Thixotropic aqueous coating composition of solubilized polymer with dispersion of quaternary ammonium clay in aliphatic hydrocarbon

Claim 1

A thixotropic aqueous coating composition comprising (1) from 15 to 25%, based on the weight of said composition, of a film-forming, solubilized polymer, (2) from 0.5 to 5%, based on the weight of said composition, of finely divided silica, (3) sufficient water to achieve a concentration of non-volatile materials of from 30 to 60%, based on the weight of said composition, (4) from 0.5 to 5%, based on the weight of said composition, of a smectite type clay which has been modified by reaction with a quaternary ammonium salt of the general formula R 2 1 R 2 2 N.sup.⊕ X.sup.⊖ wherein R 1 is alkyl and contains from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 is alkyl and contains from 12 to 20 carbon atoms and X is chlorine or bromine, said smectite clay being present as a dispersion in a water-immiscible liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon that constitutes from 1 to 10% of the total weight of said aqueous coating composition and boils within the range from 100° to 200° C. (5) from 0.1 to 1%, based on the weight of said composition, of a monohydric alcohol of a molecular weight from 32 to 118, and (6) from 0.5 to 5%, based on the total weight of said composition, of a cationic surfactant.