Coated particles and coating compositions comprising coated particles

1. Coated particles comprising particles having a surface with hydroxy functional groups and a crosslinked polysiloxane coating comprising a reaction product of polysiloxane disilanol according to formula I:

wherein n is 1 to 25, and wherein each R is a same or different hydrocarbon group, and a coating crosslinking agent which polysiloxane coating is at least partly grafted to the particle surface by reaction with the hydroxy functional groups on the particles and wherein the coating crosslinking agent is an alkoxysilane having the structure [R′O] m —Si—[R″] 4−m wherein m=3 or 4 and R′ and R″ are hydrocarbon groups.

2. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the coating crosslinking agent is a mixture of alkoxy silanes with an average number of alkoxy groups between 2.5 and 4.

3. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the coating crosslinking agent relative to the polysiloxane disilanol is between 2 and 0.1.

4. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the particles have an average diameter between 1 and 400 nanometers.

5. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the weight fraction of particles in the coated particles is between 30 and 99 weight percentage relative to the total weight of the coated particles.

6. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the particles have an average diameter between 4 and 50 nanometers and wherein the weight fraction of the particles in the coated particles is between 50 and 99 weight percentage relative to the total weight of the coated particles.

7. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are chosen from the group of silica, alumina, zirconia, titania and hybrids thereof, glass, mineral or synthetic clay, zeolite and organic particles having hydroxyl groups on the surface of the particle.

8. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are silica particles wherein the polysiloxane disilanol is bonded to the silica particles over an [—Si—O—Si—] bond.

9. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the polysiloxane disilanol has an average number of siloxane groups n between 1 and 10.

10. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the hydroxy functional groups on a surface of the particles are partly esterified with an alcohol.

11. The coated particles according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon on the polysiloxane disilanol is an alkyl having 1-4 carbon atoms.

12. Coated particles according to the invention comprising nanosilica particles having a surface with hydroxy functional groups optionally partly esterified and a polysiloxane coating comprising a reaction product of polysiloxane disilanol according to formula I:

wherein n is 1 to 25, and wherein each R is a same or different hydrocarbon group having 1-4 carbon atoms, and as a coating crosslinking agent an alkoxysilane having the structure [R′O] m —Si—[R″] 4−m wherein m=3 or 4, and wherein R′ and R″ are hydrocarbon groups, which polysiloxane coating is at least partly grafted to the particle surface by reaction with the hydroxy functional groups on the particles, wherein the molar ratio of the coating crosslinking agent relative to the polysiloxane disilanol is between 2 and 0.1, wherein the particles have an average diameter between 4 and 50 nanometers and wherein the weight fraction of the particles in the coated particles is between 50 and 99 wt.% (relative to the total weight of the coated article) and wherein the hydrocarbon on the polysiloxane disilanol is an alkyl having 1-4 carbon atoms.

13. A method for the preparation of coated particles, wherein a crosslinked polysiloxane coating is grafted onto the particles having a surface with hydroxyl functional groups by reaction with the hydroxy functional groups on thereof, comprising:

reacting organic modified particles in an aprotic organic colloidal dispersion (‘organosol’), with

a. a polysiloxane disilanol according to formula I:

wherein n is 1 to 25, and wherein each R is same or different hydrocarbon group and

b. an alkoxysilane having the structure [R′O] m —Si—[R″] 4−m wherein

m=3 or 5 and R′ and R″ are same or different hydrocarbon groups.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the organosol is prepared by:

a) providing particles dispersed in water (hereinafter an ‘aquasol’),

b) adding to the aquasol an organic reactant to react with at least a part of the hydroxy functional groups on the surface of the particles to form organic modified particles,

c) providing to the organic modified particles an aprotic organic solvent,

d) removing water during and/or after step b) and/or c).

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the organic reactant is an alcohol and wherein the alcohol is replaced by the aprotic solvent.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the alkoxysilane has an average number of alkoxy groups m between 2.5 and 4.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the molar ratio of the alkoxy silane relative to the polysiloxane disilanol is between 2 and 0.8.

18. A colloidal dispersion of coated particles obtained by the method of claim 13 .

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising manufacturing a polymer composition comprising the coated particles.

20. The colloidal dispersion according to claim 18 , further comprising a crosslinkable binder.