# US 2021/0274745 A1 · Optimized System and Method for Making Extruded Granular Absorbent and Clumping Granular Absorbent Product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0274745 A1 - Document ID: US20210274745A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/329,409 - Filed: 2021-05-25 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-25 - Assignees: Pioneer Pet Products, LLC - Applicants: Pioneer Pet Products, LLC. - Inventors: John M. Lipscomb; Omar I. Rodriguez; Chad C. Berge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274745A1 ## CPC - A01K 1/0155: {comprising organic material} - B01J 20/24: Naturally occurring macromolecular compounds, e.g. humic acids or their derivatives - B01J 20/3007: {Moulding, shaping or extruding} - B29B 7/007: {for continuous mixing} - B29B 7/92: Wood chips or wood fibres - B29B 9/06: in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion - B29B 9/12: characterised by structure or composition - B29B 9/16: Auxiliary treatment of granules - B01J 2220/4825: Polysaccharides or cellulose materials, e.g. starch, chitin, sawdust, wood, straw, cotton - B01J 2220/4831: having been subjected to further processing, e.g. paper, cellulose pulp - B29B 7/726: {Measuring properties of mixture, e.g. temperature or density (B29B7/724 takes precedence)} - B29B 2009/166: {Deforming granules to give a special form, e.g. spheroidizing, rounding} - F26B 17/101: {the drying enclosure having the shape of one or a plurality of shafts or ducts, e.g. with substantially straight and vertical axis (F26B17/107 takes precedence)} - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract A method of making an extruded granular absorbent is provided where the method includes providing an extruder and a starch-containing admixture, and pressurizing the starch containing admixture in the extruder under relatively high extrusion pressures to extrude the pressurized starch-containing admixture from the extruder, and producing a water absorbent and oil absorbent extrudate. The present invention further provides that the extruded granular absorbent may be combined with a non-extruded granular material with relatively high inert or cellulose content where there may be a greater proportion of extruded granular absorbent, and the extruded granular absorbent and non-extruded granular material agglutinate into a clump when wetted with water or urine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making granular extrudate comprising: (a) providing a single screw extruder 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; and (c) extruding under pressure the starch-containing admixture from the extrusion die of the single screw extruder producing an 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the starch-containing admixture contains at least 40% starch by weight of the admixture. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the starch-containing admixture is composed of one or more cereal grains. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the starch-containing admixture has a moisture content of no more than 25% by weight of the admixture. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the starch-containing admixture is composed of one or more cereal grains. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein no moisture of water is added to the starch-containing admixture in the single-screw extruder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the starch-containing admixture is composed of one or more cereal grains. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the starch-containing admixture is comprised of sorghum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the starch-containing admixture is comprised of corn. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is a cold water-soluble binder that is water soluble at room temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is comprised of a cold water-soluble colloid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the extrudate gels when wetted with water. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate forms a gel when wetted with water. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the gel formed in extrudate wetted with water increases in viscosity over time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder is subjected to the extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch for a residency time of between five seconds and twenty-five seconds. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the starch-containing admixture is extruded from the single screw extruder at the extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch and at an extrusion temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the starch-containing admixture is extruded from the single screw extruder at the extrusion pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is formed of starch in the starch-containing admixture physically modified by the pressure in the extruder. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the extrudate contains at least 15% by weight of the water-soluble binder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is comprised of cold water-soluble binder that is water soluble at room temperature. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is comprised of a cold water-soluble colloid. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate forms a gel when wetted with water. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate forms a gel when wetted with water whose viscosity increases over time. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the extrudate is oil adsorbent. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the extrudate is water absorbent and oil adsorbent. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the starch-containing admixture in the extruder is subjected to the extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch for a residency time of between eight seconds and fifteen seconds. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the starch-containing admixture is extruded from the single screw extruder at the extrusion pressure of at least 2500 pounds per square inch and at an extrusion temperature of at least 135 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the starch-containing admixture is extruded from the single screw extruder at the extrusion pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is formed of starch in the starch-containing admixture physically modified by the pressure in the extruder. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the extrudate contains at least 15% by weight of the water-soluble binder. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is comprised of cold water-soluble binder that is water soluble at room temperature. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate is comprised of a cold water-soluble colloid. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate forms a gel when wetted with water. ### Claim 34 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the water-soluble binder in the extrudate forms a gel when wetted with water whose viscosity increases over time. ### Claim 35 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the extrudate is oil adsorbent. ### Claim 36 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the extrudate is water absorbent and oil adsorbent.