Aqueous barium carbonate dispersions, process for their production, and dry pre-mix

Claim 2

A STABLE, FLUID, HIGHLY DENSE COMPOSITION OF MATTER PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CLAY MIXES, SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER MEDIA TO WHICH THE ADDITION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER IS OBJECTIONABLE, SAID COMPOSITION EXHIBITING THE PROPERTY OF REMAINING "PUMPABLE" FOR LONG PERIODS WITHOUT AGITATION, SAID COMPOSITION CONTAINING AS ESSENTIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS (1) A MAJOR AMOUNT OF BARIUM CARBONATE, HAVING (A) AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 2.0 MICRONS AS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DYE ABSORPTION METHOD, AND (B) A "REACTIVITY" OF AT LEAST ABOUT 75%, "REACTIVITY" BEING DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAID BARIUM CARBONATE WHICH WILL REACT WITH AN EXCESS OF CALCIUM SULFATE, PRESENT AS AN 80% SATURATED SOLUTION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WITHIN A 24-HOUR PERIOD WHEN SUBJECTED TO A GENTLE BOIL UNDER REFLUX; (2) A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, AND (3) AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPERSE THE BARIUM CARBONATE IN SAID WATER, BUT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF THE BARIUM CARBONATE PRESENT, OF A DISPERSANT CHARACTERIZED BY A MARKEDLY HYDROPHILIC BEHAVIOR IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS.

Claim 3

A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY SOLID PRE-MIX CONTAINING AS ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS (1) BARIUM CABONATE HAVING (A) AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 2.0 MICRONS AS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DYE ABSORPTION METHOD, AND (B) A "REACTIVITY" OF AT LEAST ABOUT 75%, "REACTIVITY" BEING DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAID BARIUM CARBONATE WHICH WILL REACT WITH AN EXCESS OF CALCIUM SULFATE, PRESENT AS AN 80% SATURATED SOLUTION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WITHIN A 24HOUR PERIOD WHEN SUBJECTED TO A GENTLE BOIL UNDER REFLUX, AND (2) AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPERSE THE BARIUM CARBONATE IN A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, BUT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF THE BARIUM CARBONATE PRESENT, OF A DISPERSANT CHARACTERIZED BY A MARKEDLY HYDROPHILIC BEHAVIOR IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS, SAID PRE-MIX HAVING THE PROPERTY, WHEN ADMIXED IN MAJOR AMOUNT WITH A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER AND AGITATED OF FORMING A STABLE, FLUID, HIGHLY DENSE DISPERSION, SAID DISPERSION BEING PARTICULARLY ADAPATED FOR USE IN CLAY MIXES, SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER MEDIA TO WHICH THE ADDITION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER IS OBJECTIONABLE, SAID DISPERSION FURTHER EXHIBITING THE PROPERTY OF REMAINING "PUMPABLE" FOR LONG PERIODS WITH AGITATION.

Claim 4

A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY SOLID PRE-MIX CONTAINING AS ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS (1) BARIUM CABONATE HAVING (A) AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 2.0 MICRONS AS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DYE ABSORPTION METHOD, AND (B) A "REACTIVITY" OF AT LEAST ABOUT 75%, "REACTIVITY" BEING DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAID BARIUM CARBONATE WHICH WILL REACT WITH AN EXCESS OF CALCIUM SULFATE, PRESENT AS AN 80% SATURATED SOLUTION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WITHIN A 24HOUR PERIOD WHEN SUBJECTED TO A GENTLE BOIL UNDER REFLUX, AND (2) AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPERSE THE BARIUM CARBONATE IN A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, BUT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF THE BARIUM CARBONATE PRESENT, OF A DISPERSANT CHARACTERIZED BY A MARKEDLY HYDROPHILIC BEHAVIOR IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS, SAID PRE-MIX HAVING THE PROPERTY, WHEN ADMIXED IN MAJOR AMOUNT WITH A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER AND AGITATED OF FORMING A STABLE, FLUID, HIGHLY DENSE DISPERSION, SAID DISPERSION BEING PARTICULARLY ADAPATED FOR USE IN CLAY MIXES, SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER MEDIA TO WHICH THE ADDITION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER IS OBJECTIONABLE, SAID DISPERSION FURTHER EXHIBITING THE PROPERTY OF REMAINING "PUMPABLE" FOR LONG PERIODS WITH AGITATION.

Claim 5

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A STABLE, FLUID, HIGHLY DENSE COMPOSITION OF MATTER PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CLAY MIXES, SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER MEDIA TO WHICH THE ADDITION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER IS OBJECTIONABLE, WHICH COMPOSITION EXHIBITS THE PROPERTY OF REMAINING "PUMPABLE" FOR LONG PERIODS WITHOUT AGITATION, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE ESSENTIAL STEPS OF ADMIXING (1) A MAJOR AMOUNT OF BARIUM CARBONATE, HAVING (A) AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 2.0 MICRONS AS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DYE ABSORPTION METHOD, AND (B) A "REACTIVITY" OF AT LEAST ABOUT 75%, "REACTIVITY" BEING DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAID BARIUM CARBONATE WHICH WILL REACT WITH AN EXCESS OF CALCIUM SULFATE, PRESENT AS AN 80% SATURATED SOLUTION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WITHIN A 24-HOUR PERIOD WHEN SUBJECTED TO A GENTLE BOIL UNDER REFLUX; (2) A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, AND (3) AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPERSE THE BARIUM CARBONATE IN SAID WATER BUT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF THE BARIUM CARBONATE PRESENT, OF A DISPERSANT CHARACTERIED BY A MARKEDLY HYDROPHILIC BEHAVIOR IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS, AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE SO FORMED.

Claim 6

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A STABLE, FLUID, HIGHLY DENSE COMPOSITION OF MATTER PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CLAY MIXES, SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER MEDIA TO WHICH THE ADDITION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER IS OBJECTIONABLE, WHICH COMPOSITION EXHIBITS THE PROPERTY OF REMAINING "PUMPABLE" FOR LONG PERIODS WITHOUT AGITATION, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE ESSENTIAL STEPS OF ADMIXING (1) A MAJOR AMOUNT OF BARIUM CARBONATE, HAVING (A) AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 2.0 MICRONS AS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DYE ABSORPTION METHOD, AND (B) A "REACTIVITY" OF AT LEAST ABOUT 75%, "REACTIVITY" BEING DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAID BARIUM CARBONATE WHICH WILL REACT WITH AN EXCESS OF CALCIUM SULFATE, PRESENT AS AN 80% SATURATED SOLUTION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WITHIN A 24-HOUR PERIOD WHEN SUBJECTED TO A GENTLE BOIL UNDER REFLUX; (2) A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, AND (3) AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPERSE THE BARIUM CARBONATE IN SAID WATER BUT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF THE BARIUM CARBONATE PRESENT, OF A DISPERSANT CHARACTERIED BY A MARKEDLY HYDROPHILIC BEHAVIOR IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS, AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE SO FORMED.