# US 8,739,735 B2 · Compositions useful as animal litter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,735 B2 - Document ID: US8739735B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/444,384 - Filed: 2012-04-11 - Published: 2013-07-18 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-16 - Assignees: Nestec S.A. - Applicants: Yimin Zhang - Inventors: Yimin Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739735B2 ## CPC - A01K 1/0155: {comprising organic material} - A01K 1/015: Floor coverings, e.g. bedding-down sheets {; Stable floors} - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract The invention provides a composition suitable for use as an animal litter comprising a first component having a density less than that of liquid and a second component having a density of at least 5 lb/ft3 (80 mg/cm3) greater than the first component. The invention is based upon the discovery that adding liquid such as urine to a composition having two components with significant differences in density, one of which is less than the density of the liquid, will result in the component with the lesser density floating to the top of the liquid while the component with the greater density will segregate below the component with the lesser density. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composition suitable for use as an animal litter comprising a first component having a density less than that of a liquid and a second component having a density of at least 5 lb/ft3 greater than the density of the first component, wherein the first component segregates from the second component by migrating toward the top of the composition when a liquid is added to the composition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the first component is a wood. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The composition of claim 2 wherein the wood is cedar, pine, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the first component comprises from about 2.5 to about 40% of the composition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component has a density of at least 10 lb/ft3 greater than the first component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component absorbs liquid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component is a grain. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The composition of claim 7 wherein the grain is corncob, corn kernel, Distillers Dried Grain (DDG), corn pellet, oat pellet, barley pellet, wheat middlings, soybean pellet, rye pellet, rice grain, rice pellet, sorghum grain, sorghum pellet, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component is corncob. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component clumps when liquid is added to the composition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the second component comprises from about 60 to about 97.5% of the composition. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the first component is a wood and the second component is a grain. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The composition of claim 12 wherein the wood is cedar and the grain is corncob. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the first component and the second component have a particle size from about 0.75 to about 3 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein at least 80% of the first and second components have a particle size from about 0.6 to about 2 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises one or more binders. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The composition of claim 16 wherein the binders are gums, starches, pectins, agar, gelatin, alginates, carrageenans, proteins, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The composition of claim 16 wherein the binders are locust bean gum, xanthan gum, arabic gum, cassia gum, gelatin, wheat gluten, blood plasma, soy protein, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), dairy proteins, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The composition of claim 16 wherein the binder is guar gum. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The composition of claim 16 wherein the first component is cedar, the second component is corncob, and the binder is guar gum. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method for managing waste comprising contacting the waste with a composition of claim 1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the waste is an animal waste. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the waste is urine. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) An animal litter box comprising (1) a device suitable for containing animal litter and suitable for use by an animal when excreting animal waste and (2) one or more compositions of claim 1. ### Claim 25 An animal litter composition comprising a cedar wood component having a density less than that of a liquid and a corncob component having a density of at least 5 lb/ft3 greater than the density of the first component, wherein the cedar wood component segregates from the corncob component by migrating toward the top of the composition when a liquid is added to the composition.