Non-clumping animal litter granules
Animal litter composed of plural discrete particles, each particle containing both mineral and organic matter. An absorbent artificial granule is made up of absorbent fiber, minerals, and chemicals. The highly absorptive and lightweight litter of this invention substantially reduces litter box malodors, extends usage duration of a given cat litter volume unit, eliminates dust, and increases consumer convenience by substantially reducing the weight of the product in conventionally sized packaging. In one embodiment, an animal litter granule is made up of:: 20-50 weight-% fine absorbent fibers, preferably 25-45 weight-% fine absorbent cellulose fibers; 10-30 weight-% zeolite, preferably 12-30 weight-% zeolite; 10-70 weight-% mineral filler, preferably 16-61 weight-% mineral filler selected from kaolin, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof; and 0.5-10 weight-% binder, preferably 0.5-3 weight-% acrylic binder.
1. A non-clumping granular animal litter, wherein each granule has a mean particle size in the range of 0.6 mm to 5.0 mm and each granule is made from a mixture which comprises
20-50 weight-% fine absorbent wood fibers having a moisture content of less than 15 weight-%,
10-30 weight-% zeolite,
0.5-3 weight-% boron compound urease inhibitor,
10-70 weight-% non-swelling mineral filler having a moisture content of less than 12 weight-%, and
0.5-10 weight-% binder component,
wherein an aqueous dispersion of binder is applied to the wood fibers, zeolite, boron compound, and mineral filler prior to agglomeration of the mixture into particles.
2. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite is clinoptilolite having a particle size range with the range 10 to 100 microns and having a moisture content of less than 12 weight-%.
3. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , wherein the urease inhibitor is boric acid having a particle size range within the range 10 to 100, U.S. Sieve Series, and having a moisture content of less than 10 weight-%.
4. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , further comprising 1-3 weight-% of a pH buffer for maintaining the pH of the granule below 7.0.
5. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 4 , wherein the pH buffer maintains the pH of the granule at a pH of approximately 6.0 and wherein the pH buffer is selected from the group consisting of potassium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate.
6. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , further comprising 1-4 weight-% dry binder.
7. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 6 , wherein the dry binder is selected from the group consisting of starch, guar gum, and mixtures thereof.
8. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 7 , wherein the dry binder is unmodified starch granules, 70% of which pass through 200 Mesh U.S. Sieve Series.
9. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , consisting essentially of a dry blend of 38 weight-% fine absorbent wood fibers, 25 weight-% clinoptilolite, 31½ weight-% calcium carbonate filler, 2 weight-% boric acid, 1½ weight-% potassium phosphate buffer, and 2 weight-% unmodified starch binder, and 1.7 weight-% acrylate/methacrylate copolymer binder applied to the dry blend in the form of an aqueous dispersion.
10. The non-clumping animal litter granule of claim 1 , wherein the fine absorbent wood fibers comprise wood dust, the non-swelling mineral filler comprises calcium carbonate, and the binder component comprises starch.