Abstract: The use of two mercury and arsenic removal media: A) a sulfur-impregnated organoclay; and B) a coupling agent-reacted organoclay, wherein the coupling agent preferably contains a mercapto, disulfide, tretrasulfide and/or polysulfide end group provides mercury removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and synergistic mercury removal ability. The preferred mercury removal media described herein is prepared by reacting an organophilic clay containing onium ions A) with elemental sulfur; and B) with a sulfur-containing coupling agent, preferably containing a mercapto, disulfide, tetrasulfide, and/or polysulfide moiety.

Abstract: The use of a sulfur-impregnated organoclay provides a mercury or arsenic removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The Hg/As removal media described herein is prepared by impregnating an organophilic clay with elemental (free state) sulfur. Alternatively, the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with impregnating the organoclay with sulfur.

Abstract: The use of a sulfur-impregnated organoclay provides a mercury or arsenic removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The Hg/As removal media described herein is prepared by impregnating an organophilic clay with elemental (free state) sulfur. Alternatively, the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with impregnating the organoclay with sulfur.

Abstract: Paper is made by providing an anionic aqueous emulsion of a size, usually a reactive anhydride size, and mixing it into a cellulosic suspension prior to drainage of the suspension to form a sheet which is then dried to provide paper (including paper board). The emulsion is preferably stabilised wholly or mainly by 0.5 to 30 parts by weight (per part by weight size) of water soluble, anionic, polymeric stabiliser, which is preferably anionic starch. Alternatively, the emulsion may be added to the cellulosic suspension while it is anionic, before mixing retention into it. The emulsion may be added to the cellulosic suspension after cationic retention aid has been added to it, the emulsion being added with, before or after mixing anionic microparticulate material or other anionic bridging aid, prior to drainage of the suspension.

Abstract: Layered phyllosilicates are useful for adsorbing and/or binding to cholesterol and, thereby, reducing blood cholesterol in a patient. Accordingly, provided herein is a method of reducing hypercholesteremia in a mammal comprising administering to said mammal a protonated and at least partially exfoliated layered phyllosilicate material alone and in combination with other cholesterol-reducing agents in an amount effective to reduce hypercholesteremia in said mammal.

Abstract: A cleansing or a surface-conditioning composition comprising a mixture of (i) and (ii) in water: i) a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, non-ionic, zwitterionic, cationic, and mixtures thereof; and ii) a hydrophobic benefit agent in a particulate form having a mean particle size in the range of 1-1,000 micron, and a specific gravity of ?1, not encapsulated within a film or a capsule-like enclosure, the particulate hydrophobic benefit agent comprising: a) a physically-modified form of the hydrophobic benefit agent; and b) a deposition-aid material bonded to the surface of the physically-modified benefit agent material, wherein the bonding between the two said materials is achieved prior to addition to i), wherein said deposition-aid material is not a surfactant having a weight average molecular weight of less than 5,000 Dalton.

Abstract: An oral care composition containing polymeric microparticles highly loaded with an oral care compound is disclosed.

Abstract: A cleansing or a surface-conditioning composition comprising a mixture of (i) and (ii) in water: i) a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, non-ionic, zwitterionic, cationic, and mixtures thereof, and ii) a hydrophobic benefit agent in a particulate form having a mean particle size in the range of 1-1,000 micron, and a specific gravity of ?1, not encapsulated within a film or a capsule-like enclosure, the particulate hydrophobic benefit agent comprising: a) a physically-modified form of the hydrophobic benefit agent; and b) a deposition-aid material bonded to the surface of the physically-modified benefit agent material, wherein the bonding between the two said materials is achieved prior to addition to i), wherein said deposition-aid material is not a surfactant having a weight average molecular weight of less than 5,000 Dalton.

Abstract: A particulate non-clumping animal litter composition is disclosed. The composition comprises non-clumping absorbent particles bound to magnetically-attractable metal particles such that substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface. The animal litter composition exhibits favorable properties such as absorbency, resiliency, homogeneity, and particle size. Methods of production for non-clumping animal litter compositions are also disclosed that employ sufficient shear to bind the non-clumping absorbent particulate material to the magnetically-attractable metal particles such that the animal litter compositions exhibit favorable properties. A method and apparatus for the collection of magnetically-attractable animal litter particles are also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of a hydrocarbon-contaminated water, e.g., a water leg portion of a produced water stream or an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying water, separated from oil, into contact with non-woven fiber/particulate polymer coalescing media-containing canisters such that the hydrocarbon droplets and other organic material droplets commingled with the sump tank or produced water will be coalesced by passage through the coalescing media. The canisters preferably are provided in a plurality of stacks in each vessel. Solids that do not pass through the canisters are accumulated at the bottom of the vessel and easily drained through a drain port. The water and hydrocarbons will pass through the coalescing media within the canisters and will be separated easily from each vessel, e.g., by gravity separation, sot that the water can be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination.

Abstract: Reactive geocomposite mats, and their method of manufacture, for treating contaminants in soil or water that allow the passage of essentially non-contaminated water therethrough. The geocomposite mat includes a pre-formed woven or non-woven geotextile, having a thickness of about 6 mm to about 200 mm, and having, a porosity sufficient to receive a powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material, contaminant-sorptive material, or a contaminant-neutralizing material (hereinafter collectively referred to as “contaminant-reactant material” or “contaminant-reactive material”) throughout its thickness, or in any portion of the thickness across its entire major surface(s). The powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material is disposed within the pores of the previously formed, high loft geotextile mat to surround the fibers, e.g.

Abstract: It has been found that phosphorous-containing and oxyanion compounds can be removed efficiently and economically by adsorption with cation-exchanged aluminosilicates that are ion-exchanged in a concentrated aluminosilicate composition containing the aluminosilicate, the exchange cations, and only about 15% to about 50% by weight water, based on the total weight of the aluminosilicate and water. Further, the ion-exchange process described herein has been found to be effective, in addition to those complexing or ion-exchange elements described in the Douglas '383 patent, when complexed or ion-exchanged with one or more elements of Group VIII (Fe, Co, Mi, Ru, Rh, Pd, Re, Os, Ir), Group IB (Cn, Ag, Au), and Group IIB (Zn, Cl, Hg).

Abstract: Compositions and methods for planarizing or polishing a surface, particularly a semiconductor wafer surface. The polishing compositions described herein comprise (a) a liquid carrier; (b) purified clay; and optional additives, such as (c) a chemical accelerator; and (d) a complexing or coupling agent capable of chemically or ionically complexing with, or coupling to, the metal and/or insulating material removed during the polishing process. The complexing or coupling agent carries away the removed metal and/or silicon dioxide insulator particles, during polishing, to prevent the separated particles from returning to the surface from which they were removed. Also disclosed are methods of planarizing or polishing a surface comprising contacting the surface with the compositions.

Abstract: Reactive geocomposite mats, and their method of manufacture, for treating contaminants in sediment, soil or water that allow the passage of essentially non-contaminated water therethrough. The geocomposite mat includes a pre-formed woven or non-woven geotextile, that is needlepunched to an outer geotextile sheet layer to provide a high loft, structurally secured, pre-formed geotextile having a thickness of about 6 mm to about 200 mm, and having, a porosity sufficient to receive a powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material, contaminant-sorptive material, or a contaminant-neutralizing material (hereinafter collectively referred to as “contaminant-reactant material” or “contaminant-reactive material”) throughout its thickness, or in any portion of the thickness across its entire major surface(s). The powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material is disposed within the pores of the previously formed, high loft geotextile mat to surround the fibers, e.g.

Abstract: An intumescent polyolefin nanocomposite is disclosed. The nanoclay contributes stiffness, toughness and flame retardancy to the compound. The intumescent contributes flame retardancy. The compound can be processed as a thermoplastic into any practical article needing stiff, tough, and flame retardancy properties.

Abstract: A sunscreen composition, either impregnating a wipe substrate or comprising a sunscreen spray, wherein the composition comprises an oil phase dispersed stably as emulsion droplets in a water phase that contains i) a booster for the sun protection factor (SPF), comprising a combination of water-dispersible particulate materials, one of which is smectite clay, and a water-soluble or water-dispersible phenolic polymer; and ii) a water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer having a weak acid group, a weight average molecular weight of 1,000-100,000 Dalton, and an anionic charge density of no less than 4 milliequivalent per gram of the polymer; the said sunscreen composition meeting the following specifications: i) the in-vivo sun protection factor (SPF) is ?1.

Abstract: A particulate clumping animal litter composition is disclosed. The composition comprises water-swellable smectite clay particles bound to magnetically-attractable metal particles such that substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface. The animal litter composition exhibits favorable properties such as absorbency, resiliency, homogeneity, clump strength, and particle size. Methods of production for clumping animal litter compositions are also disclosed that employ sufficient shear to bind the water-swellable smectite clay particles to the magnetically-attractable metal particles such that the animal litter compositions exhibit favorable properties. A method and apparatus for the collection of magnetically-attractable animal litter particles are also disclosed.

Abstract: Concentrated suspensions of smectite clays are obtained as either relatively “thin” or highly shear-thinning slurries that are easy to pump, by adding one or more of certain cationic polymers whose weight average molecular weight, Mw, is 50,000 or higher. It was found during the course of the invention that a cationic polymer with an Mw of 10,000 did not work, while the same polymer with a bimodal Mw of 50,000 and 30,000 worked satisfactorily. To achieve the full advantage of the present invention, the cationic polymer preferably has 1 to 10 milliequivalents of cationic charge per gram of the polymer, and more preferably 5 to 10 milliequivalents of cationic charge per gram of the polymer, and most preferably 6 to 8 milliequivalents of cationic charge per gram of the polymer.

Abstract: A particulate non-clumping animal litter composition is disclosed. The composition comprises non-clumping absorbent particles bound to magnetically-attractable metal particles such that substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface. The animal litter composition exhibits favorable properties such as absorbency, resiliency, homogeneity, and particle size. Methods of production for non-clumping animal litter compositions are also disclosed that employ sufficient shear to bind the non-clumping absorbent particulate material to the magnetically-attractable metal particles such that the animal litter compositions exhibit favorable properties. A method and apparatus for the collection of magnetically-attractable animal litter particles are also disclosed.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for planarizing or polishing a corundum, GaAs, GaP or GaAs/GaP alloy surface, particularly a semiconductor wafer surface. The polishing compositions described herein comprise (a) a liquid carrier; (b) a smectite clay, preferably a sodium smectite clay; and optional additives, such as (c) CeO2, SiO2 and/or Al2O3 abrasive particles, (d) a chemical accelerator; and (e) a complexing or coupling agent capable of chemically or ionically complexing with, or coupling to, the material removed during the polishing process. The optional complexing or coupling agent carries away the removed particles, during polishing, to prevent the separated particles from returning to the surface from which they were removed. Also disclosed are methods of planarizing or polishing corundum, GaAs, GaP and GaAs/GaP alloy surfaces comprising contacting the surface with the compositions.