US 12,478,034 B2
System and ultrahigh pressure extrusion method for making extruded granular sorbent with post-extrusion cold-processing of extruded granular absorbent for size control
John M. Lipscomb, Cedarburg, WI (US); Omar I. Rodriguez, Cedarburg, WI (US); and Chad C. Berge, Menomonee Falls, WI (US)
Assigned to Pioneer Pet Products, LLC., Cedarburg, WI (US)
Filed by Pioneer Pet Products, LLC, Cedarburg, WI (US)
Filed on Aug. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/399,040.
Application 17/399,040 is a continuation of application No. 15/445,977, filed on Feb. 28, 2017, granted, now 11,083,168, issued on Aug. 10, 2021.
Application 17/399,040 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2016/069355, filed on Dec. 29, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/452,981, filed on Jan. 31, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/272,352, filed on Dec. 29, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0368732 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. A01K 1/015 (2006.01); B01J 20/24 (2006.01); B01J 20/28 (2006.01); B01J 20/30 (2006.01); B29B 9/12 (2006.01); B29B 9/16 (2006.01); B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/04 (2019.01); B29C 48/88 (2019.01); B29B 9/06 (2006.01); B29C 48/92 (2019.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 1/0155 (2013.01) [B01J 20/24 (2013.01); B01J 20/2803 (2013.01); B01J 20/3007 (2013.01); B01J 20/3042 (2013.01); B29B 9/12 (2013.01); B29B 9/16 (2013.01); B29C 48/0022 (2019.02); B29C 48/022 (2019.02); B29C 48/04 (2019.02); B29C 48/911 (2019.02); B29B 9/06 (2013.01); B29B 2009/166 (2013.01); B29C 48/92 (2019.02); B29K 2105/251 (2013.01)] 55 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making extruded granular sorbent comprising:
(a) providing a single screw extruder and a starch-containing admixture comprised of at least 40% starch and having a moisture content of no greater than about 25% by weight;
(b) extruding the starch-containing admixture by (i) subjecting the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder to an extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI at an extrusion temperature of at least 100° C. for a residency time of no greater than twenty seconds gelatinizing at least some of the starch in the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder, at least some of the starch in the starch-containing admixture in the single screw extruder modified into a room-temperature water soluble binder, and (ii) discharging the starch-containing admixture from the single screw extruder as sorbent extrudate comprised of the room-temperature water soluble binder;
(c) cold-processing the sorbent extrudate immediately upon being discharged from the single screw extruder by cooling the sorbent extrudate using air having (i) a temperature less than an initial temperature of the sorbent extrudate when discharged from the extruder, and (ii) a flow rate sufficient to cool the sorbent extrudate immediately upon being discharged from the extruder at a cooling rate of at least 5° C. per second for at least two seconds after discharge of the pellets of the sorbent extrudate from the extruder; and
wherein, after the cold-processing step, the extruded granular sorbent is comprised of at least a plurality of pairs of pellets of the sorbent extrudate that form an agglutinated mass thereof within five seconds of being wetted with water, the agglutinated mass comprising a clump that is scoopable from a box of pellets within one minute of wetting the at least the plurality of pairs of pellets with water.