Abstract: Animal litter comprising composite particles including powdered sodium bentonite and powdered activated carbon, agglomerated together into the composite particles, wherein the animal litter has a particle size distribution of 16/50 mesh (i.e., 300 ?m to 1180 ?m in size). The litter may include non-composite, granular clay particles (e.g., granular sodium bentonite) having the same particle size distribution (16/50 mesh). Such particle size characteristics significantly reduce dusting, without the need for a de-dusting agent, reduce clump depth and/or reduce clump width at the bottom of the clump (both acting to reduce risk of clumps sticking to the bottom of the litter box) and result in more efficient use of the litter in clumping (reduced clump weight) by increasing absorbency.

Abstract: A self-contained system for grilling including a non-combustible tray, a mesh insert within the tray, defining an air-flow portion below the insert, and a fuel portion above the insert for supporting fuel (e.g., charcoal briquets), with the fuel suspended above the air-flow portion. A plurality of holes may or may not be provided through a lower portion of the tray (e.g., in a lower portion of the sidewall of the tray) to draw combustion air into the air flow portion, below the mesh insert. The system may pre-arrange the fuel in the tray during manufacture, so the user is not required to spread or even touch the briquets, or may be for use with fuel provided by a user. Clean up is very simple, as the entire system can be discarded after a single use, once cooled, as the ash is automatically collected in the bottom of the tray.

Abstract: Animal litter comprising composite particles including powdered sodium bentonite and powdered activated carbon, agglomerated together into the composite particles, wherein the animal litter has a particle size distribution of 16/50 mesh (i.e., 300 ?m to 1180 ?m in size). The litter may include non-composite, granular clay particles (e.g., granular sodium bentonite) having the same particle size distribution (16/50 mesh). Such particle size characteristics significantly reduce dusting, without the need for a de-dusting agent, reduce clump depth and/or reduce clump width at the bottom of the clump (both acting to reduce risk of clumps sticking to the bottom of the litter box) and result in more efficient use of the litter in clumping (reduced clump weight) by increasing absorbency.

Abstract: A generally pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface, wherein at least one of these surfaces contain an enhanced surface feature comprising one or more grooves. When two or more grooves are located on one or both convex surfaces, the grooves are generally parallel to each other and to two opposing sides of the briquet, and generally perpendicular to two opposing sides of the briquet. The briquets have improved ignition characteristics and enhanced burn phase properties.

Abstract: A charcoal heating material, such as charcoal briquettes, includes a porous structure that facilitates the flow of oxygen about the charcoal, and thereby, enables the briquettes to ignite easily and quickly. In particular the lightweighted charcoal briquettes have a density from about 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.80 grams per cubic centimeter. Methods of forming charcoal heating materials include mixing a rheology modifying agent and a moisture phase with a charcoal mixture to facilitate absorption of additional water into the solid matrix, providing increased porosity and lightweighting of the finished briquette after drying.

Abstract: Reusable charcoal chimney devices and inserts which may allow for faster lighting of charcoal material, without any need for lighter fluid. The charcoal chimney device may include a charcoal container including a bottom end, a top end, and a sidewall disposed there between. The charcoal container includes an internal cavity for containing charcoal. The charcoal container may be formed of a non-combustible material so that it can be reused, and is not consumed during use. An elongate insert is disposable within the internal cavity of the charcoal container for forming a hollow flue from a bottom of the internal cavity to the open top end of the charcoal container when charcoal is loaded into the internal cavity around the insert. The hollow flue defining portion of the insert may occupy a minimal fraction of the volume of the internal cavity to limit volume that can no longer be occupied by charcoal.

Abstract: A generally pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface, wherein at least one of these surfaces contain an enhanced surface feature comprising one or more grooves. When two or more grooves are located on one or both convex surfaces, the grooves are generally parallel to each other and to two opposing sides of the briquet, and generally perpendicular to two opposing sides of the briquet. The briquets have improved ignition characteristics and enhanced burn phase properties.

Abstract: Lightweight composite particles, primarily comprising various bentonite clays, but which may include other functional solid particles, are formed by introducing expanding gases or air into the particle forming process. The methods presented create the ability to reduce the bulk density of the composite particles while maintaining and in some cases even increasing the particle strength.

Abstract: A mold for use in a rotary compactor in order to form compacted mass products (e.g., briquets) from a compactable material, the mold having at least one roll pocket that is provided with a surface configuration adapted to impart corresponding grooves to the respective mass surface, and in turn, to provide a physical barrier to the flow of the compactable material adapted to impart an optimal balance between releasability and wear resistance as compared to a pocket previously known in the art.

Abstract: A charcoal heating material, such as charcoal briquettes, includes a porous structure that facilitates the flow of oxygen about the charcoal, and thereby, enables the briquettes to ignite easily and quickly. In particular the lightweighted charcoal briquettes have a density from about 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.80 grams per cubic centimeter. Methods of forming charcoal heating materials include mixing a rheology modifying agent and a moisture phase with a charcoal mixture to facilitate absorption of additional water into the solid matrix, providing increased porosity and lightweighting of the finished briquette after drying.

Abstract: A generally pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface, wherein at least one of these surfaces contain an enhanced surface feature comprising one or more grooves. When two or more grooves are located on one or both convex surfaces, the grooves are generally parallel to each other and to two opposing sides of the briquet, and generally perpendicular to two opposing sides of the briquet. The briquets have improved ignition characteristics and enhanced burn phase properties.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved surface safe, aqueous, liquid hard surface cleaner which contains a nonionic surfactant, or combination of nonionic and anionic surfactants, a water soluble abrasive, namely, borax pentahydrate, in an amount which takes at least a portion of the abrasive out of solution, and water.

Abstract: This invention relates to a storage and shipping system comprising corrugated containers which house plastic vessels or bottles used to hold fragranced liquid bleaches in which the shipping and storage containers are stacked on top of one another. In the stacks, in all of the shipping and storage containers except for the topmost one, the plastic vessels will share some of the vertical component of the compression load caused by the shipping and storage container directly located above a given shipping and storage container. In a further embodiment of the invention, the problem of surface wetting of blown polyethylene bottles by certain additives in liquid bleach is recognized and addressed. In another embodiment of the invention is provided a stable fragranced bleaching composition. In a still further embodiment of this invention is provided a homogeneous fragrance preblend and a method of making thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a zeolite agglomeration process and product. Zeolite particles are blended with a filler and preferably a surfactant and then agglomerated in a rotary agglomerator with a zeolite binder to form an agglomerate with about 5-70 parts by wgt. zeolite and, after drying, excellent mechanical strength and flowability with good solubilization/dispersion in aqueous solution. The zeolite agglomerate is preferably combined into a granular detergent in a second agglomeration step where the zeolite agglomerate is combined with other detergent components and sprayed with a detergent binder, the granular detergent being characterized by uniform density and particle size with minimum segregation and dusting. Both the zeolite agglomeration and detergent agglomeration steps are characterized by energy efficiency.

Abstract: This invention relates to an clay-based animal litter to which has been applied a liquid carrier containing a boron-containing compound in an odor-controlling effective amount. The boron-containing compound acts by antimicrobial action, controlling urease, or a combination of these mechanisms when the litter is used by the animal.