Doped copper-II-hydroxide phosphate, method for producing same and use thereof

1. A mixed-metallic phosphate compound which contains:

a main metal, the main metal being copper in the divalent oxidation state in a proportion of at least 90.0 at-%; and

one or more doping metals in a total proportion of the doping metals of at least 0.01 to at most 10.0 at-%,

wherein the doping metals are selected from the group consisting of elements of first and second main groups and eighth subgroup of the elements of the periodic table, Al, Sn, Si, Bi, Cr, Mo, Mn, and lanthanides,

wherein the stated metal proportions relate to the total amount of the metals in the mixed-metallic phosphate compound and wherein the mixed-metallic compound has a phosphate content expressed as P 2 O 5 in the range of 10 to 60 wt-%.

2. The mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , wherein, in the UV-VIS-IR spectrum at one or more wavelengths within the wavelength range of 1400 to 2200 nm, said phosphate compound has an absorption which is at least 50% of the absorption maximum within the wavelength range of 600 to 1400 nm.

3. The mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , wherein the total proportion of the doping metals is in the range of 0.1 to 10.0 at-%.

4. The mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , wherein said phosphate compound contains the main metal copper in the divalent oxidation state in a proportion of at least 95.0 at-%.

5. The mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , wherein the doping metals are selected from the group consisting of Ca, Al, Fe, Sn and Zn.

6. The mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , wherein said phosphate compound has a phosphate content expressed as P 2 O 5 in the range of 15 to 50 wt-%.

7. A method for producing said mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , comprising:

reacting an aqueous dispersion of copper(II)hydroxide and compounds of the doping metals with an amount of phosphoric acid for a period of 0.1-10 hours at temperatures in the range of 15 to 150° C., wherein the amount of phosphoric acid is so selected that a molar ratio of phosphoric acid H 3 PO 4 to the total molar amount of main metal copper used and doping metals used is greater than 1:1, and

a solid product is obtained from the reaction mixture.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the compounds of the doping metals are selected from the group consisting of oxides, hydroxides, sulphates, carbonates and hydrogen carbonates of the doping metals including mixed-metallic compounds of the aforesaid.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the reaction of the aqueous dispersion with the phosphoric acid is carried out for a period of at most 4 hours.

10. A method of using said mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , comprising producing preforms of thermoplastic polymer which can be used in blow moulding methods for producing hollow polymer bodies by heating the preform under the action of radiation, wherein said mixed-metallic phosphate compound or a mixture of said mixed-metallic phosphate compounds is finely distributed, dispersed or dissolved in an amount of 0.0005 to 10 wt-% in the thermoplastic polymer.

11. A method of using said mixed-metallic phosphate compound according to claim 1 , comprising laser welding plastic articles of thermoplastic polymer comprising a radiation absorber, wherein said mixed-metallic phosphate compound or a mixture of said mixed-metallic phosphate compounds is finely distributed, dispersed or dissolved in an amount of 0.01 to 5 wt-% in the thermoplastic polymer as said radiation absorber.