Moldable sand compositions and methods for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9493627-B2
Application number	US-201514693258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to moldable sand compositions, methods for making the moldable sand compositions, and methods for using the moldable sand compositions. In a particular embodiment, the moldable sand composition comprises between about 70% to about 95% sand, between about 5% to about 30% water, a polar polymeric resin, a crosslinking agent, and a humectant. In an exemplary embodiment, the composition contains no oils, waxes, glycols, or rubbers. The composition is capable of becoming hardened over time in order to maintain the achieved shape, and can be re-wetted and molded again after becoming hardened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A moldable sand composition comprising sand, water, a polar polymeric resin, one or more crosslinking agents, and a humectant, wherein a ratio of sand to water is between 7 and 15, and wherein the moldable sand composition is initially moldable, becomes hardened following exposure to air at room temperature, and becomes moldable again following an addition of water.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the sand comprises silica sand.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more crosslinking agents comprise a boric compound.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more crosslinking agents are selected from the group consisting of titanates, zirconates, dialdehydes, polyfunctional acids, polyfunctional acid anhydrides, non-monovalent cations and a combination thereof.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the humectant comprises glycerin.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polar polymeric resin comprises PVA.

7. The composition of claim 1 comprising between about 80% to about 90% sand.

8. The composition of claim 1 comprising between about 7% to about 20% water.

9. The composition of claim 1 comprising between about 0.5% to about 3% polar polymeric resin.

10. The composition of claim 1 comprising between about 1% to about 3% humectant.

11. The composition of claim 1 further comprising one or more additives, wherein the additives are selected from the group consisting of pH adjusters, buffers, defoamers, dispersing agents, scents, preservatives, colorants, and combinations thereof.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition comprises less than about 1% of the one or more additives.

13. The moldable sand composition of claim 11 comprising between about 84% to about 88% sand, between about 8% to about 12% water, between about 1% to about 2% polar polymeric resin, between about 0.2% to about 0.4% one or more crosslinking agents, between about 1.5% to about 2.5% humectant, and between about 0.5% to about 1% additives.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition contains no oils, waxes, glycols, or rubbers.

15. A method for making a moldable sand composition comprising mixing sand, water, a polar polymeric resin, one or more crosslinking agents, a humectant, and one or more additives, wherein a ratio of sand to water is between 7 and 15, and wherein the moldable sand composition is initially moldable, becomes hardened following exposure to air at room temperature, and becomes moldable again following an addition of water.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the composition comprises between about 84% to about 88% sand, between about 8% to about 12% water, between about 1% to about 2% polar polymeric resin, between about 0.2% to about 0.4% one or more crosslinking agents, between about 1.5% to about 2.5% humectant, and between about 0.5% to about 1% additives.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the composition contains no oils, waxes, glycols, or rubbers.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein there is no heating step.

19. A kit comprising:
a moldable sand composition inside a container; and
one or more molds,
wherein the moldable sand composition comprises sand, water, a polar polymeric resin, one or more crosslinking agents, and a humectant, and wherein a ratio of sand to water is between 7 and 15, and wherein the moldable sand composition is initially moldable, becomes hardened following exposure to air at room temperature, and becomes moldable again following an addition of water.

20. The kit of claim 19 further comprising one or more toys for molding or shaping the composition.

Assignees

• Crayola Llc

Inventors

• Moskal Michael
• Li Jie
• Vadaketh Leena
• Spera Michael

Classifications

• B44C3/04 Primary

  Modelling plastic materials, e.g. clay · CPC title

• C08K3/36 Primary

  Silica · CPC title

• A63H33/001

  Toy-moulding appliances; Toy moulding · CPC title

• C04B26/04 Primary

  obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C08L29/04

  Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids · CPC title