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: 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: 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: 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: A water-swelling composition adapted to be secured to an area of potential water flow in the form of a flexible cohesive mass comprising about 10% to about 90% by weight of a water-swellable layered material; about 1% to about 30% by weight of an elastomer; about 8% to about 65% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropene, polybutene, and a mixture thereof; and about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of a clay binder selected from group consisting of (1) an onium ion-liberating compound that is ion-exchanged with platelet cations of the layered material, (2) a coupling agent that is reacted with the layered material, and (3) a combination thereof.

Abstract: A waterproofing article in the form of rod-, or rope-shaped clay-containing compositions, and a method of waterproofing using the article, whereby a water-penetrable, degradable, or water-soluble film or coating forms an outer surface of the article for avoiding premature hydration of an underlying clay-containing composition. In the preferred embodiment, an inner core of a water-swellable clay-containing composition includes a coating of a water-removable or degradable material, completely encasing the major outer surfaces of the composition, having controlled, predetermined water-penetration; high pH degradability; or water-solubility so that the core of water-swellable clay-containing composition is quickly hydrated after water-penetration of the coating material, and to prevent clay hydration during installation, prior to water-penetration of the coating material.

Abstract: In accordance with the method of manufacture described herein, it has been found that by applying a polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator directly to a liquid-absorbent or liquid adsorbent (hereinafter collectively referred to as “liquid-sorbent”) substrate, preferably a porous geotextile in sheet material form, to form a polymerization-initiating substrate or sheet material, a monomer that is subsequently embedded in the liquid-sorbent substrate will be completely contacted by the polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator for complete polymerization of the embedded monomer to form embedded polymer solids, without the monomer partially polymerizing before contacting the substrate. It has been found that complete polymerization of the monomer while in contact with the substrate achieves best results in retention of embedded and interlocked polymer solids.

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: By applying a polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator directly to a liquid-absorbent or liquid-adsorbent (hereinafter collectively referred to as “liquid-sorbent”) substrate, preferably a porous geotextile in sheet material form, to form a polymerization-initiating substrate or sheet material, a slurry of a monomer and a water-absorbent clay that is subsequently embedded in the porous substrate will have its monomer content sufficiently contacted by the polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator for complete polymerization of the embedded monomer to form embedded polymer solids and clay, without the monomer partially polymerizing before contacting the substrate. It has been found that polymerization of the monomer while in contact with the substrate achieves best results in retention of embedded and interlocked polymer and clay solids.

Abstract: An improved production water treatment system and method are disclosed. The treatment apparatus includes a vertically oriented vessel with tangentially disposed injection nozzles including one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of production water and one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of recycled water from the vessel and a sparge gas. The tangential orientation of the injection nozzles creates a cyclonic flow within the vessel for improved sparge gas bubble/hydrocarbon contact. A hydrocarbon-rich layer migrates to the top surface of the liquid in the vessel where it is removed about a center axis of the vessel. The resulting hydrocarbon-lean production water has a sufficiently low hydrocarbon content that it is eligible for more intensive processing, such as with organophillic clay cartridges.

Abstract: Cosmetic and personal care compositions can be manufactured using the multifunctional-additive compositions of the present invention. Such an additive preferably contains one or more particulate-based thickeners, such as a smectite clay, colloidal silica, laponite, and/or alumina, and most preferably one or more smectite clays. According to one important embodiment of the present invention, the thickener particles are co-dispersed with particles of one or more particulate UVR-filters such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or SUNSPHERE (available from International Specialty Chemicals, ISP), and most preferably with the natural particulate sunscreens such as the metal oxides. Another important component of the multifunctional-additive compositions is a dispersant or surface-modifier for the foregoing particulate materials, selected from the family of polyphenolic, natural polymers such as lignosulfonates, lignins, humates, tannates, and derivatives thereof.

Abstract: By applying a polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator directly to a liquid-absorbent or liquid-adsorbent (hereinafter collectively referred to as “liquid-sorbent”) substrate, preferably a porous geotextile in sheet material form, to form a polymerization-initiating substrate or sheet material, a slurry of a monomer and a water-absorbent clay that is subsequently embedded in the porous substrate will have its monomer content sufficiently contacted by the polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator for complete polymerization of the embedded monomer to form embedded polymer solids and clay, without the monomer partially polymerizing before contacting the substrate. It has been found that polymerization of the monomer while in contact with the substrate achieves best results in retention of embedded and interlocked polymer and clay solids.

Abstract: In accordance with the method of manufacture described herein, it has been found that by applying a polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator directly to a liquid-absorbent or liquid adsorbent (hereinafter collectively referred to as “liquid-sorbent”) substrate, preferably a porous geotextile in sheet material form, to form a polymerization-initiating substrate or sheet material, a monomer that is subsequently embedded in the liquid-sorbent substrate will be completely contacted by the polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator for complete polymerization of the embedded monomer to form embedded polymer solids, without the monomer partially polymerizing before contacting the substrate. It has been found that complete polymerization of the monomer while in contact with the substrate achieves best results in retention of embedded and interlocked polymer solids.

Abstract: An improved production water treatment system and method are disclosed. The treatment apparatus includes a vertically oriented vessel with tangentially disposed injection nozzles including one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of production water and one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of recycled water from the vessel and a sparge gas. The tangential orientation of the injection nozzles creates a cyclonic flow within the vessel for improved sparge gas bubble/hydrocarbon contact. A hydrocarbon-rich layer migrates to the top surface of the liquid in the vessel where it is removed about a center axis of the vessel. The resulting hydrocarbon-lean production water has a sufficiently low hydrocarbon content that it is eligible for more intensive processing, such as with organophillic clay cartridges.

Abstract: Cosmetic and personal care compositions can be manufactured using the multifunctional-additive compositions of the present invention. Such an additive preferably contains one or more particulate-based thickeners, such as a smectite clay, colloidal silica, laponite, and/or alumina, and most preferably one or more smectite clays. According to one important embodiment of the present invention, the thickener particles are co-dispersed with particles of one or more particulate UVR-filters such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or SUNSPHERE (available from International Specialty Chemicals, ISP), and most preferably with the natural particulate sunscreens such as the metal oxides. Another important component of the multifunctional-additive compositions is a dispersant or surface-modifier for the foregoing particulate materials, selected from the family of polyphenolic, natural polymers such as lignosulfonates, lignins, humates, tannates, and derivatives thereof.

Abstract: Cosmetic and personal care compositions can be manufactured using the multifunctional-additive compositions of the present invention. Such an additive preferably contains one or more particulate-based thickeners, such as a smectite clay, colloidal silica, laponite, and/or alumina, and most preferably one. or more smectite clays. According to one important embodiment of the present invention, the thickener particles are co-dispersed with particles of one or more particulate UVR-filters such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or SUNSPHERE (available from International Specialty Chemicals, ISP), and most preferably with the natural particulate sunscreens such as the metal oxides. Another important component of the multifunctional-additive compositions is a dispersant or surface-modifier for the foregoing particulate materials, selected from the family of polyphenolic, natural polymers such as lignosulfonates, lignins, humates, tannates, and derivatives thereof.

Abstract: Cosmetic and personal care compositions can be manufactured using the multifunctional-additive compositions of the present invention. Such an additive preferably contains one or more particulate-based thickeners, such as a smectite clay, colloidal silica, laponite, and/or alumina, and most preferably one or more smectite clays. According to one important embodiment of the present invention, the thickener particles are co-dispersed with particles of one or more particulate UVR-filters such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or SUNSPHERE (available from International Specialty Chemicals, ISP), and most preferably with the natural particulate sunscreens such as the metal oxides. Another important component of the multifunctional-additive compositions is a dispersant or surface-modifier for the foregoing particulate materials, selected from the family of polyphenolic, natural polymers such as lignosulfonates, lignins, humates, tannates, and derivatives thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of a hydrocarbon-contaminated water, e.g., a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying water, separated from oil, into contact with organophilic media canisters such that the hydrocarbons and other organic materials commingled with the sump tank water will be adsorbed onto the organophilic media and detected by the embedded probe in selected canisters. The canisters are provided in a plurality of stacks and are in fluid communication with a header disposed at the bottom of the vessel housing the various stacks of canisters. 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 will pass through the media and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination.

Abstract: Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of a hydrocarbon-contaminated water, e.g., a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying water, separated from oil, into contact with organophilic media canisters such that the hydrocarbons and other organic materials commingled with the sump tank water will be adsorbed onto the organophilic media and detected by the embedded probe in selected canisters. The canisters are provided in a plurality of stacks and are in fluid communication with a header disposed at the bottom of the vessel housing the various stacks of canisters. 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 will pass through the media and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination.