Hydrogels as rheology modifiers and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11903384-B2
Application number	US-202217825197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Hydrogels are blended with water to produce a hydrogel solution. Viscosity of the hydrogel solution is controlled by adjusting the ratio of hydrogel to water and/or by adjusting the blending conditions. The hydrogel solutions may be used to modify the rheology of agricultural compositions. The hydrogel may include lactose, which may be provided by a milk permeate waste stream from the dairy or food processing industry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of modifying the rheology of water, the method comprising:
blending, under high shear, a crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel in water to produce a hydrogel solution,
wherein the hydrogel solution modifies the rheology of the water by increasing the viscosity of the hydrogel solution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blending is performed for about 2 minutes to about 40 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blending is performed for about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the water to the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel is from about 0.25:1 to about 60:1.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ratio of the water to the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel is from about 0.5:1 to about 10:1.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ratio of the water to the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel is from about 10:1 to about 50:1.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ratio of the water to the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel is from about 20:1 to about 50:1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel comprises a sugar.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sugar comprises a dairy sugar.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sugar comprises lactose.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the lactose is from one or more of purified lactose, milk permeate, whey, whey permeate, de-lactosed permeate, de-proteinized whey, dairy-derived polysaccharides, buttermilk, skim milk, mammalian milk, whole milk powder, non-fat dry milk, and butter milk powder.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the lactose is from a waste product of a dairy or food processing operation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the waste product is milk permeate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked, dairy-derived hydrogel is formed with methacrylic anhydride as a crosslinking agent.

15. A method of modifying the rheology of water, the method comprising:
homogenizing a crosslinked, dairy sugar-derived hydrogel and water to produce a hydrogel solution,
wherein the hydrogel solution has a greater viscosity than water prior to homogenization with the crosslinked, dairy sugar-derived hydrogel.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the homogenization is performed by a high shear mixer, a rotor stator, or a wet media mill.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the homogenization is performed for about 2 minutes to about 40 minutes.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the homogenization is performed for about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.

Assignees

• Winfield Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Brown Danny
• Colby Christine
• Magidow Lillian
• Barta Megan

Classifications

• A01N31/04 Primary

  Oxygen or sulfur attached to an aliphatic side-chain of a carbocyclic ring system · CPC title

• A01N25/04 Primary

  Dispersions, {emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates} or gels (foams A01N25/16) · CPC title

• C09K23/00 Primary

  Use of substances as emulsifying, wetting, dispersing, or foam-producing agents · CPC title

• A23C1/00 Primary

  Concentration, evaporation or drying (products obtained thereby A23C9/00) · CPC title

• A23L29/20

  containing gelling or thickening agents (marmalades, jams, jellies or other similar fruit or vegetable compositions A23L21/10) · CPC title