1. An oral delivery system comprising:
at least one active component; wherein the at least one active component is an anticalculus agent is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, triphosphates, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates and combinations thereof; and
a polymer matrix at least partially encapsulating said at least one active component, said polymer matrix having a tensile strength of at least 6,500 psi and comprising at least one polymer having a water absorption of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight as measurable by ASTM D570-98 and hydrogenated oil; wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetatephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery system, when used in an oral composition, releases a controlled amount of the active component in an oral cavity over a longer period of time as compared to an oral composition wherein the active component is free.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the period of time is about 5 to about 60 minutes.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least 50% of the active component remains in the oral composition after the time period of about 5 to about 60 minutes.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix has a tensile strength of about 20,000 to about 50,000 psi.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the anticalculus agent is sodium hexametaphosphate.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the anticalculus agent is sodium tripolyphosphate.
8. An oral composition comprising the oral delivery system of claim 1.
9. The oral composition of claim 8, further comprising a carrier composition selected from the group consisting of a gum base, a confectionary base, a toothpaste base, a gel dentifrice base and a tooth powder base.
10. The oral composition of claim 9, wherein the composition is a gum composition.
11. A gum composition comprising:
(a) a gum base; and
(b) a delivery system, said delivery system comprising (i) at least one active component; and (ii) a polymer matrix at least partially encapsulating said at least one active component, said polymer matrix having a tensile strength of at least 6,500 psi and comprising at least one polymer having a water absorption of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight as measurable by ASTM D570-98 and hydrogenated oil; wherein the at least one active component is an anticalculus agent is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, triphosphates, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates and combinations thereof; and wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetatephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof.
12. The gum composition of claim 11, wherein the polymer matrix has a tensile strength of about 20,000 to about 50,000 psi.
13. A method for preparing an oral delivery system, the method comprising:
at least partially encapsulating at least one active component, wherein the at least one active component is an anticalculus agent is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, triphosphates, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates and combinations thereof in a polymer matrix, thereby forming an oral delivery system, said polymer matrix having a tensile strength of at least 6,500 psi and comprising at least one polymer having a water absorption of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight as measurable by ASTM D570-98 and hydrogenated oil; wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetatephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer matrix has a tensile strength of about 20,000 to about 50,000 psi.
15. A method for preparing an oral composition comprising:
providing an oral delivery system, said system comprising (i) at least one active component; wherein the at least one active component is an anticalculus agent is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, triphosphates, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates and combinations thereof; and (ii) a polymer matrix at least partially encapsulating said at least one active component, said polymer matrix having a tensile strength of at least 6,500 psi and comprising at least one polymer having a water absorption of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight as measurable by ASTM D570-98 and hydrogenated oil; wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetatephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof; and
combining the oral delivery system with a carrier composition.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the carrier composition is selected from the group consisting of a gum base, a confectionary base, a toothpaste base, a gel dentifrice base and a tooth powder base.
17. A method for preparing a gum composition, the method comprising:
at least partially encapsulating at least one active component; wherein the at least one active component is an anticalculus agent is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, triphosphates, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates and combinations thereof, in a polymer matrix, said polymer matrix having a tensile strength of at least about 6,500 psi and comprising at least one polymer having a water absorption of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight as measurable by ASTM D570-98 and hydrogenated oil; wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetatephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof;
heating a gum base to soften the base;
mixing the softened gum base with the at least partially encapsulated active component to obtain a substantially homogeneous mixture;
cooling the mixture; and
forming the cooled mixture into gum pieces.
18. A method of controlling the release of an active component from an oral delivery system comprising:
providing the oral delivery system of claim 1;
employing the oral delivery system in an oral cavity, whereby a controlled amount of the at least one active component is released into the oral cavity.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the oral delivery system is present in a gum, the controlled amount of the at least one active component being released into the oral cavity upon mastication of the gum.
20. The oral delivery system of claim 1, which is made by melting the polymer in a mixer, adding a hydrogenated oil to the mixer, and adding the at least one active component to the mixer, mixing the polymer, the hydrogenated oil, and the at least one active component in the mixer to form a polymer matrix at least partially encapsulating the at least one active component.
21. The oral delivery system of claim 20, wherein the mixer is an extruder.
22. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one active component is a dialkali metal pyrophosphate salt, a tetra alkali polyphosphate salt, or a combination thereof.
23. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one active component is selected from the group consisting of tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and combinations thereof.
24. The system of claim 1, wherein said polymer is polyvinyl acetate.
25. The system of claim 1, wherein said system additionally contains a taste masking agent.
26. The system of claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix fully encapsulates the at least one active component.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for treating tight gas sand and shale subterranean formations, the method comprising:
forming a solvent-surfactant blend by combining a solvent, a surfactant and a co-surfactant;
adding a diluent to the solvent-surfactant blend to form a microemulsion;
wherein the wettability of the formation altered from water-wet to gas-wet, and the amount of water imbibed into the formation is reduced.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the co-surfactant is glycol ether.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a cationic surfactant.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with an anionic surfactant.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a zwitterionic surfactant.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a nonionic surfactant.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of lauryl alcohol ethoxylates, linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C9-C11), linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C12-C13) and linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C12-C15).
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of dicocodimethylquaternary.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of polyorganosiloxanes.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent, a surfactant and a glycol ether that is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, vegetable oil, and dimethyl sulfoxide with a surfactant to form a solvent-surfactant blend.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding a diluent to the solvent-surfactant blend comprises adding a diluent that is selected from the group consisting of water, oil and combination thereof.
13. The method of claim 2, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend and the adding a diluent are carried out such that the emulsified solvent-surfactant blend comprises:
up to about 25% by volume surfactant mixture;
up to about 14% by volume solvent;
up to about 20% by volume glycol ether; and
up to about 60% by volume water.
14. A method for treating a subterranean formation comprising at least in part tight gas sand and shale rocks, the method comprising:
forming a solvent-surfactant blend by combining a solvent, a surfactant and a co-surfactant;
adding water to the solvent-surfactant blend to form a microemulsion;
wherein the wettability of the formation altered from water-wet to gas-wet, and the amount of water imbibed into the formation is reduced.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the co-surfactant is glycol ether.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend and the adding a diluent are carried out such that the emulsified solvent-surfactant blend comprises:
up to about 25% by volume surfactant mixture;
up to about 14% by volume solvent;
up to about 20% by volume glycol ether; and
up to about 60% by volume water.
17. A method for treating a subterranean formation comprising at least in part tight gas sand and shale rocks, the method comprising:
forming a solvent-surfactant blend by combining a solvent, a surfactant and glycol ether;
adding water to the solvent-surfactant blend to form a microemulsion;
wherein the wettability of the formation altered from water-wet to gas-wet, and the amount of water imbibed into the formation is reduced.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of lauryl alcohol ethoxylates, linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C9-C11), linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C12-C13) and linear fatty alcohol ethoxylates (C12-C15).
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of dicocodimethylquaternary.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent with a surfactant that is selected from the group consisting of polyorganosiloxanes.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent, a surfactant and a glycol ether that is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend comprises combining a solvent selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, vegetable oil, and dimethyl sulfoxide with a surfactant to form a solvent-surfactant blend.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming a solvent-surfactant blend and the adding a diluent are carried out such that the emulsified solvent-surfactant blend comprises:
up to about 25% by volume surfactant mixture;
up to about 14% by volume solvent;
up to about 20% by volume glycol ether; and
up to about 60% by volume water.