Highly Concentrated Filler Slurries

For years, fillers have been offered in the paint and varnish, paper and adhesives industry not only as powder, but also as aqueous slurries. The slurry form makes the drying process unnecessary and solves the annoying dust problem at the site of operations. An important disadvantage is, however, the relatively low concentration of solid matter of such slurries, since normally filler slurries can only be prepared with a concentration of 50 to 60% of solid matter. Therefore, the energy which is saved because the drying process is not carried out, in general must be compensated by an increased expenditure of transportation. Now it has been found that by addition of oxalkylated fatty ammonium salts the viscosity of such aqueous slurries can be reduced or their concentration 15 of solid matter can be increased.

Subject of the invention are aqueous filler slurries with a content of 0.1 to 5, preferably 0.2 to 2.5, % by weight of a compound of the formula ##STR3## in which R is hydrogen or methyl, R.sub.1 is C.sub.8 -C.sub.24 -, preferably C.sub.10 -C.sub.18 -alkyl, C.sub.8 -C.sub.24 -, preferably C.sub.10 -C.sub.18 -alkenyl, or C.sub.8 -C.sub.24 -, preferably C.sub.10 -C.sub.18 -alkylphenyl, R.sub.2 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -hydroxyalkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 -epoxyalkyl, benzyl or a group of the formula ##STR4## X, Y and Z together are a number of from 1 to 20, preferably 2 to 15, and A means an anion.

The compounds of the abovementioned formula are known and can be obtained by aminolysis of fatty alcohols and subsequent oxalkylation according to known processes. Thus, oxethylated fatty amines are obtained first which then are optionally further oxalkylated and quarternized with acids or alkylation reagents. As anion X there can be used the anions of mineral acids or organic acids, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric, boric, formic, acetic, propionic, lactic, oxalic, malonic, succinic or maleic acid, or the anionic radicals of alkylating agents, for example methosulfate, ether sulfate, dimethophosphate or diethophosphate. The filler slurries according to the invention are prepared by simply stirring all components in water. As solid matter for such slurries may be mentioned, for example, talc, kaolin, calcium carbonate or silicates. In the following there are indicated some filler slurries as well as type and amount of the auxiliaries added in each case and the maximum concentration of the filler slurry which is obtained in the case of the indicated concentration of the auxiliary. The remainder to 100% is water in all cases.