A process for the preparation of a mineral filler product is disclosed, the process comprising a step of dry grinding a calcium carbonate-comprising material in a mixture obtained by contacting the calcium carbonate-comprising material with at least one polydimethylsiloxane as grinding agent.

The present invention relates to crystalline and stable amorphous CaCO.sub.3 precipitated on lignocellulosic fibers.

The present invention relates to a breathable film having a basis weight from 1 to 15 g/m.sup.2 comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer and a surface-treated filler material comprising calcium carbonate. The surface-treated filler material has a specific particle size distribution and a specific surface-treatment layer. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the breathable film, the use of a surface-treated filler material comprising calcium carbonate as a filler in a breathable film, an article comprising the breathable film and uses of the breathable film.

A polymer may have a molecular mass of less than 8,000 g/mol and a polymolecularity index PI of less than 3, produced by free radical polymerization, in water, and at a temperature higher than 50 C., of at least one anionic monomer comprising at least one polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and at least one carboxylic acid function, in the presence of phosphorus with a degree of oxidation I, phosphorus with a degree of oxidation III and a radical-generating compound. Such polymers may be produced and use for grinding mineral matter, as a detergent agent, or as an anti-scaling agent.

Methods for preparing and compositions including untreated and surface-treated alkaline earth metal carbonate particulates are described. For example, a method for processing alkaline earth metal carbonate may include introducing alkaline earth metal carbonate into a stirred media mill, and dry grinding the alkaline earth metal carbonate in the stirred media mill to produce an untreated alkaline earth metal carbonate particulate having certain characteristics. In some examples, the method may include introducing carboxylic acid and/or carboxylic acid salt into the stirred media mill, and dry grinding the alkaline earth metal carbonate and the carboxylic acid and/or carboxylic acid salt in an integrated dry grinding and surface-treating process in the stirred media mill to produce a surface-treated alkaline earth metal carbonate particulate. In some examples, heating may be added during the dry grinding process.

The invention concerns a process for manufacturing a dry mineral pigment containing a product formed in situ by the multiple reaction between a calcium carbonate and the product or products of reaction of the said carbonate with one or more moderately strong to strong H3O+ ion donators and the product or products of reaction of the said carbonate with gaseous CO.sub.2 formed in situ and/or originating from an external supply and one or more compounds of formula RX together with the mineral pigment obtained by the process, and its applications in the field of paint and/or plastics.

Inorganic particulate compositions containing inorganic particles associated with a copolymer of a hydrophilic monomer and a hydrophobic monomer associated with the inorganic particles are provided. The particulate composition satisfies at least one of the following properties: a BET surface area of the inorganic particles is greater than 8 m.sup.2/g, a Hegman value of the inorganic particles is 75 microns or less, and a rate of water loss from the composition upon drying from a moisture level greater than 2% wt % is at least 30% greater than a composition having a corresponding content of a polyacrylate polymer associated with the particles. A method to prepare the composition and formulations for inks, paints, coatings and filled polymeric articles containing the inorganic particulate composition are also provided.

The present invention relates to a catalyst system comprising a transition metal compound on a solid carrier which is a surface-reacted calcium carbonate. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing said catalyst system and to its use in heterogeneous catalysis.

A container is formed from a composition including: calcium carbonate (CaCO.sub.3); a polymer; and an oxo-degradable additive. The container may be sealed and an interior defined by the container may include a liquid or gas having a concentration of oxygen in a range of 0 volume percent (vol %) to 21 vol %, based on the total volume of the liquid or gas. The container may have a set oxo-biodegradation rate.

The present invention relates to a process to modify at least part of the surface of an earth alkaline metal carbonate-containing material in a dry blending process as well as to a mineral product obtainable by the inventive process and uses thereof.