Coated zinc, chemistry and manufacturing process

Abstract

A process for making coated zinc metal flakes, wherein finely divided zinc metal powder is dispersed and coated, using a high speed disperser, or the like, in the presence of a liquid dispersing and grinding vehicle, liquid or solid surfactants, and liquid or solid metal oxides. The dispersed coated zinc liquid mixture is then ground to flake form in a ball mill, or the like, filtered and dried, if is required in 100% solids, or left in paste form with a solid content as low as 40%. The liquid grinding vehicle may be hydrocarbon solvents, chlorinated solvents, glycols or liquid plasticizers, and may be used either alone or in combination. Another grinding agent, such as sodium or zinc stearate, may be used in the grinding vehicle for imparting leafing properties. Many different surfactants may be used, either along or combined. The coated materials selected among different metal oxides were: aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, chromium oxide, nickel oxide and silicon dioxide. The final product of this procedure is a zinc metal flake coated with a thin layer of a metal oxide, which may be either leafing or nonleafing, and in dry or paste form.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.