Amcol International Corporation

Natalie A Dotlich

Jerald W Darlington, Jr

Robert J Trauger

Richard W Carriker

Mark William Clarey

Craig M Mattern

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.

Moisture-impervious water-swellable clay-containing 'water-stop' composition

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.

Moisture-impervious water-swellable clay-containing 'water-stop' composition containing a water-penetrable coating

By applying a polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator directly to a liquid-absorbent or liquid-adsorbent (hereinafter collectively referred to as &ldquo;liquid-sorbent&rdquo;) 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. Preferably only the polymerization catalyst or polymerization initiator, and optionally a cross-linker for the monomer, and/or a polymer neutralizing agent, together with any carrier, such as water or an organic solvent, are applied to the liquid-sorbent substrate prior to embedding the monomer into the substrate. In another embodiment, the cross-linker and/or the polymer neutralizing agent are embedded into the substrate together with the polymerization catalyst and/or polymerization initiator.

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Buffalo Grove, IL, United States of America

Natalie A Dotlich