IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,427,444
Granted Patent B2
US 12,427,444 · App. 17/251,891 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Defoamer active, manufacturing thereof, and deforming formulation

Inventor: Feng Gu (Columbia, MD)
Assignee: W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
B01D19/0409C09C1/3018C09C1/3081C09C1/309C09D7/62C09D7/69C01P2004/61C01P2006/12C08K3/36C08K9/06C08K2201/005C08K2201/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,427,444
App. No.
17/251,891
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention relates to a defoamer active. The defoamer active may include hydrophobized silica particles obtained by treating silica particles with a hydrophobilizing agent. The silica particles may have a BET surface of less than about 150 m 2 /g, a surface pH of at least about 10, and a median particle size ranging from about 2 μm to about 50 μm. The carbon content of the hydrophobized silica particles may not be more than 3%.

Claims (24)

1. A defoamer active, comprising:

hydrophobized silica particles having a carbon content of not more than 3.0%, wherein the hydrophobized particles comprise silica particles having a BET surface area of less than about 60 m2/g, a surface pH of at least about 10, a pore volume of about 0.25 cc/g or less, and a median particle size ranging from about 2 μm to about 50 μm,

wherein the hydrophobized silica particles comprise a hydrophobilizing agent covalently bonded to the surface thereof in an amount of not more than 6% by weight based on a total weight of the hydrophobized silica particles, and

wherein the hydrophobilizing agent is a silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane having a content of hydroxyl group ranging from about 0.10% by weight to about 2.0% by weight and an average molar mass of at least 3,000 Da.

2. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon content of the hydrophobized silica particles is not more than 2.0%.

3. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the median particle size of the hydrophobized silica particles ranges from about 2 μm to about 15 μm.

4. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the surface pH of the silica particles is at least about 10.5.

5. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the polydimethylsiloxane has an average molar mass of at least 5,000 Da.

6. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane has a viscosity of at least 3600 centipoises.

7. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein at least 90% by weight of the hydrophobilizing agent on the surface of the silica is covalently bonded to the silica particles.

8. The defoamer active according to claim 7 , wherein at least 95% by weight of the hydrophobilizing agent is covalently bonded to the silica particles.

9. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobized silica particles have hydrophobicity rating of at least 2, as measured according to a floatability method in a mixture solvent of methanol and water with a volume ratio of 60% to 40%.

10. The defoamer active according to claim 1 , wherein the defoamer active is prepared by a continuous spiral jet mill process.

11. A defoaming formulation, comprising the deformer active according to claim 1 .

12. A coating formulation, comprising the defoaming formulation according to claim 11 .

13. A method of forming a defoamer active, comprising:

milling and bonding silica particles with a hydrophobilizing agent using a spiral jet mill or fluid energy mill to obtain hydrophobized silica particles,

wherein the silica particles have a BET surface area of less than about 60 m2/g, a surface pH of at least about 10, a pore volume of about 0.25 cc/g or less, and a median particle size ranging from about 2 μm to about 50 μm, and a carbon content of the hydrophobized silica particles is not more than 3%, and

wherein the hydrophobilizing agent is a silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane having a content of hydroxyl group ranging from about 0.10% by weight to about 2.0% by weight and an average molar mass of at least 3,000 Da; and

wherein the silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane is present in the hydrophobized silica particles in an amount of not more than 6% by weight based on a total weight of the hydrophobized silica particles.

14. The method of forming a defoamer active according to claim 13 , wherein milling and bonding the silica particles with the hydrophobilizing agent using the spiral jet mill or fluid energy mill to obtain the hydrophobized silica particles comprises:

adding the silica particles and the hydrophobilizing agent into the spiral jet mill or fluid energy mill; and

milling and heating the silica particles and the hydrophobilizing agent in the spiral jet mill or fluid energy mill to form the hydrophobized silica particles.

15. The method of forming a defoamer active according to claim 14 , wherein the hydrophobilizing agent is in an amount of not more than 6% by weight based on the total weight of the hydrophobized silica particles.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST SUPPLEMENT NO. 1, RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 063237/0252 Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 074612/0939 →
NOTES SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2026
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.; ADVANCED REFINING TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074532/0229 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072520/0653 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2023
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063237/0262 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2023
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 063237/0252 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2023
From: W.R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 062792/0510 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: GU, FENG
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 057078/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2020
From: GU, FENG
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 054631/0857 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62685358 · Jun 15, 2018
Related Publication 20210316232A1 · Oct 14, 2021
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