. The papers dried in the Dow tunnel dryer are glazed by means of a calender at 9 bar/45X. The papers were printed in four-color printing mode using an HP 550 C and an Epson Stylus Color 800. The overall evaluation of viscosity, coating, and printability shows the advantage of the aluminum-doped precipitated silica of the invention with regard to its use in inkjet media. WE CLAIM: 1. An aluminum-doped precipitated silica, wherein the silica particles have a BET surface area of more than 300 m2/g and the aluminum is distributed uniformly in the silica particles. 2. The aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in claim 1, doped with AI2O3. 3. The aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in claim 1 or 2, having an AijOj content of from 0.05 to 0.5% by weight. 4. The aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the doped silica particles have an average size of less than 15 ytm. 5. The aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in any of claims i to 4, having a DBF absorption of from 500 to 200 g/100 g. 6. A process for preparing aluminum-doped precipitated silica, which comprises successively a) heating a mixture of water and sodium silicate at from 70 to 86°C and adding sulfuric acid until half of the sodium silicate is neutralized, b) aging the mixture for from 30 to 120 minutes, c) adjusting the mixture to a pH of from 3.0 to 7.0 by adding sulfuric acid, d) filtering the mixture and washing the filter cake, e) spray-drying and/or grinding the washed filter cake, with the proviso that an aluminum salt solution is metered in steps a and/or c of the process, the precipitated silica has a BET surface of more than 300 m /g, and the aluminum is distributed uniformly in the silica particles. 7. The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the aluminum salt solution is added to the mixture of water and sodium silicate in step a) of the process prior to the sulfuric acid. 8. The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the aluminum salt solution is added continuously during steps a) and/or c) of the process. 9. The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the aluminum salt solution is added in step c) of the process prior to the addition of the sulfuric acid. 10. The process as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, wherein at least one or more of steps a, b, and c of the process is or are carried out with shearing. 11. Paper, films or fabric screens comprising the aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in any of claims I to 5. 12. Coating materials comprising the aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 as flatting agents. 13. A colored coating formulation for paper, comprising polyvinyl alcohol and aluminum-doped precipitated silica as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

Documents:

805-mas-2001 abstract duplicate.pdf

805-mas-2001 abstract.pdf

805-mas-2001 claims duplicate.pdf

805-mas-2001 claims.pdf

805-mas-2001 correspondence others.pdf

805-mas-2001 correspondence po.pdf

805-mas-2001 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

805-mas-2001 description (complete).pdf

805-mas-2001 form-1.pdf

805-mas-2001 form-18.pdf

805-mas-2001 form-26.pdf

805-mas-2001 form-3.pdf

805-mas-2001 form-5.pdf

805-mas-2001 others.pdf

805-mas-2001 petition.pdf