Patent ID: 9371480
Filing Date: 2016-06-21
CPC Classification: C09K

Claim Text:
1. A method to improve the stability of a slurry concentrate comprising the steps of: combining a viscosity enhancing polymer, a hectorite organoclay composition and an aliphatic hydrocarbon carrier fluid, wherein the viscosity enhancing polymer is selected from the group consisting of: glactomannan gums, guars, derivatized guars, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, starch, starch derivatives, xanthan, derivatized xanthan and mixtures thereof; wherein the hectorite organoclay composition comprises (i) a hectorite clay having a cation exchange capacity of at least 110 milliequivalents per 100 grams of clay, 100% active clay basis and (ii) a quaternary ammonium salt having formula (I): wherein R 1 and R 2 are methyl, R 3 is methyl or a linear alkyl group having from 14 to 18 carbon atoms and R 4 is a linear alkyl group having from 14 to 18 carbon atoms, and where X − is an anion, wherein the total amount of quaternary ammonium cation is provided in an amount from about +25% to −25% of the cation exchange capacity of the hectorite clay, wherein the slurry concentrate exhibits a 300 rpm viscosity of less than 300 cP at 40° F. and a syneresis of less than 1% after 72 hours at 70° F. where the amount of hectorite organoclay is between about 1.0 weight % and 3.0 weight %.