Lightweight clumping animal litter and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058070-B2
Application number	US-201514661985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 13, 2011
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Animal litter having up to a sixty percent reduction in bulk density can be produced by combining flat-shaped cellulosic materials and sodium bentonite clay. Not only is the resulting litter lighter, but it also maintains a high clump strength as compared to clay-based animal litters that contain greater than ninety percent by weight sodium bentonite clay.

First claim

We claim:

1. Composite particles suitable for use as an animal litter comprising:
a flat-shaped cellulosic material component having a mean particle size ranging from 0.2-3 mm and having an aspect ratio of at least 2;
a powdered sodium bentonite component having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm;
wherein the ratio of cellulosic material to sodium bentonite ranges from 1:4 to 4:1 and wherein the mean particle size of the composite particles ranges from 0.4-4 mm; and
wherein the composite particles when used as an animal litter have a clump strength of at least 80%.

2. The composite particles recited in claim 1 further comprising a spacer material having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm.

3. The composite particles recited in claim 1 further comprising a binder having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm.

4. The composite particles recited in claim 1 further comprising a spacer material having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm and a binder having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm.

5. An animal litter comprising a dry blend of:
(i) composite particles comprising
(a) a flat-shaped cellulosic material component having a mean particle size in the range of 0.2-3 mm; where the aspect ratio is at least 2
(b) a powdered sodium bentonite component having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm, wherein the ratio of cellulosic material to sodium bentonite is in the range of 1:4 to 4:1 and wherein the mean particle size of the composite particles is in the range of 4-0.4 mm;
(c) optionally a spacer material, and
(d) optionally a binder;

(ii) granular sodium bentonite having a mean particle size in the range of 0.4-2 mm; and
(iii) optionally granular calcium bentonite having a mean particle size in the range of 0.4-2 mm;
wherein the animal litter has a clump strength of at least 80%.

6. The composite particles recited in claim 5 , wherein the spacer material is selected from the group consisting of PAC, silica gel, zeolite, calcium bentonite, limestone, gypsum, kaolinite, silica, hydrophobic silica, flow aid such as talk, starches and combinations thereof.

7. The composite particles recited in claim 5 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of guar gum, modified starch, natural hydro-coloids, alginates, acrylates, poly vinyl acetate, and combinations thereof.

8. A method of making composite particles having a cellulosic material component and a sodium bentonite component comprising:
providing flat-shaped cellulosic particles having a mean particle size ranging from 0.2-3 mm;
providing powdered sodium bentonite particles having a mean particle size less than 0.25 mm, wherein the ratio of cellulosic material to sodium bentonite is in the range of 1:4 to 4:1;
using a high shear agglomeration process to mix the cellulosic particles and the sodium bentonite particles to form composite particles having a mean particle size in the range of 0.4-2 mm.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Drief Ahmed
• Gall David M
• Calimano Elisa
• Garabedian Jr Aram
• Jenkins Dennis B
• Lee Roger V
• Ripberger Carrie
• Gooby Sean

Classifications

• A01K1/0154

  comprising inorganic material · CPC title

• A01K1/0155 Primary

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• A01K1/0152 Primary

  Litter · CPC title

• B01F5/0661

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/18

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic