Process of manufacturing thickeners and use of thus produced thickeners in high-viscosity unsaturated polyester containing formulations

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of at least one mixed mineral organoclay rheology additive, which comprises or consists of a quaternary alkyl-ammonium salt treated mineral clay mixture prepared by forming an aqueous hormite clay slurry (a), forming an aqueous smectite clay slurry (b), combining the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) with the aqueous smectite clay slurry (b) to form a combined clay slurry (c), treating the combined clay slurry (c) with one or more quaternary alkyl-ammonium salts, separating the thus produced quaternary alkyl-ammonium salt treated mineral clay mixture from the aqueous medium, in which the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) being formed by (i.1) dispersing a fraction of one or more hormite clays selected from the group of sepiolites and palygorskites in an aqueous medium to form a dispersion, and the aqueous smectite clay slurry (b) being formed by (ii.1) dispersing a fraction of one or more smectite clays in an aqueous medium to form a dispersion, and in that the weight of the hormite clay content exceeds the weight of the smectite clay content in the combined clay slurry (c), and subjecting the dispersions formed in (i.1) and (ii.1) to high speed fluid shear before carrying out step iii. and/or after having carried out step and wherein the fraction of one or more hormite clays employed in the formation of the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) has an integral breadth B defined according of the reflection with Miller indices (110) of less than 0.800 scan units in an X-ray powder pattern recorded on an oriented glycolated sample of the hormite clay fraction using Cu-K-radiation, in a liquid composition comprising at least one unsaturated polyester. The invention also relates to a process for producing a mixed mineral organoclay rheology additive and the use of the thus produced additive as a thickening agent in liquid compositions.