US2238109A - Emulsifiable wax product - Google Patents

Description

,use in various processes,

u like, or in the sired emulsion. This stock, in solid form, I shipped or handled readily and dispersed easily It is an object of this preparation and handlin the ingredients thereof.

Patented 1 451215, 1941 I UNITE.

rss ATNT EMULSIFIABLE wax rnonuc'r -William K. Griesinger, Lansdowne, Pa, assignor to The Atlantic Refining Company, Phil delphia, Pa,

No Drawing.

4 Claims.

1 The presentinvention relates to improvements in emulsifiable wax products, and relates more particularly to wax emulsion stocks suitable for ture ofwater-proof 'paper, cardboard, and the t The present invention is particularly readily converted into an aqueous emulsion of a desired concentration, obviating the necessity of carefully compounding the separate ingredients at the time the treating emulsion is formed.

In accordance with this invention, a wax emulsion stockisprepared in asubstantially solid form, said stockicontainingessentially all of the ingredients necessary for the formation of the demay be and accurately into an emulsion of the desired characteristics, thereby obviatingthe necessity of employing workmen having particular skill in the handling of emulsions.

place of use, and likewise makes it unnecessary for'the users oi wax emulsions to store and handle theingredients required for producing the desired emulsion.

essing of paperand related fibrous materials.

In accordance with this invention, a substantially solid wax emulsion stock is prepared by incorporating in a hydrocarbon wax, an oil-soluble,

' water-dispersible soap of a petroleum sulfonic acid in quantities of the order of 3% to 12% by directedtoward a wax emulsion stock capable of being invention, therefore, to

a corporation of Pennsylvania such as the manufam of textile materials, leathenand similar fibrous materials.

in greater quantities than purified soaps from which oil and/or water has been removed. For example, from about 6% to about 24% of soap comprising 50% suli'onates, 30% water and oil, when admixed with hydrocarbon wax, will -produee a satisfactory emulsifiable wax stock.

. rendered substantially free of oil and water, may

' my invention,

weight, based upon the wax. Hydrocarbon waxes which may be suitably employed may be exemplified by crude scale wax produced by pressing and sweating a parafiin distillate wax, refined parafiin wax, or mixtures of paraffin wax with small amounts of amorphous wax, such as that derived from petrolatum. The oil-soluble, water dispersible sulfonate soaps which I prefer to employ are those produced in the manufacture of mineral white oils by sulfuric acid treatment and being extracted from of a solvent such as neutralization, such soaps the'treated oil by means dilute alcohol. The sulfonic acids from which On the other hand, the same soap whichhas been be satisfactorily employed in quantities of the order of from about 3% to about 12%, based upon the wax.

Water-soluble sulfonic acid soaps, such as may be recovered from acid sludgeresulting from the sulfuric acid treatment of petroleum oils have been found unsuitablefor use in accordance with acid soaps are incompatible with the hydrocarbon waxes and will not produce a solid, homogeneous emulsifiable wax product.

For purposes of convenience and for clarifying the exposition of the present invention, hereafter and in the appended claims, the percentage of sulfonate soap employedwill refer, unless otherwise specified, to soap reduced to a substantially oil-free, water-free basis. It is to be understood, of course, that in the practice oi this invention, sulfonate soap containing oil and/or water, or free from oil and/ or water, may be employed.

In the preparation of the emulsifiable wax stock, in accordance with this invention, a hydrocarbon wax, for example, 120 F.-124 F. melting point crude, yellow scale wax or 128 F.-132 F. refined paraffin wax, is rendered fluid by heating to a temperature not substantially in excess of about 200 F., and sulionate soap in quantity of from about 3% to 12% by weight, is added, and the admixture is agitated until a substantially homogeneous mixture or solution is obtained. The heated mixture is then cooled to form a substantially solid composition which is and are not considered as withinthe scope thereof. Such water-soluble sulfonic Ingredients (per cent by weight) Petroleum Petroleum 1 fii 'i rfg 35 Water 507 susu scale wax fined paraffin imam) mngte) The emulsifiable wax products of this invention have been found to be of particular utility in the manufacture of waterproof paper, cardboard, and

the like. In the application of petroleum sulionates as a wax emulsifier in the production of water-proof paper, care must be taken to avoid the use of excessive quantities of sulfonates, particularly those containing substantial quantities of oil. For example, a composition comprising about 76% of hydrocarbon wax and 24% of oilsoluble, water-dispersible petroleum sulfonate (50% sulfonates, oil, and water), when dispersed in water to give an emulsion containing about 5% of wax, may be successively employed in water-proofing paper. However, the use of quantities of this sulfonate much in excess of about 25% (based on the wax) is undesirable, since the amount of oil which would thus be incorporated in the paper would render same unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the use of excessive quantities of sulfonate emulsifiers would require correspondingly larger amounts of electrolyte for breaking the emulsion and depositing wax on the paper fibers. This, in turn, would result in a deposition on the paper of undesirably large amounts of insoluble products resulting from the reaction of the sulfonate emulsifier with the electrolyte. For example, when alum is employed as the electrolyte, precipitated aluminum sulfonate would be deposited on the paper fibers. Therefore, it is highly desirable to employ the smallest quantity of sulfonate emulsifier which is capable of producing a wax emulsion of the desired stability. I have found that .quantities of oilsoluble, water-dispersible alkali metal sulfonates oi the order of from about 3% to about 12%, based on the wax, may be suitably employed.

'Such percentages are'based on substantially oilfree 'sulfonate soap, the sulfonic acid component thereof having an acid value of from about 80 to about 14o mg. KOH per gram.

The application of emulsifiable wax products of my invention to the processing of paper may be illustrated by the following example:

A substantially solid, emulsiflable wax stock comprising about crude, yellow scale wax and about 15% of oil-soluble,- water-dispersible sodium sulfonates (containing about 50% sulfonates) was admixed with water to give a stable emulsion containing about 5% of wax. This emulsion was added to paper pulp being subjected to a beating treatment, in such proportion as to 7 give about 3% wax per lbs. of paper pulp. The mixture of paper pulp and wax emulsion was then subjected to beating, and a suiiicient quantity of electrolyte, such as alum solution, was

J added to break the emulsion and cause deposition of the precipitated wax upon the paper fibers. The pulp containing the wax was then subjected to further beating, and then delivered to a sheet fabricating machine.

While, hereinabove, I have described the application of my emulsifiable wax stock in the water-proofing of paper, it is 'to be understood that such wax stock may also be utilized in processing textiles, leather, and other materials in which it is desired to incorporate hydrocarbon wax.

What I claim is:

1. A wax emulsion stock which is homogeneous and substantially solid at ordinary temperatures and capable of being emulsified upon beingmixed with water, said stock comprising hydrocarbon wax and from about 3% to about 12% of ,oilsoluble, water-dispersible soap of 'a petroleum sulfonic acid, said sulfonic acid having ar ..acid value of from about 80 to about mg..KOH/gm.

2. A wax emulsion stock whichish'bmogeneous and substantially solid at ordinary temperatures and capable of being -emulsified upon being mixed with water, said stock comprising hydrocarbon wax and from about-3% to about 12% of oil-soluble, water-disperslble alkali metal soap of a petroleum sulfonic acid, said sulionic acid having an acid value of from about 80 to about 140 mg. KOH/gm.

3. A wax emulsion stock which is homogeneous and substantially solid at ordinary temperatures and capable of being emulsified upon being'mixed with water, said stock comprising hydrocarbon wax and from about..3% to about 12% of oilsoluble. water-dispersible sodium. soap of a petroleum sulfonic acid, said sulfonic acid. having an acid value of from about 80 to about .140 mg. KOH/gm.

4. A wax emulsion stock-which is homogeneous and substantially solid at ordinary temperatures and capable of being emulsified-upon being mixed with water, said stock comprising hydrocarbon wax and from about 3%to about 12% of oilsoluble, water-dispersible soap of a petroleum sulfonic acid derived from the manufacture of mineral white oil, said sulfonic acid having an acid value of from about 80 to about 140 mg. KOH/gm.

WILLIAM K. GRIESINGER.