Clumping animal litter and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11684035-B2
Application number	US-202117365905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2021
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A clumpable animal litter comprises composite particles of filler materials, such as limestone and sand, and sodium bentonite. The filler materials have a lower bulk density as compared to a granular mixture of the same percentage of filler and sodium bentonite clay and contain up to eighty-five percent less clay.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a clumping animal litter comprising:
a) forming composite particles by an agglomeration process, wherein the composite particles are comprised of a filler material and sodium bentonite, wherein the filler material comprises from about 50% to about 80% by weight of the composite particles and wherein the sodium bentonite comprises from about 20% to about 50% by weight of the composite particles; and
b) combining the composite particles with granular clay particles or other litter additives.

2. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the animal litter has a clump strength of at least 90% as measured by the Clump Strength Test Method.

3. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the composite particles are combined with at least one of granular sodium bentonite or a binder.

4. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 3 , wherein the composite particles are combined with granular sodium bentonite.

5. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the composite particles further comprise powdered activated carbon.

6. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises at least one of limestone, dolomite, calcite, calcium carbonates, sand, shale, gravel, or slate.

7. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 6 , wherein the filler material is limestone.

8. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the composite particles have a bulk density greater than 60 lb/ft 3 .

9. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the composite particles have a mean particle size from about 0.4 mm to about 2 mm.

10. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
(i) the filler material has a mean particle size of 0.5 mm or less; or
(ii) the sodium bentonite has a mean particle size of 0.25 mm or less.

11. The method of making an animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the composite particles comprise at least about 2% by weight of the animal litter.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Nga Perry
• Lyons David
• Drief Ahmed
• Lawler Kaitlin

Classifications

• B01J20/043

  Carbonates or bicarbonates, e.g. limestone, dolomite, aragonite · CPC title

• B01J20/3028

  Granulating, agglomerating or aggregating · CPC title

• A01K1/0155

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• A01K1/0154 Primary

  comprising inorganic material · CPC title

• B01J20/28016

  Particle form · CPC title