A PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING THICKENERS AND THE USE OF THUS PRODUCED THICKENERS IN HIGH-VISCOSITY NON AQUEOUS FORMULATIONS

摘要

The invention relates to the use of at least one mixed mineral organoclay rheology additive, which comprises or consists of a quaternary alkyl-ammonium salt treated mineral clay mixture prepared by forming an aqueous hormite clay slurry (a), forming an aqueous smectite clay slurry (b), combining the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) with the aqueous smectite clay slurry (b) to form a combined clay slurry (c), treating the combined clay slurry (c) with one or more quaternary alkyl-ammonium salts, in which the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) being formed by dispersing a fraction of one or more hormite clays selected from the group of sepiolites and palygorskites in an aqueous medium to form a dispersion, and whereby the hormite clay fraction employed contains less than 3.0% by weight of Al2O3, less than 1.0% by weight of Fe2O3, and less than 3.5% by weight of the combination of Al2O3 and Fe2O3; and the aqueous smectite clay slurry (b) being formed by dispersing a fraction of one or more smectite clays in an aqueous medium to form a dispersion, and in that the weight of the hormite clay content exceeds the weight of the smectite clay content in the combined clay slurry (c); and subjecting the hormite clay slurry (a) and the smectite clay slurry (b) to high speed fluid shear before combining both slurries and/or after having both slurries combined and wherein the one or more hormite clays employed in the formation of the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) exhibit a methylene blue exchange capacity below 20 mmol methylene blue per 100 g of the one or more hormite clays in dry state and whereby the hormite clay fraction employed in the formation of the aqueous hormite clay slurry (a) shows an integral breadth B=(net area of reflection)/(net height of reflection) of the (110) reflection in an X-ray powder pattern recorded on an oriented glycolated sample of the hormite clay fraction using CuKα-radiation of less than 0.800 scan units, in a liquid composition. The invention also relates to a process for producing a mixed mineral organoclay rheology additive and the use of the thus produced additive as a thickening agent in liquid compositions.