US 5,975,019 A
Clumping animal litterGeneral
US 5,975,019 A
Clumping animal litter
Tech Center:
3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security and License and Review
Examiner:
Thomas Price
Art Unit:
3643 Aeronautics, Agriculture, Fishing, Trapping, Vermin Destroying, Plant and Animal Husbandry, Weaponry, Nuclear Systems, and License and Review
Agent:
Inventors:
G. ROBERT GOSS; D. CRISTINA FRUGOLI
Assignee:
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Priority:
08/19/97
Filed:
08/19/97
Granted:
11/02/99
Expiration:
08/19/17
Abstract
A clumping animal litter utilizing the interparticle interaction of a swelling clay, such as sodium bentonite, in combination with a non-swelling clay material. Preferably, sixty percent (60%) by weight, or less, composition of sodium bentonite is used after the judicious selection of particle size distribution such that the mean particle size of the non-swelling clay material is greater than the mean particle size of the sodium bentonite. In addition, an organic clumping agent, such as a pregelatinized corn starch can be combined with the sodium bentonite/clay mixture to enhance clumping properties.