Aqueous gels and uses thereof

Claim 1

AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, COMPRISING WATER TO WHICH THERE HAS BEEN ADDED: A WATER-THICKENING AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE CELLULOSE ETHER, AN AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE COMPOUND OF A POLYVALENT METAL WHEREIN THE VALENCE STATE OF THE METAL THEREIN IS CAPABLE OF BEING REDUCED TO A LOWER POLYVALENT VALENCE STATE AND WHICH IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY AT LEAST ABOUT 3 X 10**-6 GRAM ATOMS OF SAID POLYVALENT METAL PER GRSM OF SAID CELLULOSE ETHER, AND AN AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE REDUCING AGENT WHICH IS EFFECTIVE TO REDUCE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID METAL TO SAID LOWER VALENCE STATE, SAID REDUCING AGENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROQUINONE, SODIUM SULFIDE, SODIUM HYDROSULFITE, SODIUM METABISULFITE, POTASSIUM SULFITE, SODIUM BISULFITE, POTASSIUM METABISULFITE, SODIUM SULFITE, SODIUM THIOSULFATE, P-HYDRAZINOBENZOIC ACID, HYDRAZINE PHOSPHITE, HYDRAZINE DIHYDROCHLORIDE, ACETAMIDE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF.

Claim 15

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: thickening water by adding thereto a thickening amount of a water-soluble cellulose ether; and gelling the so-thickened water by adding thereto an amount of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which is sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether, and an amount of a water-soluble reducing agent which is effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state; said reducing agent being selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrocloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 16

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: thickening water by adding thereto a thickening amount of a water-soluble cellulose ether; and gelling the so-thickened water by adding thereto an amount of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which is sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether, and an amount of a water-soluble reducing agent which is effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state; said reducing agent being selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrocloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 25

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: preblending in a dry mixture, from 0.0025 to 20 weight percent of a water-soluble cellulose ether, based on the weight of water to which said mixture is added as described hereinafter; from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based on the weight of said cellulose ether, of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which amount iS sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether; and an amount of a water-soluble reducing agent which is effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state, said reducing agent being selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrochloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof, with said amount of reducing agent being within the range of from 0.1 to at least about 200 percent of the stoichiometric amount of said reducing agent required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower valence state; and adding said preblended mixture to an amount of water for which said amoount of cellulose ether is a thickening amount.

Claim 26

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: preblending in a dry mixture, from 0.0025 to 20 weight percent of a water-soluble cellulose ether, based on the weight of water to which said mixture is added as described hereinafter; from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based on the weight of said cellulose ether, of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which amount iS sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether; and an amount of a water-soluble reducing agent which is effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state, said reducing agent being selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrochloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof, with said amount of reducing agent being within the range of from 0.1 to at least about 200 percent of the stoichiometric amount of said reducing agent required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower valence state; and adding said preblended mixture to an amount of water for which said amoount of cellulose ether is a thickening amount.

Claim 27

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: first adding to water a thickening amount of a water-soluble cellulose ether, said amount being within the range of from 0.0025 to 20 weight percent based on the weight of said water; then adding to said thickened water a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrochloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof; and then adding to said water containing said reducing agent from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based on the weight of said cellulose ether, of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which amount is sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether; said reducing agent being effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state, and being added to said thickened water in an amount within the range of from 0.1 to at least 200 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower valence state.

Claim 28

A method for producing an aqueous gel, which method comprises: first adding to water a thickening amount of a water-soluble cellulose ether, said amount being within the range of from 0.0025 to 20 weight percent based on the weight of said water; then adding to said thickened water a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, p-hydrazinobenzoic acid, hydrazine phosphite, hydrazine dihydrochloride, acetamide, and mixtures thereof; and then adding to said water containing said reducing agent from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based on the weight of said cellulose ether, of a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the valence state of the metal therein is capable of being reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and which amount is sufficient to supply at least about 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said polyvalent metal per gram of said cellulose ether; said reducing agent being effective to reduce at least a portion of said metal to said lower valence state, and being added to said thickened water in an amount within the range of from 0.1 to at least 200 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower valence state.