Composite absorbent particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9861071-B2
Application number	US-201715628489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	Jul 11, 2003
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

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 method of making animal litter comprising:
providing particles of sodium bentonite having a mean particle diameter of 3000 μm or less;
providing particles of powdered activated carbon (PAC) having a mean particle diameter of less than 500 μm;
binding together said sodium bentonite with said PAC to form composite particles comprising sodium bentonite and PAC;
mixing said composite particles with other types of particles;
wherein the PAC is present in the animal litter in an amount of 5% or less based on the weight of the animal litter.

2. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein said binding step comprises combining said sodium bentonite and said PAC in a tumble/growth agglomeration process.

3. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 2 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm, the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm, and the composite particles have a mean particle diameter of 400-1650 μm.

4. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 3 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount from 0.3% to 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

5. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 3 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount less than 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

6. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein said sodium bentonite and said PAC are homogeneously distributed throughout the composite particles.

7. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 6 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm, the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm, and the composite particles have a mean particle diameter of 400-1650 μm.

8. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 7 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount from 0.3% to 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

9. The method of making cat litter recited in claim 7 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount less than 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

10. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm.

11. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm.

12. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm and the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm.

13. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm, the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm, and the composite particles have a mean particle diameter of less than 2.5 mm.

14. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the mean particle diameter of the sodium bentonite is 25-150 μm, the mean particle diameter of the PAC is 25-150 μm, and the composite particles have a mean particle diameter of 400-1650 μm.

15. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 14 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount from 0.3% to 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

16. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 14 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount less than 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

17. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount from 0.3% to 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

18. The method of making animal litter recited in claim 1 , wherein the PAC is present in an amount less than 1% based on the weight of the animal litter.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Fritter Charles F
• Shenoy Ananth N

Classifications

• A01K1/0152

  Litter · CPC title

• B01J20/28004

  Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size · CPC title

• B01J20/3204

  Inorganic carriers, supports or substrates · CPC title

• A01K1/0155

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• B01J20/2803

  Sorbents comprising a binder, e.g. for forming aggregated, agglomerated or granulated products · CPC title