The present disclosure provides methods for preparing animal litter composition and, in particular, methods of improving odor control in such animal litter compositions. The methods may include providing an animal litter composition that includes a manganese salt, the manganese salt being effective to react with odor-causing ammonia compounds that come into contact with the animal litter composition to thereby reduce an amount of ammonia gas released from a surface of the animal litter composition. In particular, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides animal litter composition with improved odor control, such compositions including a plurality of particles, at least a portion of which include a liquid absorbing material, and a manganese salt at least partially coating at least a portion of the plurality particles.

A water absorption treatment material includes a core portion and a coating portion. The core portion is approximately circular column-shaped and has a side surface, a first bottom surface, and a second bottom surface. The coating portion is provided so as to cover the core portion. A region of 80% or more of the side surface of the core portion is covered by the coating portion. A region of 80% or more of the first bottom surface of the core portion is exposed without being covered by the coating portion.

Fabricating a hybrid sorbent media includes contacting a porous material with a first aqueous solution including phosphate ions to yield a first mixture, contacting the first mixture with a second aqueous solution comprising calcium ions to yield a second mixture, and adjusting a pH of the second mixture to form hydroxyapatite inside the porous media to yield the hybrid sorbent media.

Vapor phase polymerization can be used to synthesize a 3D porous network of polystyrene-containing, branched carbon nanofibers on polyurethane(s), optionally using natural light (NL) initiation. NL styrene polymerization in a confined reactor containing CNF-grafted PU can provide a stable porous network. The NL can vaporize the styrene by increasing the reactor temperature and generate styrene radicals. Without CNF, the polymerization on polyurethane (PU) provides a delicate, fragile surface. Radical styrene in vapor phase can interact with CNF to produce polystyrene branches by generating active sites on CNF, while reinforcing the 3D porous structure. After polymerization, the PU surface area increased from 9 to 184 m.sup.2/g and pore size decreased from 2567 to 10 Å. 3D porous networks of NL-assisted PS branched CNF supported PU can provide a hydrophobic, oleophilic surface with a water contact angle of approx 148±3°, rapidly gravity separating hexane and water without external force.

The invention concerns biocompatible polymer systems comprising at least one polymer with a plurality of pores, said polymer comprising either polyol or zwitterionic groups designed to adsorb endotoxins and other inflammatory mediator molecules. The inventions are in the field of porous polymeric sorbents, also in the field of broadly reducing endotoxins in blood and blood products that can cause endotoxemia, additionally, in the field of broadly removing endotoxins by perfusion or hemoperfusion.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe functionalized polymeric membranes including one or more dithiol compounds that extend from a nanoparticle provided on or near a surface and/or pores of a polymer material, wherein at least one thiol of the dithiol compound binds to the nanoparticle and at least one thiol of the dithiol compound is a free thiol. Embodiments of the present disclosure further describe methods of separating and/or recovering a purified antibody comprising contacting a feed stream containing an antibody and other biomolecules with a functionalized polymeric membrane to separate the antibody from the feed stream; and applying a reducing agent to release the antibody from the membrane and recover a purified antibody; wherein the functionalized polymeric membrane includes a plurality of free thiols selective to binding the antibody.

Animal litter comprising composite particles including powdered sodium bentonite and powdered activated carbon, agglomerated together into the composite particles, wherein the animal litter has a particle size distribution of 16/50 mesh (i.e., 300 μm to 1180 μm in size). The litter may include non-composite, granular clay particles (e.g., granular sodium bentonite) having the same particle size distribution (16/50 mesh). Such particle size characteristics significantly reduce dusting, without the need for a de-dusting agent, reduce clump depth and/or reduce clump width at the bottom of the clump (both acting to reduce risk of clumps sticking to the bottom of the litter box) and result in more efficient use of the litter in clumping (reduced clump weight) by increasing absorbency.

A filter media composition includes a ferrihydrite material having an average pore size (BJH) in a range from 1 to 3 nm and a surface area (BET) of at least 200 m.sup.2/g or at least 250 m.sup.2/g or at least 300 m.sup.2/g.

The super absorbent polymer comprises: a base polymer powder including a first crosslinked polymer of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer having at least partially neutralized acidic groups; and a surface crosslinked layer formed on the base polymer powder and including a second crosslinked polymer in which the first crosslinked polymer is further crosslinked via a surface crosslinking agent, wherein the super absorbent polymer has: a fixed height absorption (FHA) of 22.5 g/g to 29 g/g, a saline flow conductivity (SFC) of 35 (.Math.10.sup.−7 cm.sup.3.Math.s/g) or more, and T-20 of 180 seconds or less.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying viruses or virus-like particles using a crosslinked cellulose hydrate membrane and to a kit for purifying viruses or virus-like particles and the use thereof.