The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 27, 1995
Filed:
Nov. 18, 1993
John Hughes, Long Grove, IL (US);
American Colloid Company, Arlington Heights, IL (US);
Abstract
A method of treating a water-swellable clay after the clay has been mined and dried to improve its properties when in contact with salt-contaminated water. After the common initial drying of the clay to a moisture content of 12% by weight or less, the clay is rewetted to a moisture content of more than 12% by weight, preferably at least about 15% or more, based on the dry weight of the clay, then redried to a moisture content of 12% by weight or less, based on the dry weight of the clay. This rewetting and redrying processing of a dried clay unexpectedly improves the salt water absorbency, and viscosity properties when the clay is in contact with salt-contaminated water; unexpectedly increases the rheology properties of the clays for oil well drilling fluids and lost circulation fields when salt-contaminated water is encountered during drilling, as a suspending agent in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries when the composition contains a dissolved salt; and provides unexpectedly increased salt water-absorption in forming water-swellable clay-based water barriers.