IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,338,366
Granted Patent B2
US 12,338,366 · App. 17/547,575 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Use of rhamnolipids and/or sophorolipids in coating compositions for obtaining a homogeneous colour appearance of the dry coating film and/or for increasing occupational safety in the production of coating compositions

Inventors: Ellen Reuter (Bochum, DE); Stefan Silber (Krefeld, DE); Petra Allef (Essen, DE); Katrin Roland (Essen, DE); Pedro Cavaleiro (Cologne, DE); Jochen Mergenthaler (Essen, DE); Claudia Jansen (Leverkusen, DE); Marco Blei (Essen, DE)
Assignee: Evonik Operations GmbH
C09D7/63C07H15/06C09D7/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,338,366
App. No.
17/547,575
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Rhamnolipids and/or sophorolipids can be used in coating compositions for improvement of the speed of wetting of pulverulent formulation constituents in such compositions, which leads to a reduction in dust nuisance during incorporation thereof and to the increase in occupational safety in the production of coating compositions. Rhamnolipids and/or sophorolipids can also be used in coating compositions for obtaining improved homogeneous colour appearance of the dry paint film with regard to difference in hue, ascertained from the delta E and visual assessment.

Claims (33)

1. A method of improving a speed of wetting pulverulent formulation constituents in a coating composition, the method comprising:

grinding with grinding bodies at least one solid selected from the group consisting of a filler, a pigment, a dye, an optical brightener, a ceramic material and a magnetic material with at least one rhamnolipid (RL) and/or at least one sophorolipid forming a ground solid in a liquid medium selected from the group consisting of an organic solvent, water and a mixture thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising mixing said ground solid into said coating composition, wherein the coating composition is a paint or coating material selected from the group consisting of an interior wall paint, an exterior paint, an architectural paint, a floor coating, a wood paint, an industrial paint, an automotive OEM or refinishing paint, a primer, a primer-surfacer, a basecoat, and a topcoat.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the coating composition comprises at least one further additive.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one further additive is selected from the group consisting of a wetting agent, a dispersing additive, a rheology additive, a levelling aid, and a defoamer.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one rhamnolipid and/or the at least one sophorolipid is present within a range from 0.01% by weight to 10.0% by weight, based on the coating composition.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least

one rhamnolipid and/or the at least one sophorolipid is present within a range from 0.1% by weight to 5.0% by weight, based on the coating composition.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating composition is formed from an additive composition that comprises the ground solid and the at least one rhamnolipid and/or the at least one sophorolipid, wherein the additive composition is a pigment concentrate, a colour paste, a pigment paste, or a millbase.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rhamnolipid is a compound of the general formula (I) or a salt thereof:

wherein

m=2, 1 or 0,

n=1 or 0,

R 6 and R 7 = independently an identical or different organic radical having 2 to 24 carbon atoms.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the Formula (I), R 6 and R 7 are independently an optionally branched, optionally substituted, optionally unsaturated alkyl radical having 2 to 24 carbon atoms.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the Formula (I), R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of pentenyl, heptenyl, nonenyl, undecenyl, tridecenyl, and (CH 2 ) x -CH 3 with x=1 to 23.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rhamnolipid is a mixed composition with >90% diRL.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rhamnolipid is a mixed composition comprising rhamnolipids, wherein the mixed composition contains:

51% by weight to 95% by weight of diRL-C10C10, and

0.5% by weight to 9% by weight of monoRL-C10C10,

wherein percentages by weight are based on a sum total of all rhamnolipids present, and with the proviso that a weight ratio of di-rhamnolipids to mono-rhamnolipids is greater than 91:9.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the weight ratio of di-rhamnolipids to mono-rhamnolipids is greater than 98:2.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rhamnolipid is a mixed composition comprising rhamnolipids, wherein the mixed composition contains 0.5% by weight to 15% by weight of diRL-C10C12:1, wherein percentages by weight are based on a sum total of all rhamnolipids present.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least sophorolipid is a compound of the formula (II) or (IIa):

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are independently either H or an acetyl group,

R 3 is H, a methyl, ethyl, or hexyl group,

R 4 is independently a saturated or unsaturated divalent branched or unbranched organic group,

R 5 is H or a methyl group, and

with the proviso that a total number of carbon atoms in the groups R 4 and R 5 do not exceed 29.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said solid is a pigment and said ground solid has an improved homogeneous colour appearance of a dry paint film hue as compared with a coating film without rhamnolipids and/or sophorolipids.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein an organic solvent is present which is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyl acetate, a hydrocarbon, an alcohol, an ether, a glycol and a glycol ether.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an organic solvent is present which is at least one selected from the group consisting of butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and petroleum spirits.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2022
From: REUTER, ELLEN; SILBER, STEFAN; ALLEF, PETRA; ROLAND, KATRIN; CAVALEIRO, PEDRO; MERGENTHALER, JOCHEN; JANSEN, CLAUDIA; BLEI, MARCO
To: EVONIK OPERATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 059025/0091 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 20214083 · Dec 15, 2020 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220186048A1 · Jun 16, 2022
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