A chromogenic absorbent material for an animal litter includes an oxidizing agent responsive to peroxidatic/pseudoperoxidatic activity in an animal excretion or a first catalytic compound generating the oxidizing agent in situ. The material also includes a chromogenic indicator being chromogenically responsive to the oxidizing activity of the oxidizing agent, and an absorptive material which is porous, for absorbing the animal excretion. The absorptive material includes a water-absorbing polysaccharide providing absorptive properties to the chromogenic absorbent material; and may also include a second polysaccharide and a superabsorbent polymer. The material may be obtained in the form of particles having a low density and a high porosity, and is usable in conjunction with an animal litter for detecting various diseases in animals.

An ultrafine bubble cleaning apparatus uses a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles having a size of less than 30 nm to rinse fine particles adhered to soil, sand, etc. to separate and collect the fine particles. The ultrafine bubble cleaning apparatus includes a water tank-shaped reservoir, a stirring device, a supernatant discharge device including a pump for discharging a supernatant of the liquid in the reservoir, and a sedimentation extraction device. Substances are loaded into the ultrafine bubble-containing liquid stored in the reservoir, and the ultrafine bubble-containing liquid is repeatedly brought into contact with the surface of the substance using the stirring device. When ultrafine bubbles get into a space between fine metal particles adhered to the surfaces, cracks, and pits of the substances to be cleaned (including metal ions) and fine particles of organic substances including a solvent, a chemical, and oil, the fine particles are separated and floated.

Composite granules that contain a binder and a polymeric sorbent material for capturing aldehydes such as formaldehyde are provided. Additionally, methods of making the composite granules, methods of using the composite granules to capture aldehydes, and compositions formed by reacting the composite granules with aldehydes are provided. The polymeric sorbent material included in the composite granules is a reaction product of a divinylbenzene/maleic anhydride precursor polymeric material with a nitrogen-containing compound. This reaction results in the formation of nitrogen-containing groups that are covalently attached to the polymeric sorbent. Aldehydes can react with the nitrogen-containing groups.

Composite granules that contain a binder and polymeric sorbent materials for capturing reactive gases are provided. Additionally, methods of making the composite granules and methods of using the composite granules to capture reactive gases, and compositions formed by exposing the composite granules to reactive gases are provided. The polymeric sorbent material included in the composite granules is a reaction product of a divinylbenzene/maleic anhydride precursor polymeric material with a nitrogen-containing compound. This reaction results in the formation of nitrogen-containing groups that are covalently attached to the polymeric sorbent. The reactive gases undergo an acid-base reaction with the nitrogen-containing groups.

A chromogenic absorbent material for an animal litter includes an oxidizing agent responsive to peroxidatic/pseudoperoxidatic activity in an animal excretion or a first catalytic compound generating the oxidizing agent in situ. The material also includes a chromogenic indicator being chromogenically responsive to the oxidizing activity of the oxidizing agent, and an absorptive material which is porous, for absorbing the animal excretion. The absorptive material includes a water-absorbing polysaccharide providing absorptive properties to the chromogenic absorbent material; and may also include a second polysaccharide and a superabsorbent polymer. The material may be obtained in the form of particles having a low density and a high porosity, and is usable in conjunction with an animal litter for detecting various diseases in animals.

A water absorbing material which can reduce burden on the environment in disposal and can be manufactured at low cost, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The water absorbing material contains paper obtained by separating polyvinyl chloride from vinyl chloride wallpaper as a raw material.

A chromogenic absorbent material for an animal litter includes an oxidizing agent responsive to peroxidatic/pseudoperoxidatic activity in an animal excretion or a first catalytic compound generating the oxidizing agent in situ. The material also includes a chromogenic indicator being chromogenically responsive to the oxidizing activity of the oxidizing agent, and an absorptive material which is porous, for absorbing the animal excretion. The absorptive material includes a water-absorbing polysaccharide providing absorptive properties to the chromogenic absorbent material; and may also include a second polysaccharide and a superabsorbent polymer. The material may be obtained in the form of particles having a low density and a high porosity, and is usable in conjunction with an animal litter for detecting various diseases in animals.

Ether-thioether functionalized porous aromatic framework (PAF) polymers provide high selectivity for iron(II) and iron(III) adsorption in aqueous samples.

Polymeric sorbents for aldehydes including formaldehyde are provided. More particularly, the polymeric sorbents are a reaction product of a divinylbenzene/maleic anhydride precursor polymeric material with a nitrogen-containing compound. The nitrogen-containing compound is covalently attached to the resulting polymeric sorbent. Additionally, methods of sorbing aldehydes (i.e., aldehydes that are volatile under use conditions) on the polymeric sorbents and compositions resulting from the sorption of aldehydes on the polymeric sorbents are provided. The polymeric sorbents typically are porous with the pores often being in the size range of mesopores and/or micropores.

Compositions are provided comprising: 1) a solid metal oxide support having surface hydroxyl groups; 2) a silyl-containing compound bound to the solid metal oxide support through a silanol bond with the surface hydroxyl groups; and 3) a bis(glyoxime)-transition metal complex bound to the solid metal oxide support. These compositions can be used to make a colorimetric relative humidity-indicating sensor. A method of adjusting the colorimetric response of a moisture-indicating composition and a method of detecting moisture are also provided.