Composite absorbent particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016113231-A1
Application number	US-201514985180-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2003
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Composite particles and methods for making the same. An absorbent material is formed into a particle. An optional performance-enhancing active is coupled to the absorbent material before, during, or after the particle-forming process, homogeneously and/or in layers. Additionally, the composite absorbent particle may include a core material. Preferred methods for creating the absorbent particles include a pan agglomeration process, a high shear agglomeration process, a low shear agglomeration process, a high pressure agglomeration process, a low pressure agglomeration process, a rotary drum agglomeration process, a mix muller process, a roll press compaction process, a pin mixer process, a batch tumble blending mixer process, an extrusion process, and a fluid bed process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for forming an animal litter containing a plurality of porous composite particles and a plurality particles of a liquid-absorbing material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) forming composite particles by sequentially carrying out the following steps (i)-(iv):
(i) introducing bentonite and powder activated carbon (PAC) into a pan agglomerator, a pin mixer or a Pelligrini mixer/Muller agglomerator combination;
(ii) mixing the bentonite and PAC and optionally up to 20 weight percent water in the pan agglomerator, pin mixer or Pelligrini mixer/Muller agglomerator combination to form a plurality of bentonite-based porous composite particles wherein at least a portion of the PAC is encapsulated within the pores of the composite particles;
(iii) drying the porous composite particles;
(iv) sieving the porous composite particles to a predetermined particle size range suitable for use as an animal litter;
b) combining the composite particles with a plurality of particles of a liquid-absorbing material of a predetermined particle size range suitable for use as an animal litter, to form an animal litter.

2 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the PAC is present in 0.1% to 5%.

3 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the PAC is present in 0.3% to 1.5%.

4 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the bentonite is sodium bentonite.

5 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the bentonite has a mean particle diameter of about 25-150 μm.

6 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein at least 80% of the porous composite particles formed in step (iv) fall within said predetermined particle size range.

7 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the clump strength, an indication of the percentage of particles retained in a clump after six hours upon addition of liquid, of the animal litter formed is greater than 75%.

8 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the clump strength, an indication of the percentage of particles retained in a clump after six hours upon addition of liquid, of the animal litter formed is greater than 90%.

9 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined particle size range is 12×40 mesh (1650-400 microns).

10 . The animal litter forming by the process recited in claim 1 , wherein the liquid-absorbing material is clay.

11 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 10 , wherein the clay is bentonite.

12 . The animal litter formed by the process recited in claim 11 , wherein the bentonite is sodium bentonite.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Fritter Charles F
• Shenoy Ananth N

Classifications

• B01J20/12

  Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth · CPC title

• B01J20/324

  containing free carbon, e.g. activated carbon · CPC title

• B01J20/3204

  Inorganic carriers, supports or substrates · CPC title

• B01J20/20

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

• B01J20/28023

  Fibres or filaments (fibres or filaments in the form of membranes B01J20/28038; B01J20/28007 takes precedence) · CPC title