Patent ID: 8728346

Claim:
A method for preparing a suspension of layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles comprising the steps of: a) preparing LDH precipitates by coprecipitation to form a mixture of LDH precipitates and solution; b) separating the LDH precipitates from the solution; c) washing the LDH precipitates to remove residual ions; d) mixing the LDH precipitates with water; and e) subjecting the mixture of LDH precipitates and water from step (d) to a hydrothermal treatment step by heating to a temperature of from greater than 80° C. to 150° C. for a period of about 2 hour to about 48 hours to form a well dispersed suspension of LDH particles in water, wherein said LDH particles have a maximum particle dimension of up to 400 nm, made such that said LDH particles are well-dispersed in a stable suspension and exhibit a particle size distribution of no more than ±24%, based upon the peak value and the peak width at half maximum from the particle size distribution of an intensity average using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) measurement.