Clumping animal litter and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12089562-B2
Application number	US-202318198514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

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 clumping animal litter comprising:
composite particles of a filler material, sodium bentonite, and powdered activated carbon agglomerated together into the composite particles, 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.

2. The 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 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.

4. The animal litter recited in claim 3 , wherein the filler material comprises at least one of limestone or sand.

5. The animal litter recited in claim 3 , wherein the filler material comprises limestone.

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

7. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein a bulk density of the animal litter is at least 10% less than a bulk density of an equivalent weight of a dry blend of sodium bentonite and filler material.

8. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the filler material is present in an amount from about 60% to about 80% by weight of the composite particles.

9. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the filler material is present in an amount of about 70% by weight of the composite particles.

10. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the sodium bentonite is present in an amount of about 30% by weight of the composite particles.

11. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the animal litter has a clump strength of at least 93% as measured by the Clump Strength Test Method.

12. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the animal litter has a clump strength of at least 95% as measured by the Clump Strength Test Method.

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

14. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the filler material of the composite particles has a mean particle size of 0.5 mm or less.

15. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the sodium bentonite of the composite particles has a mean particle size of 0.25 mm or less.

16. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the powdered activated carbon has a particle size ranging from about 50 microns to about 150 microns.

17. The animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the powdered activated carbon is present in the animal litter in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight.

18. A clumping animal litter comprising:
composite particles of a filler material, sodium bentonite, and powdered activated carbon agglomerated together into the composite particles, 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;
wherein the powdered activated carbon is present in the animal litter in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight;
wherein the powdered activated carbon has a particle size of less than about 0.25 mm.

19. The animal litter recited in claim 18 , wherein the filler material comprises at least one of limestone, dolomite, calcite, calcium carbonates, sand, shale, gravel, or slate.

20. The animal litter recited in claim 19 , wherein the filler material comprises at least one of limestone or sand.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A01K1/0155

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• B01J20/3028 Primary

  Granulating, agglomerating or aggregating · CPC title

• B01J20/28016

  Particle form · CPC title

• B01J20/043

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

• B01J20/20

  comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes · CPC title