Imerys Pigments, Inc.

Ecc International Limited

Imerys Minerals Limited

Christopher Nutbeem

Rajan R Iyer

David Robert Skuse

Robert J Pruett

John Claude Husband

Jun Yuan

Ian Stuart Bleakley

Anthony V Lyons

Christopher R L Golley

David O Cummings

William L Garforth

Daniel John Panfil

William H Pope

Philip Martin McGenity

Janet Preston

Roger W Wygant

Mark Mortimer

Deb Thrale

Dave R Skuse

Benny Hallam

Philip Coulter

Roger Wygant

A coating composition for paper and other substrates, particularly mechanical papers such as lightweight coated (LWC) paper, comprises an aqueous suspension of a particulate pigment together with a binder, wherein the particulate pigment comprises: (a) a first component which is a precipitated calcium carbonate consisting predominantly of aragonitic or rhombohedral particle shapes or of aragonitic and rhombohedral particle shapes in a weight ratio of between around 40:60 and about 60:40 (e.g. about 50:50) aragonitic:rhombohedral, and a second component which is a processed particulate hydrous kaolin clay having a shape factor greater than or equal to about 25 and a steepness greater than or equal to about 20; or (b) a first component which is a fine particulate calcium carbonate consisting predominantly of particles having a generally spherical particle shape, and a second component which is a processed particulate hydrous kaolin clay having a shape factor greater than or equal to about 45 and a mean equivalent particle diameter (d) less than about 0.5 &#x3bc;m; or (c) a first component which is a precipitated calcium carbonate consisting predominantly of aragonitic and rhombohedral particle shapes in a weight ratio of between about 40:60 and about 60:40 (e.g. about 50:50) aragonitic:rhombohedral, and a second component which is a processed particulate hydrous kaolin clay having a shape factor less than about 25.

Paper coating pigments

The present disclosure relates to a coating composition for use in producing a coating on paper and other substrates comprising an aqueous suspension of a particulate pigment together with a binder, wherein the particulate pigment comprises a mixture of: a first pigment component comprising particulate ground calcium carbonate (GCC) having a particle size distribution (psd) steepness factor ranging from about 30 to about 45; and a second pigment component comprising particulate precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) having a psd steepness factor ranging from about 55 to about 75. The particulate pigment may optionally further include a particulate kaolin clay.

A kaolin clay pigment comprises a coarse kaolin clay or a blend of a coarse kaolin clay with a fine kaolin clay. The coarse kaolin clay is a delaminated and defined pigment product with an overall shape factor greater than about 12. If the coarse kaolin clay is fluid at about 65% to about 75% solids, then it is used by itself as the kaolin pigment. If it is not fluid, it is blended with a fine kaolin clay in amounts ranging from about 0.1% to about 30.0% by weight of the blend. The coarse kaolin clay fraction has a Hinckley Crystallinity Index greater than about 0.6 and the fine kaolin clay has a Hinckley Crystallinity Index less than about 0.5. The pigment has a G.E. brightness of about 90.5 and a particle size distribution such that at least about 90% by weight of the particles has an e.s.d. less than about 2 &mgr;m and about 30% by weight of the particles has an e.s.d. less than about 0.25 microns. At about 65% to about 75% solids, the Hercules viscosity is greater than 250 rpm at about 18 dynes and when used in a coating formulation, exhibits improved sheet brightness, sheet gloss, sheet opacity and print gloss.

Kaolin clay pigment for paper coating and method for producing same

There is disclosed a method for the preparation of a precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) for use as a pigment in paper coating compositions, the method comprising the steps of (a) carbonating an aqueous lime-containing medium to produce an aqueous suspension of a PCC predominantly in a selected crystal form, (b) at least partially dewatering the PCC-containing suspension; and (c) subjecting the PCC-containing suspension to comminution by high shear attrition grinding with an attrition grinding medium. Steps (b) and (c) may be applied in either order, ie. (b) followed by (c) or alternatively (c) followed by (b). The dewatering step (b) is preferably carried out using a pressure filter device operating at a pressure of at least 5 MPa, preferably at least 10 MPa. A pH reduction step may be applied after steps (b) and (c). Also disclosed are pigments produced by the method and pigment and paper coating compositions including such pigments.

Paper coating pigments and their production and use

Growing community of inventors

St. Austell, United Kingdom

Christopher Nutbeem