Patent ID: 8486304

Claim:
A composition comprising: a polymer and a first liquid, wherein the polymer exhibits lower solubility in the first liquid at room temperature but exhibits greater solubility in the first liquid at an elevated temperature, wherein the composition gels when the elevated temperature is lowered to a first lower temperature without agitation; wherein the viscosity of the composition at the first lower temperature results from a process comprising: (a) dissolving at the elevated temperature at least a portion of the polymer in the first liquid; (b) lowering the temperature of the composition from the elevated temperature to the first lower temperature; and (c) agitating the composition to disrupt any gelling, wherein the agitating commences at any time prior to, simultaneous with, or subsequent to the lowering the temperature of the composition from the elevated temperature to the first lower temperature; wherein the amount of the polymer dissolved in the first liquid at the elevated temperature ranges from about 0.2% to about 5% based on the total weight of the polymer and the first liquid.