Use of 2-aminoethanol as additive in aqueous suspensions of calcium carbonate comprising materials

1. A method for increasing the pH of an aqueous suspension, containing from 25 to 62 vol. % based on the total volume of the suspension of at least one calcium carbonate-comprising material and having a pH in the range of between 8.5 and 11, comprising adding 2-aminoethanol to the suspension in an amount of from 500 to 15000 mg per liter of the aqueous phase of the suspension, so that the pH of the suspension is increased by at least 0.3 pH units and the conductivity change is not more than 100 μS/cm per pH unit, wherein 2-aminoethanol is added prior to, during or after, a step of grinding the calcium carbonate-comprising material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 2-aminoethanol additive is added as a water based solution to the calcium carbonate-comprising material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 2-aminoethanol additive has a chemical purity of more than 90 wt % in respect to 2-aminoethanol.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 2-aminoethanol additive has a chemical purity of more than 95 wt % in respect to 2-aminoethanol.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a conductivity of between 700 and 2000 μS/cm prior to 2-aminoethanol addition.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a conductivity of between 800 and 1300 μS/cm prior to 2-aminoethanol addition.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following the addition of 2-aminoethanol, the conductivity change is within 70 μS/cm/pH unit of the suspension conductivity value prior to 2-aminoethanol addition.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following the addition of 2-aminoethanol, the conductivity change is within 50 μS/cm/pH unit of the suspension conductivity value prior to 2-aminoethanol addition.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following the addition of 2-aminoethanol, the suspension conductivity change in μS/cm/pH unit is maintained at a value within 10% of the suspension conductivity value prior to 2-aminoethanol addition.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to addition of 2-aminoethanol, the suspension has a pH between 9 and 10.3.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 2-aminoethanol is added to the suspension in an amount to increase the pH of the suspension by at least 0.4 pH units.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the suspension pH prior to 2-aminoethanol addition is between 8.5 and 9, 2-aminoethanol is added to the suspension in an amount to increase the pH of the suspension by at least 1.0 pH unit, and when the suspension pH prior to 2-aminoethanol addition is between 9 and 10, 2-aminoethanol is added to the suspension in an amount to increase the pH of the suspension by at least 0.7 pH units.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to 2-aminoethanol addition, the suspension has a temperature of between 5 and 100° C.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 2-aminoethanol is added to the suspension in an amount of from 1000 to 5000 mg per liter of the of the aqueous phase of the suspension.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calcium carbonate-comprising material comprises at least 50% by weight of calcium carbonate relative to the total weight of the calcium carbonate-comprising material.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calcium carbonate of the carbonate-comprising material is a precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), a natural ground calcium carbonate (NGCC), a surface-reacted calcium carbonate (SRCC), or any mixture thereof.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension comprises from 45 to 60 vol. % of said calcium carbonate-comprising material based on the total volume of the suspension.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension comprises from 48 to 58 vol. % of said calcium carbonate-comprising material based on the total volume of the suspension.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension comprises from 49 to 57 vol. % of said calcium carbonate-comprising material based on the total volume of the suspension.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 2-aminoethanol is added to the dry form of the calcium carbonate-comprising material, before forming the suspension of calcium carbonate-comprising material.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following addition of 2-aminoethanol to the suspension, the suspension is introduced in a unit equipped with a conductivity-based regulation device.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following addition of 2-aminoethanol to the suspension, the suspension is introduced in a container or unit up to a level determined by measurement of the suspension conductivity.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein following addition of the 2-aminoethanol to the suspension, the suspension is passed though a passage having a suspension throughput regulated as a function of the suspension conductivity.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension obtained by the method is used in paint and/or paper applications.