Super paramagnetic fluids and methods of making super paramagnetic fluids

Claim 2

A magnetic fluid comprising: (a) a carrier liquid; (b) a dispersing agent comprising a salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid which disperses coated magnetic particles in said carrier liquid; and (c) coated magnetic particles coated with at least one organic acid which renders said magnetic particles hydrophobic, said organic acid being capable of peptizing said magnetic particles into a fugitive solvent, said fugitive solvent being a solvent for said dispersing agent.

Claim 3

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 1 wherein said carrier liquid is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon oils and polar organic liquids.

Claim 4

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 2 wherein said organic acid is a monocarboxylic acid having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 3 wherein said organic acid is selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmytic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, arachidic acid and behenic acid.

Claim 6

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 2 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of two or more organic acids.

Claim 7

A magnetic fluids as recited in claim 5 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of two or more organic acids selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmytic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, arochidic acid and behenic acid.

Claim 8

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 6 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of from about about 55% to 95% by volume of a first organic acid and from about 5% to 45% by volume of a second organic acid.

Claim 9

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 6 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of from about 70% to 80% by volume of a first organic acid and from about 20% to 30% by volume of a second organic acid.

Claim 10

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 8 wherein said said first organic acid is selected from the group consisting of palmytic acid, myristic acid and stearic acid.

Claim 11

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 9 wherein said second acid is selected from the group consisting of oleic acid and isostearic acid.

Claim 12

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 10 wherein said combination of organic acids is about 30% by volume oleic acid and about 70% by volume palmytic acid.

Claim 13

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 9 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 14

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 7 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 15

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 6 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 16

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 4 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 17

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 2 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 18

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 16 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 19

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 15 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 20

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 14 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 21

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 13 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 22

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 20 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80 Å to about 90 Å.

Claim 23

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 19 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80 Å to about 90 Å.

Claim 24

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 18 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80 Å to about 90 Å.

Claim 25

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 17 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80 Å to about 90 Å.

Claim 26

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 2 wherein said carrier liquid is a non-polar poly(alpha olefin) oil.

Claim 27

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 25 wherein said organic acid is a monocarboxylic acid having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

Claim 28

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 26 wherein said organic acid is selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmytic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, arachidic acid and behenic acid.

Claim 29

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 27 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of from about 70% to 80% by volume of a first organic acid and from about 20% to 30% by volume of a second organic acid.

Claim 30

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 28 wherein said first organic acid is selected from the group consisting of palmytic acid, myristic acid and stearic acid.

Claim 31

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 28 wherein said combination of acids is from about 20% to 30% by volume oleic acid and from about 70% to 80% by volume myristic acid.

Claim 32

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 29 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an armomatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 33

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 27 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic petroleum sulfonic acid.

Claim 34

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 32 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 35

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 31 wherein said magnetic particles are magnetite.

Claim 36

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 34 wherein said dispersing agent is a poly(alpha olefin) oil selected from the group consisting of poly(alfa olefin) oils having a viscosity of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 centistokes.

Claim 37

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 33 wherein said dispersing agent is a poly(alpha olefin) oil selected from the group consisting of poly(alfa olefin) oils having a viscosity of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 centistokes.

Claim 38

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 37 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80Å to about 90Å.

Claim 39

A magnetic fluid as recited in claim 35 wherein said magnetic particles have an average magnetic particle diameter from about 80Å to about 90Å.

Claim 40

A process for making a magnetic fluid comprising: (a) providing an aqueous suspension of coated magnetic particles coated with an agent which renders said magnetic particles hydrophobic; (b) separating said coated magnetic particles from water in said aqueous suspension; (c) treating said coated magnetic particles with a solution of a dispersing agent in a fugitive solvent wherein said fugituve solvent peptizes said coated magnetic particles into a stable colloidal suspension; and (d) adding a carrier liquid to said colloidal suspension to form a stable magnetic liquid.

Claim 41

A process for making a magnetic fluid comprising: (a) providing an aqueous suspension of coated magnetic particles coated with an agent which renders said magnetic particles hydrophobic; (b) separating said coated magnetic particles from water in said aqueous suspension; (c) treating said coated magnetic particles with a solution of a dispersing agent in a fugitive solvent wherein said fugituve solvent peptizes said coated magnetic particles into a stable colloidal suspension; and (d) adding a carrier liquid to said colloidal suspension to form a stable magnetic liquid.

Claim 42

A process as recited in claim 39 wherein said coated magnetic particles are separated from water in said aqueous suspension by adding a fugitive solvent to said coated magnetic particles in an amount sufficient to coagulate said coated magnetic particles into a water repellant granular mass.

Claim 43

A process as recited in claim 40 wherein said separated coated magnetic particles are rinsed to remove by-product inorganic salts.

Claim 44

A process as recited in claim 41 wherein additional fugitive solvent is added to said coated magnetic particles after rinsing to form a stable suspension of magnetic particles in said fugitive solvent.

Claim 45

A process as recited in claim 42 wherein said fugitive solvent is selected from the group consisting of xylene, heptane, and kerosene.

Claim 46

A process as recited in claim 40 wherein said fugitive solvent is selected from the group consisting of xylene, heptane, and kerosene.

Claim 47

A process as recited in claim 43 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid.

Claim 48

A process as recited in claim 45 wherein said dispersing agent is a salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid.

Claim 49

A process as recited in claim 45 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with at least one organic acid selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmytic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, isosteric acid, arachidic acid and behenic acid.

Claim 50

A process as recited in claim 47 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of a first organic acid and a second organic acid wherein said first organic acid is from about 55% to 95% by volume of said combination of organic acids and said second organic acid is from about 5% to 45% by volume of said combination of organic acids.

Claim 51

A process as recited in claim 48 wherein said magnetic particles are coated with a combination of a first organic acid and a second organic acid wherein said first organic acid is from about 70% and 80% by volume of said combination of organic acids and said second organic acid is from about 20% to 30% by volume of said combination of organic acids.

Claim 52

A process of recited in claim 49 wherein said first organic acid is selected from the group consisting of palmytic acid, myristic acid, and steric acid.

Claim 53

A process as recited in claim 47 wherein said fugitive solvent is removed from said stable magnetic fluid.

Claim 54

A process as recited in claim 50 wherein said fugitive solvent is removed from said stable magnetic fluid.

Claim 55

A process for making a magnetic fluid comprising: (a) precipitating magnetic particles from an aqueous solution; (b) contacting said precipitated magnetic particles in an aqueous suspension with at least one organic acid to provide coated magnetic particles coated with said organic acid; (c) separating said coated magnetic particles from water by adding a fugitive solvent to said coated magnetic particles in an amount sufficient to coagulate said coated magnetic particles into a water repellant granular mass; (d) rinsing said coated magnetic particles with water to remove by-product inorganic salts; (e) adding additional fugitive solvent to said coated magnetic particles to form a stable suspension of magnetic particles in said fugitive solvent; (f) heating said stable suspension to evaporate residual water and water associated with said magnetic particle surface; (g) removing from said stable suspension coated magnetic particles with a magnetic particle diameter greater than that which can be stabilized by said organic acid in said fugitive solvent; (h) treating said coated magnetic particles in said stable suspension with a salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid dispersing agent to form a stable colloid of coated magnetic particles; (i) removing excess dispersant from said stable colloid; (j) adding a carrier liquid to said stable colloid; and (k) removing said fugitive solvent from said stable colloid.

Claim 56

A process for making a magnetic fluid comprising: (a) precipitating magnetic particles from an aqueous solution; (b) contacting said precipitated magnetic particles in an aqueous suspension with at least one organic acid to provide coated magnetic particles coated with said organic acid; (c) separating said coated magnetic particles from water by adding a fugitive solvent to said coated magnetic particles in an amount sufficient to coagulate said coated magnetic particles into a water repellant granular mass; (d) rinsing said coated magnetic particles with water to remove by-product inorganic salts; (e) adding additional fugitive solvent to said coated magnetic particles to form a stable suspension of magnetic particles in said fugitive solvent; (f) heating said stable suspension to evaporate residual water and water associated with said magnetic particle surface; (g) removing from said stable suspension coated magnetic particles with a magnetic particle diameter greater than that which can be stabilized by said organic acid in said fugitive solvent; (h) treating said coated magnetic particles in said stable suspension with a salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid dispersing agent to form a stable colloid of coated magnetic particles; (i) removing excess dispersant from said stable colloid; (j) adding a carrier liquid to said stable colloid; and (k) removing said fugitive solvent from said stable colloid.