Facts and Myths about Walnut Shell Kitty Litter

Cats are notorious for lounging about and enjoying the good life. From fancy foods to cutesy playthings, they are rather discerning in their preferences. The same is true with their litter boxes, and pet owners will want to make sure that their catbox is lined with walnut shell kitty litter the next time their kitty needs to do their business. Here are some quick facts for you to consider as you gear up to produce a kitty litter your customers and their cats will rave about.

 

walnut shell cat litter



Myth: Walnut shell kitty litter is toxic.

Fact: Black walnut and English walnut shells are toxic, while other walnut shells are not. Black walnut and English walnut produce a chemical known as Juglone which can be toxic if ingested. For that reason, we do not recommend the use of Black or English walnut in the production of kitty litter.

Myth: Walnut shell kitty litter is dusty and will track all over the house.

Fact: Clay litters throw off silica dust with ease. However, walnut shell kitty litters are dust free and their hard and firm texture makes it virtually impossible for them to generate dust. It also makes it very difficult for the kitty litter to stick to a pet’s paws, which means it is highly unlikely that they’ll track it through the house.

Myth: Walnut based kitty litters don’t absorb moisture and odors.

Fact: When combined in the right formula, walnut based kitty litters are anywhere from 2 to 6 times better at controlling odor and moisture than their clay counterparts.

Myth: Walnut shells are not biodegradable or compostable.

Fact: Walnut shells are compostable and biodegradable if they are not placed within plastic bags and landfilled. Research has shown that landfilling both food and pet waste hinders the natural biodegradation process. However, if disposed of within a composter, walnut shell kitty litter is 100% biodegradable and a valuable source of nutrients within a garden.

To learn more about walnut shell kitty litter, contact Flowspec by sending us a message. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and give you more information to review.

Dry Skin: Causes and Remedies

No matter what time of year or weather conditions you face, there are always factors that can cause your skin to become dry, flaky, and itchy. At its worst, dry skin can even result in cracking and bleeding, both of which are unsightly and can cause infection. Many organic remedies, such as Flowspec’s ground walnut shells for soap, can alleviate the problems and soothe your parched skin. Take a look at some of the more common causes for this affliction to see how these products can even help you prevent problems before they occur.

 

 

Cold, Dry Weather: Wind and frigid temperatures can take a toll on your skin because these conditions bring lower humidity levels than those it typically thrives in. This is especially for your hands and face, which are the most exposed areas. With proper care, including soap formulas that incorporate ground walnut shells, you can rejuvenate your skin in the winter and re-introduce the moisture it so desperately needs to stay healthy.

Hot, Steamy Showers: Just as with cold weather, the steam robs your skin of moisture and can cause it to become dry and cracked. If you do indulge in a hot shower to relax or soothe sore muscles, your skin may look grey and flaky afterwards because the outer layers haven’t been properly shed. Ground walnut shells are an excellent exfoliant to help whisk away this dry skin and make way for the fresh, new layer underneath.

Harsh Body Soaps: Some cleansing formulas intended to remove excess oil from skin can actually cause more damage. Instead of abrasive soaps, use a natural cleanser that incorporates ground walnut shells to gently exfoliate oils and dry skin away without harsh chemicals.

With these tips on the top causes and remedies of dry skin, you can save yourself a significant amount of discomfort and pain. One of the most effective treatments for soothing skin is using ground walnut shells for soap when getting cleaned up. Please visit the Flowspec website to find out more about the vast benefits of using walnut shells for all uses around the house.

Flowspec: Industry Leader in Manufacturing and Distributing Walnut Shells

Business success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes the right combination of people, product, and perseverance to become the best. At Flowspec, we don’t take our success for granted because we know just how much work it took to become the global leader we are today.

In the early 80′s, few people thought that walnut shells could compete with silica and chemical-based agents. Engineers and scientists spent vast amounts of time, and considerable resources developing everything from synthetic oil filters and blasting media to cosmetic exfoliating ingredients. While these efforts generated some remarkable products, the reality is that Mother Nature had already perfected the process and created a natural agricultural sub-product that was superior and less damaging to the environment.

 



At Flowspec, our crushed walnut shells can be ground to a wide variety of grit sizes without losing any of their effectiveness. This makes them ideal for use in the following applications:

•As an exfoliate within cosmetics and soaps.
•As a non-toxic pet litter for use within litter boxes or aquariums.
•As an abrasive blasting media safe for use on plastics, metals, and ceramics.
•As an effective purification agent ideally suited for oil drilling operations.
•As a porosity enhancer for use with grinding wheels and ceramics.

That’s just the short list of known and potential applications that stretches page after page. As more and more industries seek cost-effective and eco-friendly options for their operations, we are quite certain that this list will continue to grow. As engineers and scientists will no doubt continue to develop methods of using crushed walnut shells even more effectively, we look forward to supplying the raw product their industries require.

Since 1981, Flowspec has been supplying crushed walnut shells to industries around the world. We take great pride in the manufacturing and distribution networks we have built over the years, and we would be more than happy to discuss the many ways our products can benefit your business. We invite you to contact us with your questions and to schedule a time to speak with a representative in greater detail about your specific needs.

Walnut Shell Blasting: Better for Your Machinery

Machinery is expensive to purchase, and it’s even more expensive to replace machinery that hasn’t been properly maintained. When it comes to heavy equipment, the environment most machinery operates in is dirty, dusty, and damp. Over time, this damages protective coatings. If that damage isn’t repaired, the costs from corrosion and rust can really add up.

 

Source: Shutterstock.com

For that reason, virtually all businesses that operate heavy machinery repaint their equipment from time to time. The process requires sandblasting the machine, then applying a new protective finish. But sandblasting via silica media can also damage equipment. That’s why using crushed walnut shells for sandblasting offers a much better alternative.

Using crushed walnut shells for sandblasting removes the risk that the equipment will be damaged. Plus, because it’s not a silica-based product, the health risks of inhaling silicate is non-existent. This makes it a healthy, eco-safe alternative that is equally as effective as traditional sandblasting media.

Further, because walnut shells can be ground to the requested size, it’s easy to tailor the size of the particulates. This allows you to select the right size media for the piece of machinery that is being cleaned. This is one of the reasons that it’s easy to use crushed walnut shells for sandblasting truck engines, oil rigs, storage tanks, farm equipment, etc.

Most importantly, it stays dry. Because it is non-porous, crushed walnut shells won’t absorb moisture. This means they won’t lose effectiveness and will continue to provide high-grade sandblasting properties longer than other media will. This reduces the need to replace the media you are using, which in turn reduces your overall maintenance costs. That’s something that we are sure will most certainly make everyone in the company smile.

Flowspec has a number of crushed walnut shell options for you to select from. Whether you require a fine, or a coarse grain, for use in your sandblasting operations, we would be happy to tell you all about them. We invite you to contact us with your questions, and we’ll be happy to give you the answers you are searching for.

Making Use of Exfoliants: Walnut Shells for Healthier Soaps

Consumers are increasingly making eco-friendly decisions when they shop. Not only are they concerned with the quality of the environment, but they are concerned with the sheer number of chemicals being used as ingredients in the products they utilize. To that end, it’s a wise idea for your business to begin using ground walnut shells for soap production.

Ground walnut shells are available in a variety of particulate sizes, which means they can be used for everything from facial scrubs to foot scrubs. This versatility makes it possible to incorporate them within a wide range of cosmetic products that will appeal to your clientele.

 

Source: Shutterstock.com

In fact, using ground walnut shells for soap comes with the following benefits that your customers are sure to appreciate:
1.They are non-toxic. Because they are a natural product that will biodegrade in the environment, consumers don’t have to worry about them polluting waterways or damaging sewer systems as they pass through them.
2.They are gentle, but effective. Because shells have a hardness of 4-5 on the MOHS scale, they are capable of removing dead skin without damaging the healthy skin beneath it. This means that your clients will enjoy healthier, more vibrant skin without worrying about over-exfoliating.
3.They are an eco-friendly dream. Because ground walnut shells are the natural byproduct of nut production, using them in soap production just makes sense. It keeps them out of landfills while giving your clients one more reason to select products manufactured with walnut shells.
4.They won’t affect other ingredients. Ground walnut shells are stable when mixed within the soap formula. In fact, they help stabilize the overall formula which prolongs the products shelf life and gives your clients a soap they don’t have to worry about spoiling during storage.

In the end, using ground walnut shells for soap production simply makes sense. It also makes dollars and cents for your business while you create products with a fabulous sense of scent. In fact, to find out how much sense and cents it makes to use ground walnut shells, we invite you to contact Flowspec with your questions.

How Walnut Shells Can Improve the Quality of Soaps

From fragrances to colors, there simply isn’t a shortage of soap formulas available for consumers to select from. While most of the ingredients added to soap formulas are designed to make them smell good, there are a few that are included to make them more effective at getting people clean.

 

 

Among these ingredients, using ground walnut shells for soap production is one of the best decisions your business can make. This is because crushed walnut shells provide exfoliating benefits that are simply hard to beat by comparable options. In fact, the angular shape and MOHS hardness of 4-5 of shells makes them ideal for soaps. And, since walnut shells are not as damaging to skin as silica abrasives, they provide a better, more appealing product for your customers to enjoy. Additionally, shells are an effective abrasive regardless of if they are ground fine as flour, or large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Either way, they can be included without losing any of their abrasive properties.

Of course, including ground walnut shells is not as simple as taking the shells and mixing them into the soap formula. Because they are a natural product, the shells must be irradiated first to ensure that no bacteria make it into the batch. This sterilizes them and gives them an extremely long shelf life, which in turn helps to stabilize the finished soap without affecting the other ingredients that have been used in production.

Further, as consumers become more eco-conscious, the idea of washing thousands of tons of silica sand down their drains is becoming an increasingly unpleasant choice. This is causing more and more consumers to turn to eco-friendly options when it comes to their cosmetic products. Ground walnut shells give them the exfoliating benefits they want, without the toxic byproducts and environmental hazards that other silica based abrasive soaps create.

For more information about using ground walnut shells for soap, contact Flowspec and we will be happy to answer your questions and give you all the details you need.

Clean Up Oil Residue with Crushed Walnut Shells

Figuring out how to effectively clean up oil residue has been a problem engineers have grappled with ever since the first oil wells were drilled in the 1850′s. Over the years, a variety of methods and technologies have been employed, but many of these caused just as many messes as the oil itself.

 



 

What engineers didn’t know was that the solution to the problem of oil residue was quite literally growing on trees all around them.  Through a process of trial and error, it was determined that crushed walnut shells were highly effective at removing oil and suspended solids from produced water, waste, and refinery effluent. In fact, crushed walnut shells are more efficient at this task than traditional sand filters. Further, crushed walnut shell filters are lighter than sand filters, which means that they are easier to install and leave a smaller footprint behind them. This makes them ideal for offshore drilling operations, and for drilling in remote areas on land.

Crushed walnut shells are able to clean up oil residue because of the following attributes:
•Walnut shells provide a superior effluent quality and allow for longer filtration runs. This allows for the removal of up to 98% of contaminants and suspended solids.
•A walnut shell filter utilizes raw processed water and/or gas for back washing. This removes the need for additional equipment.
•Walnut shell filters function at twice the flux rate of traditional sand filters.

Combined, these attributes make crushed walnut shell filters highly attractive. Not only are they more efficient, but they are more cost effective to operate. Further, because walnut shells are chemically inert, they will not react with the oils or solids they come into contact with. This means that they can be used, cleaned, and reused many times over before they need to be replaced.

While drilling for oil will always be a dirty business, crushed walnut shell filters make that process considerably cleaner and a lot less harmful on the environment. That’s why we invite you to contact Flowspec to learn more about our crushed walnut shell filters and their industrial applications.