Methods and compositions for controlling flow in clay-based materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12490708-B2
Application number	US-202117795706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Jan 29, 2020
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods for controlling swelling of a clay when in contact with an aqueous medium. The methods may include contacting clay with a content of an ionic liquid sufficient to modify one or more transport properties of water through the clay. In particular, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides clay-based animal litter compositions having controlled flow and clump shape, and a related method. The animal litter can include a clay-based liquid absorbing material and at least one ionic liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling swelling of a clay when in contact with an aqueous medium, the method comprising contacting clay with a content of an ionic liquid sufficient to modify one or more transport properties of water through the clay,
wherein the ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium ethylsulfate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium diethylphosphate, and combinations thereof.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the clay is contacted with the ionic liquid prior to contact with the aqueous medium, or wherein the clay, the ionic liquid, and the aqueous medium are contacted simultaneously.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the following conditions is met:
the clay is a bentonite clay; the one or more transport properties are selected from the group consisting of permeation rate, flow rate, rate of sorption, directional flow, and combinations thereof.

4 . An animal litter composition comprising:
a clay-based liquid absorbing material; and at least one ionic liquid, wherein the animal litter further comprises a filler comprising one or both of a non-absorbent, non-soluble substrate and an absorbent substrate, or wherein the animal litter further comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of clumping agents, de-dusting agents, fragrances, bicarbonates, binders, and preservatives.

5 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the ionic liquid is present in an amount of about 0.01 mmol/g clay-based liquid absorbing material to about 0.2 mmol/g clay-based liquid absorbing material.

6 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the ionic liquid is an imidazolium salt.

7 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the at least one ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium ethylsulfate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium diethylphosphate, and combinations thereof.

8 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the clay-based liquid absorbing material has a surface area of about 15 m 2 /g or less.

9 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the clay-based liquid absorbing material has a surface area of about 10 m 2 /g or less.

10 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the clay-based liquid absorbing material has an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

11 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , wherein the clay-based liquid absorbing material comprises bentonite clay.

12 . The animal litter composition of claim 4 , comprising:
the clay-based liquid absorbing material in an amount of about 35% to about 55% by weight, based on the total weight of the animal litter composition; a filler in an amount of about 40% to about 60% by weight, based on the total weight of the animal litter composition, the filler being a non-absorbent, non-soluble substrate; and the ionic liquid present in an amount of about 0.15% to about 5.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay-based liquid absorbing material and the ionic liquid.

13 . A method of preparing an animal litter composition having modified flow properties, the method comprising forming an animal litter composition as a mixture of at least a clay-based liquid absorbing material and at least one ionic liquid,
wherein the mixture further comprises a filler comprising one or both of a non-absorbent, non-soluble substrate and an absorbent substrate, or wherein the mixture further comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of clumping agents, de-dusting agents, fragrances, bicarbonates, binders, and preservatives.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the ionic liquid is combined with the clay-based liquid absorbing material prior to adding the one or more additives, or wherein the one or more additives are added to the clay-based liquid absorbing materials prior to mixing with the at least one ionic liquid.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the following conditions is met:
the ionic liquid is added in the express absence of a carrier solvent; the method excludes drying the animal litter composition; the ionic liquid is an imidazolium salt; the ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium ethylsulfate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium diethylphosphate, and combinations thereof; the ionic liquid is applied in an amount of about 0.01 mmol/g clay-based liquid absorbing material to about 0.2 mmol/g clay-based liquid absorbing material.

Assignees

• Church & Dwight Co Inc

Inventors

• Adamy Steven T

Classifications

• C04B33/1305

  Organic additives · CPC title

• B01J20/22

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• B01J20/28059

  being less than 100 m2/g · CPC title

• B01J20/12

  Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth · CPC title

• A01K1/0154 Primary

  comprising inorganic material · CPC title