Hydrophobing minerals and filler materials

1. A method of preparing a hydrophobic and/or water resistant mineral and/or filler material, said method comprising:

(i) preparing a hydrolyzate containing polysiloxanes by hydrolyzing a hydrolysable silane or hydrolysable silane mixture in the presence of an acid hydrolysis catalyst and water immediately prior to

(ii) combining the polysiloxane hydrolyzate with at least one mineral and/or filler and optionally with additional water and/or a catalyst for condensation of the hydrolysate, thereby preparing the hydrophobic and/or water resistant material,

wherein the hydrolysable silane or hydrolysable silane mixture is present in the water in a concentration of 10 to 50 percent by weight.

2. A method according to claim 1 , in which the hydrolysable silane comprises one or more silanes, each silane comprising one or more alkoxy groups and/or one or more acetoxy groups and/or one or more halide groups.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the hydrolysable silane is selected from at least one alkylalkoxysilane, arylalkoxysilane, and/or alkenylalkoxysilane or a mixture thereof.

4. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the hydrolysable silane comprises a mixture containing at least two of methyltripropoxysilane and/or methyltrimethoxysilane and/or methyltriacetoxysilane and/or alkenyltrialkoxysilane and/or alkenyltriacetoxysilane.

5. A method according to claim 2 , in which any alcohol generated during preparation of the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is removed before the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is combined with the at least one mineral and/or filler.

6. A method according to claim 2 , in which the hydrolysable silane is an acetoxysilane or a mixture of acetoxysilanes.

7. A method according to claim 2 , in which the hydrolysable silane is a chlorosilane or a mixture of chlorosilanes.

8. A method according to claim 6 , in which any excess acid generated during preparation of the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is partially neutralized or removed before the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is combined with the at least one mineral and/or filler.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during step (i) is 0.1-6.

10. A method according to claim 1 , in which the at least one mineral and/or filler is selected from non-hydrated, partially hydrated, or hydrated, fluorides, chlorides, bromides, iodides, chromates, carbonate hydroxides, hydroxides, phosphates, hydrogen phosphates, nitrates, oxides, sulphates of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and barium, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, aluminium oxide, aluminium trihydroxide, vermiculite, silica, fumed silica, fused silica, precipitated silica, quartz, sand, silica gel, rice hull ash, ceramic and glass beads, zeolites, hydrous calcium silicate, silica-carbon black composite, functionalized carbon nanotubes, cement, fly ash, slate flour, bentonite, clay, mica, kaolin, talc, calcium carbonate, wollastonite, polymeric fillers, rubber particles, wood flour, wood fibres, cellulose and cellulose-containing products, aramid fibres, nylon fibres, cotton fibres or glass fibres.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one mineral and/or filler is stucco or gypsum.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one mineral and/or filler is gypsum and the gypsum comprises one or more of calcium sulphate dehydrate, phospho-gypsum and/or desulphogypsum and/or titanogypsum and/or fluorogypsum and wherein the stucco is derived from natural gypsum and/or synthetic gypsum.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst that is combined with the polysiloxane hydrolyzate and the at least one mineral and/or filler is a base and the pH during step (ii) is from pH 8 to pH 14.

14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein step (ii) is further defined as combining the polysiloxane hydrolyzate with the stucco, the catalyst, and optionally the additional water to form a slurry.

15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst that is combined with the polysiloxane hydrolyzate and the at least one mineral and/or filler is an alkoxide of titanium, zirconium, vanadium or aluminium.

16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst that is combined with the polysiloxane hydrolyzate and the at least one mineral and/or filler is an organic compound of tin.

17. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst that is combined with the polysiloxane hydrolyzate and the at least one mineral and/or filler is a fluoride salt.

18. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst that is combined with the polysiloxane hydrolyzate and the at least one mineral and/or filler comprises a base and an alkoxide of titanium, zirconium, vanadium or aluminium, an organic compound of tin, or a fluoride salt.

19. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzable silane mixture comprises a silanol, a silanediol, a silanetriol, a hydroxyl functional polydimethylsiloxane, or an alkoxy functional polydimethylsiloxane.

20. A method in accordance with claim 1 , in which at least one additive comprising starch, a foaming agent, a wetting agent, an accelerator, a retarder, paper, pulp, a viscosity modifying agent, an anti-burning agent, a non-silicon atom containing water-resisting chemical, glass fibres, a fire-resistance enhancer, a polymeric compound and/or uncalcined gypsum is additionally introduced during step (ii).

21. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the catalyst for condensation of the hydrolyzate is mixed with the water, and the hydrolysable silane or hydrolysable silane mixture, and the stucco.

22. A method according to claim 11 further comprising the step of discharging the hydrophobic and/or water resistant gypsum onto a support or mould and the step of drying.

23. A hydrophobic and/or water resistant gypsum prepared according to the method of claim 22 .

24. A method according to claim 6 , in which the acetoxysilane or the mixture of acetoxysilanes additionally comprise one or more chloro groups per molecule.

25. A method according to claim 7 , in which any excess acid generated during preparation of the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is partially neutralized or removed before the polysiloxane hydrolyzate is combined with the at least one mineral and/or filler.

26. A method of preparing a hydrophobic and/or water resistant mineral and/or filler material, said method comprising:

(i) preparing a hydrolyzate containing polysiloxanes by hydrolyzing a hydrolysable silane or hydrolysable silane mixture in the presence of an acid hydrolysis catalyst and water and in the presence of a silanol, a silanediol, a silanetriol, a hydroxyl functional polydimethylsiloxane, or an alkoxy functional polydimethylsiloxane immediately prior to

(ii) combining the polysiloxane hydrolyzate with at least one mineral and/or filler and optionally with additional water and/or a catalyst for condensation of the hydrolysate, thereby preparing the hydrophobic and/or water resistant material,

wherein the hydrolysable silane or hydrolysable silane mixture is present in the water in a concentration of 10 to 50 percent by weight.

27. A method according to claim 26 , in which the hydrolysable silane comprises one or more silanes, each silane comprising one or more alkoxy groups and/or one or more acetoxy groups and/or one or more halide groups.

28. A method according to claim 27 , wherein the hydrolysable silane is selected from at least one alkylalkoxysilane, arylalkoxysilane, and/or alkenylalkoxysilane or a mixture thereof.

29. A method of preparing a hydrophobic and/or water resistant gypsum from stucco, said method comprising:

(i) preparing a hydrolyzate containing polysiloxanes by combining a hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane with an alkyltrialkoxysilane in water in the presence of an acid hydrolysis catalyst immediately prior to addition of the stucco, wherein the alkyltrialkoxysilane is present in a concentration of 10 to 50 percent by weight with the water;

(ii) combining the hydrolyzate with the stucco to form an aqueous solution having 0.5 to 5 parts by weight of the hydrolyzate per 100 parts by weight of the stucco and to prepare the hydrophobic and/or water resistant gypsum material.

30. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the polysiloxane hydrolyzate comprises a first compound having the formula CH 3 Si(OH) 3 and a second compound having the formula (HO) 2 CH 3 SiOSiCH 3 (OH) 2 .

31. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the water is present in an amount of from 7.5 to 68 moles of water per mole of silane and from 1.5 to 14 moles of water per mole of atomic Si.