Oil and polyethylene glycol fill material for use in paintball shells
View Patent ↗A fill material is for use within a closed interior chamber of a gelatin paintball capsule. The fill material includes a polyethylene glycol and an oil. Each one of the polyethylene glycol and the oil is present in a respective amount that is substantially less than about 90% by weight of the fill material. The fill material additionally includes at least a first additive that is selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a dye, a density agent, a thickener, and a surfactant. Preferably, a starch may be used as the density agent, as the emulsifier, and/or as the thickener. Suitable starches may include corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, modified starch, and combinations thereof, among others.
1. A fill material for use within a closed interior chamber of a paintball capsule, said fill material comprising polyethylene glycol, an oil, starch, water, and a dye wherein the polyethylene glycol is in an amount between 20% and 60% by weight of the fill material, the oil is in an amount between 31% and 50% by weight of the fill material, the starch is in an amount between 1% and 20% by weight of the fill material, and the water is in an amount between 5% and about 10% by weight of the fill material.
2. The fill material according to claim 1 further comprising a density agent selected from the group consisting of talc, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, zinc oxide, and combinations thereof.
3. The fill material according to claim 1 , wherein said starch is selected from the group consisting of corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, modified starch, and combinations thereof.
4. The fill material according to claim 3 , wherein said starch is corn starch.
5. The fill material according to claim 1 , wherein said polyethylene glycol has a mean molecular weight of between about 200 and about 600.
6. The fill material according to claim 5 , wherein said polyethylene glycol has a mean molecular weight of about 400.
7. The fill material according to claim 1 , wherein said oil comprises a vegetable oil.
8. The fill material according to claim 7 , wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, and combinations thereof.
9. The fill material according to claim 1 , wherein said oil is selected from the group consisting of mineral oils, silicone oils, aromatic oils, fatty ethers, fatty esters, and combinations thereof.
10. The fill material according to claim 1 , wherein said dye is a water soluble dye.
11. The fill material according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a thickener, and a surfactant.
12. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said surfactant, said surfactant comprising a liquid nonionic surfactant having an HLB value between about 8 and about 14.
13. The fill material according to claim 12 , wherein said surfactant is present in an amount between about 0.1% and about 10% by weight of said fill material.
14. The fill material according to claim 13 , wherein said surfactant is present in an amount between about 0.1% and about 2% by weight of said fill material.
15. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said emulsifier, said emulsifier comprising a copolymer having a major portion and a minor portion, wherein said major portion is selected from the group consisting of a mono-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid of about 3 to about 6 carbon atoms and a mono-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic anhydride monomer of about 3 to about 6 carbon atoms, and wherein said minor portion is selected from the group consisting of a long chain acrylate ester monomer and a long chain methacrylate ester monomer.
16. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said emulsifier, said emulsifier comprising a cross-linked copolymer of acrylic acid and a hydrophobic co-monomer.
17. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one additive is said emulsifier, said emulsifier comprising acrylates/C 10-30 alkyl acrylate cross-polymer.
18. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said emulsifier, wherein said emulsifier is present in an amount between about 0.05% and about 1% by weight of said fill material.
19. The fill material according to claim 18 , wherein said emulsifier is present in an amount between about 0.1% and about 0.5% by weight of said fill material.
20. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said thickener, and said thickener comprises a wax.
21. The fill material according to claim 20 , wherein said wax is selected from the group consisting of yellow beeswax, white wax, paraffin wax, and combinations thereof.
22. The fill material according to claim 20 , wherein said wax is present in an amount ranging between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said oil in said fill material.
23. The fill material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one additive is said thickener, and said thickener comprises a silica.
24. The fill material according to claim 23 , wherein said silica is present in an amount between about 0.5% and about 5% by weight of said fill material.
25. A fill material for use within a closed interior chamber of a paintball capsule, said fill material comprising polyethylene glycol in an amount between about 20% and about 60% by weight of said fill material and having a mean molecular weight of between about 200 and about 600, oil in an amount between about 31% and about 50% by weight of said fill material, starch in an amount between 1% and 20% by weight of the fill material, water in an amount between 5% and about 10% by weight of said fill material, and a dye.
26. The fill material according to claim 25 , further comprising a density agent in addition to the starch.
27. The fill material of claim 25 , wherein said dye is a water soluble dye.
28. The fill material according to claim 25 , further comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a thickener, and a surfactant.
29. A paintball comprising a paintball capsule defining a closed interior chamber and a fill material within said chamber, said fill material comprising polyethylene glycol, oil, starch, water, and dye, wherein the polyethylene glycol is in an amount between 20% and 60% by weight of the fill material, the oil is in an amount between 31% and 50% by weight of the fill material, the starch is in an amount between 1% and 20% by weight of the fill material, and the water is in an amount between 5% and about 10% by weight of said fill material.
30. The paintball according to claim 29 , wherein said paintball capsule is spherical.
31. The paintball according to claim 30 , wherein said paintball capsule comprises a gelatin shell that encapsulates said fill material, wherein said gelatin shell further comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of, gelatin substitutes, plasticizers, glycerin, sorbitol, non-crystallizing sorbitol, water, dyes, pigments, titanium dioxide, preservatives, and combinations thereof.
32. The paintball according to claim 29 , further comprising a density agent in addition to the starch.
33. The paintball according to claim 29 , wherein said dye is a water soluble dye.
34. The paintball according to claim 29 , wherein said fill material further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a thickener, and a surfactant.