Surface treatment of particles and their use

1. A surface-treated particle obtained by a process for treating a surface of a primary particle, comprising contacting the primary particle with at least one compound of formula (I)

wherein

R identically or differently is R 1 , methyl, or hydroxyl,

R 1 identically or differently is a polyether moiety of formula (III)

—Z—(O—C m H 2m−(n−1) ) o —[O-(AO) r —R 3 ] n   (III),

wherein

Z is a branched alkylene moiety or an unbranched alkylene moiety having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms,

m is from 2 to 4,

n is from 1 to 3,

o is 0 or 1,

AO identically or differently is an oxyalkylene moiety comprising an oxyethylene moiety, an oxypropylene moiety, and/or an oxybutylene moiety,

R 3 identically or differently is hydrogen or an alkyl moiety having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

with the proviso that in R 1 a total number of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms is at least 70,

with the proviso that r has a value that, taken together with m and n, provides said group R 1 with a total number of carbon atoms and oxygens atoms of at least 70,

a is from 20 to 200, b is from 1 to 50,

with the proviso that if none of moieties R is R 1 , b is at least 3,

wherein 0.01 to 2% by weight of the compound of the formula (I) is contacted with the primary particle, based on a mass of the primary particle to be treated, and

wherein the surface-treated particle is a TiO 2 particle, a BaSO 4 particle, a ZnS particle, and/or a lithopone particle.

2. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

R 1 identically or differently is —(CH 2 ) p —O-EO x —PO y —BO z —R 3 ,

with the proviso that in R 1 the total number of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms is at least 70,

EO is oxyethylene,

PO is oxypropylene,

BO is oxybutylene,

x is from 0 to 20,

y is from 5 to 100,

z is from 0 to 20, and

p is from 2 to 4.

3. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a numeric ratio of a to b is from 8:1 to 18:1.

4. The particle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein x is between 0.05 and 1.2 times a sum of y and z.

5. The particle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

R is methyl,

a is from 80 to 95,

b is from 5 to 8,

R 3 is hydrogen,

x is from 3 to 5,

y is from 10 to 25, and

z is 0.

6. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , which is a surface-treated TiO 2 particle.

7. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , which has a dust value of at most 80 mg per 100 g of surface-treated particles.

8. A process for treating a surface of a primary particle, comprising:

contacting the primary particle with at least one compound of formula (I)

wherein

R identically or differently is R 1 , methyl, or hydroxyl,

R 1 identically or differently is a polyether moiety of formula (III)

—Z—(O—C m H 2m−(n−1) ) o —[O-(AO) r —R 3 ] n   (III),

wherein

Z is a branched alkylene moiety or an unbranched alkylene moiety having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms,

m is from 2 to 4,

n is from 1 to 3,

o is 0 or 1,

AO identically or differently is an oxyalkylene moiety comprising an oxyethylene moiety, an oxypropylene moiety, and/or an oxybutylene moiety,

R 3 identically or differently is hydrogen or an alkyl moiety having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

with the proviso that in R 1 a total number of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms is at least 70,

with the proviso that r has a value that, taken together with m and n, provides said group R 1 with a total number of carbon atoms and oxygens atoms of at least 70,

a is from 20 to 200,

b is from 1 to 50,

with the proviso that if none of moieties R is R 1 , b is at least 3,

wherein 0.01 to 2% by weight of the compound of the formula (I) is contacted with the primary particle, based on a mass of the primary particle to be treated, and

wherein the primary particle is a TiO 2 particle, a BaSO 4 particle, a ZnS particle, and/or a lithopone particle.

9. A process for producing a polymer composition, comprising mixing the particle of claim 1 with a polymer.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the polymer composition is processed to give a plastic molding or a plastic film.

11. A composition, comprising:

a polymer which comprises a particle as claimed in claim 1 .

12. The composition as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the polymer is a thermoset or thermoplastic.

13. The composition as claimed in claim 11 , which is a masterbatch, a plastic molding, or a plastic film.

14. The particle of claim 2 , which is a surface-treated TiO 2 particle.

15. The particle of claim 1 , wherein

Z is a branched alkylene moiety or an unbranched alkylene moiety comprising 3 carbon atoms,

m is 3,

n is 1 or 2,

o is 0,

a is from 30 to 170, and

b is from 2 to 30, and

wherein 0.05 to 1% by weight of the compound of the formula (I) is contacted with the primary particle, based on the mass of the primary particles to be treated.

16. The particle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

x is from 3 to 15,

y is from 8 to 50, and

p is 2 or 3.

17. The particle as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the numeric ratio of a to b is from 9:1 to 15:1.

18. The particle as claimed in claim 4 , wherein x is between 0.07 and 0.8 times the sum of y and z.

19. The particle as claimed in claim 7 , which has a dust value in a range of 8 to 75 mg per 100 g of surface-treated particles.

20. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Z is a branched alkylene moiety or an unbranched alkylene moiety comprising 3 carbon atoms,

m is 3

n is 1 or 2, and

o is 0.

21. The particle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

R 1 identically or differently is a polyether moiety of formula (III)

—Z—(O—C m H 2m−(n−1) ) o —[O-(EO x —PO y —BO z )—R 3 ] n   (III),

EO is oxyethylene,

PO is oxypropylene,

BO is oxybutylene,

x is from 0 to 20,

y is from 5 to 100, and

z is from 0 to 20.