Method for making extruded granular absorbent and clumping granular absorbent

A method of making granular extrudate comprising:

• (a) providing a single screw extruder having an extrusion die, and a starch-containing admixture;
• (b) pressurizing the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder to an extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch gelatinizing at least some of the starch of the starch-containing admixture and modifying at least some of the starch of the starch-containing admixture into a water-soluble binder;
• (c) extruding under pressure the starch-containing admixture from the extrusion die of the single screw extruder producing an absorbent extrudate discharged from the extruder having at least 10% by weight of the water-soluble binder formed of the at least some of the starch modified while under pressure in the extruder;
• (d) forming the absorbent extrudate into extruded absorbent pellets;
• and
• (e) cold processing the extruded absorbent pellets upon extrusion by cooling and drying the extruded absorbent pellets.

A method of making granular extrudate comprising:

• (a) providing a single screw extruder having an extrusion die, and a starch-containing admixture;
• (b) pressurizing the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder to an extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch gelatinizing at least some of the starch of the starch-containing admixture and modifying at least some of the starch of the starch-containing admixture into a water-soluble binder;
• (c) extruding under pressure the starch-containing admixture from the extrusion die of the single screw extruder producing an absorbent extrudate discharged from the extruder having at least 10% by weight of the water-soluble binder formed of the at least some of the starch modified while under pressure in the extruder;
• (d) cutting the absorbent extrudate into extruded absorbent pellets;
• (e) cold processing the extruded absorbent pellets upon extrusion by cooling and drying the extruded absorbent pellets using turbulently flowing air;
• and
• (f) reducing a particle size of extruded absorbent pellets having a particle size greater than a desired particle size to a reduced size particle falling within a desired particle size range using a pellet comminution machine.