Vesiculated polymer granules

Claim 2

Vesiculated polymer granules, said vesiculated granules having a plurality of discrete internal vesicles whose walls are provided by said polymer, said granules having a mean diameter of 1-500 micron, the ratio of granule diameter to the mean vesicle diameter being at least 5:1, the maximum diameter of the vesicles being 20 micron and the volume of the vesicles being from 5-95% of the volume of the granules and further characterized in that the vesicles contain particulate solids at a concentration not exceeding 60% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 3

Vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1 in which the maximum diameter of the vesicles is 5 micron.

Claim 4

Vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1 in which the particulate solids concentration of the granules does not exceed 45% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 5

Vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1 in which the particulate solids are pigment particles.

Claim 6

Vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1 in which the polymer of the granules contains pigment in a volume concentration therein up to the critical volume concentration.

Claim 7

Vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1 in which the granules are spheroidal in shape.

Claim 8

A paint composition comprising (a) film-forming vehicle, (b) pigment dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of up to 85% of the volume of (a) plus (b) and (c) vesiculated polymer granules, said vesiculated granules having a plurality of discrete internal vesicles whose walls are provided by said polymer, said granules being dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of from 5 to 95% of the total solids volume of the paint, characterized in that the vesiculated polymer granules have a mean diameter of 1 to 500 micron, the ratio of the granule diameter to the mean vesicle diameter is at least 5:1, the maximum diameter of the vesicles is 20 micron, the vesicles occupy 5-95% of the total granule volume and the vesicles contain particulate solids at a concentration not exceeding 60% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 9

A paint composition comprising (a) film-forming vehicle, (b) pigment dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of up to 85% of the volume of (a) plus (b) and (c) vesiculated polymer granules, said vesiculated granules having a plurality of discrete internal vesicles whose walls are provided by said polymer, said granules being dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of from 5 to 95% of the total solids volume of the paint, characterized in that the vesiculated polymer granules have a mean diameter of 1 to 500 micron, the ratio of the granule diameter to the mean vesicle diameter is at least 5:1, the maximum diameter of the vesicles is 20 micron, the vesicles occupy 5-95% of the total granule volume and the vesicles contain particulate solids at a concentration not exceeding 60% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 10

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the granules are dispersed in the film-forming vehicle in a proportion of from 25 to 60% of the total solids volume of the paint.

Claim 11

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the vesiculated polymer granules are spheroidal and have an essentially non-porous surface.

Claim 12

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the polymer of the vesiculated granules has an elongation at break of 40% maximum.

Claim 13

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the vesicles of the granules have a maximum diameter of 5 micron.

Claim 14

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the vesicles of the granules occupy 20-75% of the total granule volume.

Claim 15

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the vesicles of the polymer granules contain particulate solids at a concentration not exceeding 45% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 16

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the polymer of the vesiculated granules contains pigment at a volume concentration therein not exceeding the critical pigment volume concentration.

Claim 17

A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the film-forming vehicle (a) is a solution or dispersion of film-forming polymer in an aqueous liquid and the vesicles of the granules are at least partially filled with an aqueous liquid and said pigment.

Claim 18

A matt paint composition comprising (a) film-forming vehicle, (b) pigment dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of up to 85% of the set volume of (a) plus (b) and (c) vesiculated polymer granules, said vesiculated granules having a plurality of discrete internal vesicles whose walls are provided by said polymer, said granules being dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of from 5 to 95% of the total solids volume of the paint, characterized in that the vesiculated polymer granules are spheroidal with a mean diameter of 1 to 50 micron and a volume average diameter of from 5 to 35 micron, the ratio of granule diameter to mean vesicle diameter is at least 5:1, the maximum diameter of the vesicles is 20 micron, the vesicles occupy 5-95% of the total granule volume, the polymer of the granules contains from zero to the critical pigment volume concentration of pigment and the vesicles of the granules contain pigment at a concentration of up to 60% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 19

A matt paint composition comprising (a) film-forming vehicle, (b) pigment dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of up to 85% of the set volume of (a) plus (b) and (c) vesiculated polymer granules, said vesiculated granules having a plurality of discrete internal vesicles whose walls are provided by said polymer, said granules being dispersed in the vehicle in a proportion of from 5 to 95% of the total solids volume of the paint, characterized in that the vesiculated polymer granules are spheroidal with a mean diameter of 1 to 50 micron and a volume average diameter of from 5 to 35 micron, the ratio of granule diameter to mean vesicle diameter is at least 5:1, the maximum diameter of the vesicles is 20 micron, the vesicles occupy 5-95% of the total granule volume, the polymer of the granules contains from zero to the critical pigment volume concentration of pigment and the vesicles of the granules contain pigment at a concentration of up to 60% of the vesicle volume.

Claim 20

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 in which the film-forming vehicle is an aqueous latex of film-forming polymer.

Claim 21

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 in which the polymer granules comprise about 20-60% by volume of vesicles.

Claim 22

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 in which the volume of granules in the total volume of the paint (calculated on the composition of a dry film thereof) is 25-60%.

Claim 23

A matt paint composition according to claim 19 in which the volume of granules is 35-50%.

Claim 24

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 which has a high film integrity in which the volume of pigment in the total volume of paint excluding the granules (based on the composition of a dry film thereof) is 5-35%.

Claim 25

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 which as a dry film has a gloss (85° gloss head) of 10 maximum, in which the volume of pigment in the total volume of the paint excluding the granules (based on the composition of a dry film thereof) is from the critical pigment volume concentration to about 75% by volume.

Claim 26

A matt paint composition according to claim 16 in which the polymer of the vesiculated granules has an elongation at break of 40% maximum.

Claim 27

A paint film comprising vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1.

Claim 28

A paint film formed by drying a film of a paint composition according to claim 7.

Claim 29

A matt paint film formed by drying a film of a paint composition according to claim 16.

Claim 30

Polymer containing dispersed therein vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1.

Claim 31

Paper containing dispersed therein vesiculated polymer granules according to claim 1.