# US 10,309,111 B2 · Roofing granules with improved luster, roofing products including such granules, and process for preparing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,111 B2 - Document ID: US10309111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/164,457 - Filed: 2014-01-27 - Published: 2014-07-03 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-27 - Assignees: CertainTeed Corporation - Applicants: CertainTeed Corporation - Inventors: Ming Liang Shiao; Van Nhan Nguyen; Emmanuel Garre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309111B2 ## CPC - B01J 2/006: {Coating of the granules without description of the process or the device by which the granules are obtained (to prevent the granules sticking together B01J2/30)} - C23C 18/1208: {Oxides, e.g. ceramics} - C23C 18/122: {Inorganic polymers, e.g. silanes, polysilazanes, polysiloxanes} - C23C 18/1254: {Sol or sol-gel processing} - E04D 1/20: of plastics; {of asphalt;} of fibrous materials - E04D 2001/005: {the roofing elements having a granulated surface} - Y02A 30/254: Roof garden systems; Roof coverings with high solar reflectance - Y02B 80/00: Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings - Y10T 428/2991: Coated - Y10T 428/2993: Silicic or refractory material containing [e.g., tungsten oxide, glass, cement, etc.] - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - E04D: ROOF COVERINGS; SKY-LIGHTS; GUTTERS; ROOF-WORKING TOOLS (coverings of outer walls by plaster or other porous material E04F13/00) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A coating composition including an inorganic sol material and an organic colorant is applied to mineral particles and cured at a temperature less than 200 degrees Celsius provides roofing granules with improved luster. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for producing roofing granules having a cured coating layer, the process comprising: (a) providing base particles; (b) providing a coating composition comprising an inorganic sol material and at least one synthetic organic colorant, the at least one synthetic organic colorant being selected to provide a cured coating layer having an L* of less than 30; (c) applying the coating composition to the base particles to form a coating layer on the base particles; and (d) curing the coating layer at a temperature less than 200 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the at least one synthetic organic colorant comprises a first synthetic organic colorant and a second synthetic organic colorant. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the coating composition further comprises at least one inorganic colorant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 further comprising preparing the coating composition by: (a) providing an aqueous suspension of colloidal silica; (b) mixing an aqueous dispersion of at least one polymeric material with the suspension of colloidal silica; and (c) mixing a suspension of the at least one synthetic organic colorant with the aqueous suspension of colloidal silica. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A process according to claim 4 wherein the coating composition further comprises carbon black. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A process according to claim 4 wherein the at least one polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, copolymers including methacrylic acid and alkyl (meth)acrylates, and copolymers including acrylic acid and alkyl (meth)acrylates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A process according to claim 6 wherein the at least one polymeric material comprises polyvinyl alcohol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the inorganic sol is prepared from a sol precursor selected from alkylsilanes, alkoxysilanes, siloxane oligomers, aluminum alkoxides, titanium alkoxides, zirconium alkoxides, aluminum chloride, zirconyl chloride, organozirconates, and organotitanates. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 further comprising preparing the inorganic sol from a hydrolyzable sol-gel precursor material by acidifying the precursor material to initiate hydrolysis and condensation of the precursor material to form an intermediate material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A process according to claim 9 wherein the sol-gel precursor material is an alkoxysilane selected from the group consisting of tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, tetra-n-propoxysilane, tetra-n-butoxysilane, tetrakis(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyl tri-n-propoxysilane, phenyl triethoxysilane, and vinyl triethoxysilane. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A process according to claim 9 wherein the intermediate material is formed in the absence of added alcohol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A process according to claim 9 wherein the intermediate is formed at a temperature from about 20 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A process according to claim 9 further comprising adding base to the intermediate material to form the inorganic sol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the coating composition is applied to the base particles by a fluidized bed method. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the coating composition further comprises at least one functional additive selected from the group consisting of biocides, algaecides, fungicides, dyes, fluorescent additives, phosphorescent additives, fragrances, polymeric opacifiers, adhesion promoters, and impact modifiers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A process according to claim 15 wherein the at least one functional additive is selected from the group consisting of leachable metal biocides and nonleachable biocides. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one synthetic organic colorant to provide roofing granules with a sparkle intensity at 15 degrees of at least 3. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A process according to claim 17, wherein the at least one synthetic organic colorant is selected to provide a sparkle intensity at 15 degrees of at least 5. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) Roofing granules prepared according to the process of claim 1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) Bituminous roofing materials including roofing granules according to claim 19.