Organophilic clay gellant and processes for preparing organophilic clay gellants

Claim 2

An organophilic clay gellant comprising the reaction product of a smectite-type clay having a cation associated therewith and having a cation exchange capacity of at least about 75 milliequivalents per 100 grams of said clay and an organic cation derived from an organic cation/anion compound having the general formula: ##STR4## or mixtures thereof wherein X is a nitrogen or phosphorus, Y is sulfur, M - is an anion, R 1 is a lineal or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms and R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from (a) lineal or branched alkyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms; (b) aralkyl groups which are benzyl and substituted benzyl moities including fused ring moieties having lineal or branched 1 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion of the structure; (c) aryl groups including phenyl and substituted phenyl including fused ring aromatic substituents; (d) data, gamma, unsaturated groups having six or less carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and (e) hydrogen and wherein the improvement comprises the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is water, a gas, an insoluble compound having a solubility constant of 1×10 -2 or less in water at room temperature or a mixture thereof.

Claim 3

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is water.

Claim 4

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is a gas.

Claim 5

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 3 wherein the cation from the smectite-type clay is H + , M - is carbonate and the gas comprises carbon dioxide.

Claim 6

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is an insoluble compound.

Claim 7

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 5 wherein the insoluble compound is selected from barium sulfate, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphite, calcium phosphate, lead phosphate, magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 6 wherein the insoluble compound is barium sulfate, calcium sulfate or mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 6 wherein the insoluble compound is magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate or a mixture thereof.

Claim 10

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein an organic anion derived from an additional compound having a pKa less than about 11.0, is reacted with said organic cation and said smectite-type clay, said organic anion originally being paired with a cation which reacts with M - to form water, a gas, an insoluble compound or a mixture thereof.

Claim 11

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 9 wherein the milliequivalent ratio of the organic cation to the organic anion is in the range of from about 1.7 : 1.0 to about 28 : 10.

Claim 12

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 9 wherein the organic anion is derived from carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, alkyl sulfate or a mixture thereof.

Claim 13

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 11 wherein the organic anion is selected from stearate, lauryl sulfate, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein the organic anion is lauryl sulfate.

Claim 15

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 12 wherein the organic anion is stearate.

Claim 16

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein the smectite-type clay is bentonite, hectorite or a mixture thereof.

Claim 17

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 1 wherein the amount of organic cation is from about 90 to about 150 percent of the cation exchange capacity of the clay.

Claim 18

A process for preparing an organophilic clay gellant comprising: (a) preparing a slurry of smectite-type clay having a cation associated therewith and having a cation exchange capacity of at least 75 milliequivalents per 100 grams of clay; and (b) reacting the smectite-type clay with organic cation in an amount ranging from about 90 to about 150 percent of the cation exchange capacity of the clay, said organic cation being derived from an organic cation/anion compound having the general formula: ##STR5## or mixtures thereof thereby forming an organophilic clay gellant wherein X is a nitrogen or phosphorus, Y is sulfur, M - is an anion, R 1 is a lineal or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms and R 2 R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from (a) lineal or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 22 carbon atoms; (b) aralkyl groups which are benzyl and substituted benzyl moieties including fused ring moieties having lineal or branched 1 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion of the structure; (c) aryl groups including phenyl and substituted phenyl including fused ring aromatic substituents; (d) beta, gamma, unsaturated groups having six or less carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and (3) hydrogen and wherein the improvement comprises the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is water, a gas, an insoluble compound having a solubility constant of 1×10 -2 or less in water at room temperature or a mixture thereof.

Claim 19

A process for preparing an organophilic clay gellant comprising: (a) preparing a slurry of smectite-type clay having a cation associated therewith and having a cation exchange capacity of at least 75 milliequivalents per 100 grams of clay; and (b) reacting the smectite-type clay with organic cation in an amount ranging from about 90 to about 150 percent of the cation exchange capacity of the clay, said organic cation being derived from an organic cation/anion compound having the general formula: ##STR5## or mixtures thereof thereby forming an organophilic clay gellant wherein X is a nitrogen or phosphorus, Y is sulfur, M - is an anion, R 1 is a lineal or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms and R 2 R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from (a) lineal or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 22 carbon atoms; (b) aralkyl groups which are benzyl and substituted benzyl moieties including fused ring moieties having lineal or branched 1 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion of the structure; (c) aryl groups including phenyl and substituted phenyl including fused ring aromatic substituents; (d) beta, gamma, unsaturated groups having six or less carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and (3) hydrogen and wherein the improvement comprises the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is water, a gas, an insoluble compound having a solubility constant of 1×10 -2 or less in water at room temperature or a mixture thereof.

Claim 20

The process of claim 17 wherein the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is water.

Claim 21

The process of claim 17 wherein the reaction product of the cation from the smectite-type clay and M - is a gas.

Claim 22

The process of claim 19 wherein the cation from the smectite-type claim is H + , M - is carbonate and the gas comprises carbon dioxide.

Claim 23

The process of claim 17 wherein the reaction product of the cation form the smectite-type clay and M - is an insoluble compound.

Claim 24

The organophilic clay gellant of claim 21 wherein the insoluble compound is selected from barium sulfate, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphite, calcium phosphate, lead phosphate, magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride and mixtures thereof.

Claim 25

The process of claim 22 wherein the insoluble compound is barium sulfate, calcium sulfate or a mixture thereof.

Claim 26

The process of claim 17 wherein the slurry of the smectite-type clay is prepared by dispersing smectite-type clay having sodium ions on the cation exchange sites of the clay into a liquid medium and passing the dispersion through a cation exchange resin in hydrogen form wherein the smectite-type clay has hydrogen on the exchange sites.

Claim 27

The process of claim 24 wherein M - is hydroxyl and the reaction product is water.

Claim 28

The process of claim 17 wherein the organophilic clay gellant is separated from the slurry and the resulting liquid is recycled and used in the preparation of further smectite-type clay slurry in the substantial absence of treatment of the liquid to remove ions therefrom.

Claim 29

The process of claim 17 wherein the organophilic clay gellant is separated from the slurry and dried such that the temperature of the wet organophilic clay does not exceed about 50° C.

Claim 30

The process of claim 17 wherein the organophilic clay gellant is separated from the slurry and dried in the substantial absence of washing.

Claim 31

The process of claim 17 wherein the slurry of smectite-type clay is subjected to high shear conditions whereby clay agglomerates are separated prior to reacting the slurry with the organic cation.

Claim 32

The process of claim 17 wherein an organic anion derived from an additional compound having a pKa less than about 11.0 is reacted with the smectite-type clay and the organic cation, said organic anion being present in amount such that the milliequivalent ratio of the organic cation to the organic anion is in the range of from about 1.7:1.0 to about 28:1.0.

Claim 33

The process of claim 30 wherein the organic anion is derived from carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, alkyl sulfate or a mixture thereof.

Claim 34

The process of claim 31 wherein the organic anion is selected from stearate, lauryl sulfate and mixtures thereof.