Method for making agglomerate particles

Abstract

The invention provides agglomerate particles, made by a process comprising: (a) forming by mixing at high speed a slurry of mineral agglomerate components in a polymerizable liquid resin carrier; (b) mixing said slurry with a non-miscible fluid to form discrete dispersed droplets; (c) exposing the discrete dispersed droplets to UVA radiation; (c) solidifying said droplets to form a multitude of solid particles; (d) isolating said solid particles and then firing said particles. The resulting size of the fired particles of the invention are estimated to be in the range from approximately 20 μm to approximately 500 μm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition suitable for making agglomerate particles, said composition comprising:
 (a) a slurry of agglomerate components in a temporary binder comprising a polymerizable liquid resin carrier; and   (b) a non-miscible fluid suitable to form discrete dispersed droplets.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said temporary binder comprising a polymerizable liquid resin carrier is thermally curable. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said temporary binder comprising a polymerizable liquid resin carrier is radiation curable. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said liquid resin carrier is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, triethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, glycerol tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tri(meth)acrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, neopentyl glycol di(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate, dipentaerythritol penta(meth)acrylate, sorbitol tri(meth)acrylate, sorbitol hexa(meth)acrylate, Bisphenol A di(meth)acrylate, ethoxylated Bisphenol A di(meth)acrylates, acrylated epoxy oligomers, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerate particles are mineral particles. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein said mineral particles are selected from the group consisting of fused aluminum oxide, white fused alumina, heat-treated aluminum oxide, brown aluminum oxide, ceramic aluminum oxide, heated treated aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, natural diamond, synthetic diamond, cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, titanium carbide, garnet, fused alumina-zirconia, ceramic alumina-zirconia, diamond, zirconia, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein said liquid resin carrier further includes a material selected from the group consisting of a reactive diluent, a photoinitiator, a thermal initiator, a silane coupling agent and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said reactive diluent is selected from the group consisting of 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl acrylate, 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl methacrylate, di-(trimethyolpropane tetraacrylate), di-(trimethyolpropane tetramethacrylate), di(pentaerythritol hexaacrylate), di-(pentaerythritol hexamethacrylate), pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate, di-(trimethyolpropane tetravinyl ether), di-(pentaerythritol hexavinyl ether), pentaerythritol tetravinyl ether, di-(trimethyolpropane tetraallyl ether), di-(trimethyolpropane tetramethallyl ether), di(pentaerythritol hexaallyl ether), di-(pentaerythritol hexamethallyl ether), pentaerythritol tetraallyl ether, pentaerytlritol tetramethallyl ether and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of α-methylbenzoin; α-phenylbenzoin; α-allylbenzoin; α-benzylbenzoin; benzoin ethers such as benzil dimethyl ketal, benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin n-butyl ether; acetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone; 2-methyl-1-[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-(4-morpholinyl)-1-propanone, 2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-1-[4-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl]-1-butanone, pivaloin ethyl ether, anisoin ethyl ether; anthraquinones, such as anthraquinone, 2-ethylanthraquinone, 1-chloroanthraquinone, 1,4-dimethylanthraquinone, 1-methoxyanthraquinone, benzanthraquinonehalomethyltriazines, benzophenone, bis(η 5 -2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)bis[2,6-difluoro-3-(1H-pyrrol-1-y-1)phenyl]-titanium; 4-bromomethylnitrobenzene, mono- and bis-acylphosphines bis(2,4,6-trimethyl-benzoyl)-phenylphosphineoxide and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said thermal initiator is selected from the group consisting of 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid), 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid), 1,1′-azobis-(cyclohexanecarbonitrile), 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride granular, 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile), 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) recrystallized, azobisiso-butyronitrile, 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethyl-valeronitrile), tert-butyl hydroperoxide, tert-butyl peracetate, cumene hydroperoxide, 2,5-di-(tert-butyl peroxy)-2,5-dimethyl-3-hexyne, dicumyl peroxide, 2,5-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-2,5-di-methylhexane, 2,4-pentanedione peroxide, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)cyclohexane, benzoyl peroxide, 2-butanone peroxide, tert-b utyl per-oxide, lauroyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, tert-butylperoxy 2-ethylhexyl carbonate, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, ammonium persulfate, hydroxymethane-sulfinic acid monosodium salt dihydrate, potassium persulfate, sodium persulfate and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of 3-mercapto-propylmethyldimethoxisilane, (3-glycidoxypropyl)methyldiethoxy-silane, (3-glycidoxypropyl)tri-methoxy silane, (3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine, (N,N-diethyl-3-aminopropyl)tri-ethoxysilane, 3-aminopropylm ethyl di ethoxy silane, 3-amino-propyltriethoxysilane, 3-amino-propyltrimethoxysilane, 3-chloropropylmethyldichlorosilane, 3-chloropropylmethyldimethox-ysilane, 3-chloropropyltrichlorosilane, 3-chloropropyltriethoxy-silane, 3-chloropropyltrimethoxy-silane, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, bis[3-(triethoxy-silyl)propyl]-tetrasulfide, chloromethyltrichlorosilane, chloro-methyltriethoxysilane, chloro-methyltrimethoxysilane, methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriacetoxysilane, methyl-tris(methylethylketoxime)silane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-amino-propylmethyldimethoxysilane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-methyl-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltris(methylethylketoximino)silane, tetrakis(methyl-ethyl-ketoximino)silane, trifluoropropyl-methyldimethoxy silane, trifluoropropyltrimethoxy-silane, ureidopropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyl di-methylethoxysilane, vinylmethylbis(methylethyl-ketoximino)silane, vinyltrichlorosilane, vinyltri-ethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, vinyltris(methylethyl-ketoximino)silane and gamma-methacryloxy-propyltrimethoxysilane and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said non-miscible fluid is selected from the group consisting of silicones and fluorinated oils. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said silicones are selected from the group consisting of cyclotetrasiloxane fluids, cyclopentasiloxane fluids, cyclohexasiloxane fluids and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said fluorinated oils are (perfluroalkylether) oils and perfluorinated hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said particles are further fired in a temperature range of about 400° C. to about 730° C. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerates have a particle size in the range of 20 μm-500 μm. 
     
     
         17 . Agglomerate particles made by a process comprising:
 (a) forming by mixing at high speed a slurry of mineral agglomerate components in a polymerizable liquid resin carrier;   (b) mixing said slurry with a non-miscible fluid to form discrete dispersed droplets;   (c) exposing the discrete dispersed droplets to UVA radiation;   (d) solidifying said droplets to form a multitude of solid particles; and   (e) isolating said solid particles.   
     
     
         18 . The agglomerate particles of  claim 17 , wherein said particles are further fired at a temperature range of about 400° C. to about 730° C. 
     
     
         19 . Agglomerate particles made by a process comprising:
 (a) forming by mixing at high speed a slurry of mineral agglomerate components in a polymerizable liquid resin carrier;   (b) mixing said slurry with a non-miscible fluid to form discrete dispersed droplets;   (c) exposing the discrete dispersed droplets to UVA radiation;   (d) solidifying said droplets to form a multitude of solid particles; and   (e) isolating said solid particles.