Laminates prepared from decor paper comprising self-dispersing pigments

1. A paper laminate comprising a décor paper, wherein the décor paper comprises a self-dispersing pigment having an isoelectric point of at least about 8, comprising an inorganic particle treated sequentially by:

(a) hydrolyzing an aluminum compound or basic aluminate to deposit a hydrous alumina surface; and

(b) adding a dual-functional compound comprising:

i. an anchoring group that attaches the dual-functional compound to the pigment surface, and

ii. a basic amine group comprising a primary, secondary or tertiary amine.

2. The paper laminate of claim 1 further comprising Kraft paper.

3. The paper laminate of claim 1 wherein the décor paper further comprises an opaque, cellulose pulp-based sheet.

4. The paper laminate of claim 1 wherein the décor paper further comprising an impregnating resin.

5. The paper laminate of claim 4 wherein the impregnating resin is a phenolic resin or a melamine resin.

6. The paper laminate of claim 1 wherein the inorganic particle is selected from the group consisting of ZnO, TiO 2 , SrTiO 3 , BaSO 4 , PbCO 3 , BaTiO 3 , Ce 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , CaCO 3 and ZrO 2 .

7. The décor paper of claim 6 wherein the inorganic particle is a self-dispersing TiO 2 pigment having a surface area of at least 10 m 2 /g.

8. The paper laminate of claim 7 wherein aluminum compound is made from the salts selected from the group consisting of aluminium chloride, aluminum sulfate, aluminum nitrate and mixtures thereof; or the aluminum compound is made from salts selected from the group consisting of sodium aluminate and potassium aluminate.

9. The paper laminate of claim 7 wherein the self-dispersing TiO 2 pigment further comprises at least one oxide treatment selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, aluminosilicate and aluminophosphate.

10. The paper laminate of claim 7 wherein the self-dispersing titanium dioxide pigment comprises first an oxide layer comprising at least about 4% Al 2 O 3 and at least about 1.5% P 2 O 5 , and a second layer comprising at least about 3% Al 2 O 3 and about 2 mmole % to about 10 mmole % of the dual functional compound, based on the total weight of the treated pigment.

11. The paper laminate of claim 7 wherein the anchoring group is selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid functional group, a di-carboxylic acid group, an oxoanion functional group, a 1,3-diketone, 3-ketoamide, C3 substituted 2,4-pentanedione, and a substituted 3-ketobutanamide.

12. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the carboxylic acid functional group is selected from the group consisting of acetate and salts thereof and the di-carboxylic acid group is selected from the group consisting of malonate, succinate, glutarate, adipate and salts thereof.

13. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the diketone is selected from the group consisting of 2,4-pentanedione, 3-(2 aminoethyl)-2,4-pentanedione and a derivative of 2,4-pentanedione substituted at C-3 with amine, an amine-containing functional group or salts thereof.

14. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the oxoanion functional group is selected from the group consisting of a substituted phosphate, phosphonate, sulfate, and sulfonate.

15. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the basic amine is selected from the group consisting of amine; an N-alkyl amine of 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an N-cycloalkyl amine of 3 to 6 carbon atoms; an N,N-dialkyl amine of 2 to 16 carbon atoms; N,N-dicycloalkyl amine of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and mixtures of both alkyl and cycloalkyl substituents.

16. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the dual functional compound further comprises a tethering group X n that chemically connects the anchoring group to the basic amine group, wherein the tethering group is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl chain of 1-8 carbon atoms; a polyetheramine having poly(oxyethylene) or poly(oxypropylene) units, and mixtures thereof whereby the weight average molecular weight of the tethering group is selected from the group consisting of a carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur atom at the attachment point to the anchoring group.

17. The paper laminate of claim 11 wherein the dual-functional compound is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an aminomalonate derivative having the structure:

wherein X is a tethering group that chemically connects the anchoring group to the basic amine group;

R′ and R″ are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl-aryl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, arylene, alkylarylene, arylalkylene and cycloalkylene;

R 1 and R 2 are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, and cycloalkylene; and

n=0-50;

(ii) an aminosuccinate derivative having the structure:

wherein X is a tethering group that chemically connects the anchoring group to the basic amine group;

R′ and R″ are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl-aryl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, arylene, alkylarylene, arylalkylene and cycloalkylene;

R 1 and R 2 are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, and cycloalkylene; and

n=0-50;

(iii) a 2,4-pentanedione derivative having the structure:

wherein X is a tethering group that chemically connects the anchoring group to the basic amine group;

R 1 and R 2 are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, and cycloalkylene; and

n=0-50; and

(iv) a 3-ketobutanamide derivative having the structure:

wherein X is a tethering group that chemically connects the anchoring group to the basic amine group;

R 1 and R 2 are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkene, alkylene, and cycloalkylene; and

n=0-50.

18. The paper laminate of claim 17 wherein the tethering group “X” is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an alkyl chain of 1-8 carbon atoms;

(b) a polyether chain of poly(oxyethylene) or poly(oxypropylene), or mixtures thereof whereby the weight average molecular weight of the tethering group is about 220 to about 2000; and

(c) polyetheramine co-polymers having both oxoethylene and oxopropylene monomers.

19. The paper laminate of claim 17 wherein R′ and R″ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl and ethyl and R 1 and R 2 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and propyl.

20. The paper laminate of claim 17 wherein the aminomalonate derivative is selected from the group consisting of a methyl ester of 2-(2-aminoethyl)malonic acid and an ethyl ester of 2-(2-aminoethyl)malonic acid.

21. The paper laminate of claim 17 wherein the aminosuccinate derivative is selected from the group consisting of a methyl ester of N-substituted aspartic acid and an ethyl ester of N-substituted aspartic acid.

22. The paper laminate of claim 17 wherein the 3-ketobutanamide (amidoacetate) derivative is selected from the group consisting of an ethylenediamine amide and a diethylenetriamine amide.