Formulation for producing a processing aid, method for producing a processing aid, and processing aid

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a formulation for producing a processing aid, such as a demolding agent or release agent, as used in particular in the production of rubber mixtures and other polymers as processing aids. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a formulation for producing a processing aid which is produced in a more environmentally friendly manner than known processing aids, or at least can be produced in this manner, in particular using preferably at least 20% renewable raw materials. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a method for producing a processing aid and to the processing aid itself.

Claims

1. A formulation for producing a processing aid comprising a biopolymer, and at least one surfactant and/or a mixture of at least two surfactants.

2. The formulation according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant and/or the mixture of at least two surfactants has an HLB value between 3 and 20, wherein, in the case of a mixture, the HLB value refers to a resulting HLB value of the mixture.

3. The formulation according to claim 1, further comprising a water-insoluble metal soap.

4. The formulation according to claim 1, wherein the biopolymer is or comprises lignin sulfonate, in particular an alkali and/or alkaline earth lignin sulfonate, wherein an alkali and/or alkaline earth lignin sulfonate is understood to mean in particular a sodium, calcium, magnesium and/or ammonium lignin sulfonate and/or mixtures thereof.

5. The formulation according to claim 1, wherein the formulation comprises at least 20% by weight and at most 90% by weight of a biopolymer.

6. The formulation according to claim 1, wherein the formulation comprises between at least 5% by weight and 25% by weight of the surfactant and/or the mixture of at least two surfactants.

7. The formulation according to claim 1, comprising up to and including 20% by weight of at least one water-soluble soap.

8. The formulation according to claim 1, comprising up to 40% by weight of water-insoluble metal soaps.

9. The formulation according to claim 1, further comprising between 1% by weight and 3% by weight of additives.

10. The formulation according to claim 1, further comprising at least one separator component, which is based on an inorganic phase, and can be added as a powder component.

11. The formulation according to claim 1, comprising the following components in % by weight: biopolymer more than 20% by weight, preferably at least 35% by weight, preferably no more than 90% by weight, particularly preferably at least 50% by weight and preferably no more than 70% by weight, surfactant(s) 5% by weight to 25% by weight, water-soluble soap(s) up to and including 20% by weight, preferably up to and including 10% by weight, water-insoluble metal soap(s) up to 40% by weight optional additive(s) if present, between 1% by weight and 3% by weight, optional separator component(s) if present, up to 50% by weight, wherein the biopolymer is or comprises lignin or a lignin derivative.

12. The formulation of claim 1, which does not comprise a separator component, which is based on an inorganic phase.

13. A method for producing a processing aid, comprising the steps of: providing a formulation comprising a biopolymer, and at least one surfactant and/or a mixture of at least two surfactants, providing a liquid, preferably consisting of or comprising water, dispersing the formulation in the liquid to obtain a processing aid.

14. A processing aid, produced or producible from the method according to claim 13.

15. A processing aid, produced or producible from the formulation according to claim 13.

16. The formulation of claim 1, wherein the processing aid is an aqueous processing aid, and the biopolymer is a lignin and/or a lignin derivative.

17. The formulation of claim 16, further comprising: a water-insoluble metal soap including a magnesium stearate, a calcium stearate, or mixtures thereof, wherein the biopolymer is or comprises lignin sulfonate.

18. The formulation of claim 16, further comprising: a water-soluble soap including a magnesium stearate, a calcium stearate, or mixtures thereof, and/or a sodium stearate, a potassium stearate, or mixtures thereof, and/or a sodium oleate, a potassium oleate, or mixtures thereof, wherein the biopolymer is or comprises lignin sulfonate.

19. The formulation of claim 16, further comprising: a water-insoluble metal soap including a magnesium stearate, a calcium stearate, or mixtures thereof, and a water-soluble soap including a magnesium stearate, a calcium stearate, or mixtures thereof, and/or a sodium stearate, a potassium stearate, or mixtures thereof, and/or a sodium oleate, a potassium oleate, or mixtures thereof, wherein the biopolymer is or comprises an alkali lignin sulfonate and/or an alkaline earth lignin sulfonate.

20. The formulation of claim 19, including between 50% by weight and 70% by weight of the biopolymer, between at least 15% by weight and at most 35% by weight of the water-insoluble metal soap, up to 20% by weight of the water-soluble soap, and between 1% by weight and 3% by weight of additives.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0095] The present disclosure is described in more detail below with reference to figures. These show:

[0096] FIG. 1 an illustration of two basic building blocks of lignin, and

[0097] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrative scanning electron microscope images of a separation film.

[0098] FIG. 1 a) shows the so-called guajacyl unit as an example of a phenylpropane unit, which is a basic building block of lignin. As can be seen, this structure comprises a benzene ring with a propyl chain (n-propyl) as a substituent, as well as a hydroxyl group and a methoxy group as further substituents of the benzene ring.

[0099] FIG. 1b) shows the so-called syringyl unit, another example of a phenylpropane unit as a possible basic building block of lignin. Here, the molecule comprises two methoxy groups, in contrast to only one in the molecular structure shown in FIG. 1a).

[0100] FIGS. 2 and 3 show illustrative scanning electron microscope images of a rubber surface which has been treated with a processing aid according to one embodiment, in this case coated. The scale is indicated in each case; FIG. 3 is an enlargement of the film according to FIG. 2. For the coating process, the processing aid, which in this case comprises a separator component which is based on an inorganic phase, was dispersed in water and the rubber surface was coated with the processing aid by immersion in the aqueous processing aid so that a surface film could form on the rubber surface.

[0101] As can be seen from the images in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rubber surface is almost completely coated. This means that the surface of the rubber cannot or can hardly come into direct contact with the surfaces of other materials. This ensures, among other things, that the rubber surface is passivated and, in addition/together with the spacers introduced in the processing aid (here, in addition to lignin sulfonate components, in particular a separator component which is based on an inorganic phase), a separating effect is achieved with other surfaces. The coating made of processing aid (i.e., the separating film) is permeated by lamella-like structures, so that the separating film has a mosaic-like structure in which the individual components of the film (tiles) are irregularly shaped but have a certain similarity in terms of size and distribution. This results in high flexibility of the separating film. This ensures that the absence of a single or a few mosaic components, which can be caused by damage, for example, does not lead to failure of the separating film. (Turtle shell-like pattern with high flexibility).