Method for producing gels

Claim 1

A GEL WHICH IS READILY DESTRUCTIBLE BY ACID BUT WHICH IS RELATIVELY INSENSITIVE TO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN INITIAL VISCOSITY AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM ABOUT 100* TO ABOUT 210* F., SAID VISCOSITY RANGING FROM ABOUT 30 TO ABOUT TO ABOUT 5000 CENTIPOISES, SAID GEL HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY ADDING TO A BASE LIQUID, CONTAINING FROM ABOUR 4 TO ABOUT 10 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AN ALIPHATIC ACID HAVING FROM 16 TO 20 CARBON ATOMS, A SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF AN ALKALI METAL BASE IN THE FORM OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 45 WEIGHT PER CENT OF SAID ALKALI METAL BASE, VIGOROUSLY AGITATING THE AQUEOUS MIXTURE OF ALKALI METAL BASE AND ACID AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 50* TO ABOUT 160* F. UNTIL NEUTRALIZATION IS COMPLETE, WHEREBY A SOAP OR BODYING AGENT IS FORMED IN SAID BASE LIQUID IN A CONCENTRATION UP TO ABOUT 10 WEIGHT PER CENT, AND RETAINING IN THE GEL THUS PREPARED ALL THE WATER ADDED THERETO BY THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ALKALI METAL BASE.