US 7,603,964 B2Granted

Composite particle animal litter and method thereof

AssigneeThe Clorox Company

InventorsDennis B. Jenkins, Charles F. Fritter, Ananth N. Shenoy

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Abstract

Composites and methods for making the same. A mixture of clay material and a light-weighting material is formed into a composite particle. An optional performance-enhancing active is coupled to the composite particle material before, during, or after the particle-forming process, homogeneously and/or in layers. Preferred methods for creating the composites 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.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A plurality of animal litter composite particles comprising:

a homogeneously agglomerated mixture of(1) a plurality of particles of naturally occurring sodium bentonite;
(2) a plurality of particles of at least one light-weighting material, said agglomerated mixture suitable for use as an animal litter;
and (3) a plurality of particles of powdered activated carbon (PAC) incorporated into said agglomerated mixture,
wherein said agglomerated mixture is agglomerated via a tumble/growth pan agglomeration process and a secondary tumble/growth agglomeration process used in combination with the pan agglomeration process wherein the secondary tumble/growth agglomeration process is selected from the group consisting of a pin mixer process, a mix muller process, a rotary drum process, a batch tumble blending mixer process, a fluid bed process and combinations thereof;
wherein the tumble/growth agglomeration processes form composite particles having a porous structure wherein at least a portion of the PAC is positioned towards the center of the particle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.