Paper and papermaking method

Abstract

To provide paper using phalaenopsis waste and being in a good condition.SOLUTION: The paper obtained by subjecting a mixed liquid of paper slurry and a plant-containing material prepared from a material containing at least one of flower buds and flower stems of phalaenopsis as a raw material to papermaking, is characterized in that the ratio of the plant-containing material relative to the whole of the mixed liquid is from 40 to 60 mass%. Preferably, the plant-containing material is a liquid obtained by stirring flower stems and water at a predetermined ratio, and the paper slurry is a liquid obtained by stirring shredded paper shredded by a shredder and water in a predetermined ratio.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to paper and a papermaking method, and more particularly to paper and a papermaking method that can be produced using waste generated at Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation facilities. [Background technology]

[0002] There are techniques for cultivating Phalaenopsis orchids in plant factories. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-145969 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for cultivating miniature Phalaenopsis orchids in a cultivation device, in which a high-position support means supports the Phalaenopsis orchids in a floating state above the bottom of a water tray.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-158298 (Patent Document 2) discloses colored paper and its manufacturing method, which is made by pulverizing colored plant matter such as stems, leaves, bark, seeds, seed coats, shells, and fibers of various plants, adding the pulverized colored plant matter as a colorant to a stock prepared mainly from paper pulp, mixing the pulp uniformly, and making paper. The colored paper of Patent Document 2 is characterized in that it contains 0.1 to 30% by weight of pulverized colored plant matter with a median particle size of 10 to 50 μm, with 90% or more of the cumulative weight being in the range of 1 to 100 μm, relative to the paper pulp. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-145969 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-158298 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation facilities such as the one described in Patent Document 1, flower buds thinned out during cultivation and flower stalks of seedlings that could not be shipped (hereinafter referred to as "unshipped stalks") are disposed of as industrial waste. In aiming for zero flower loss, it is believed that environmentally friendly cultivation can be realized if these waste materials can be used to make paper.

[0006] Patent Document 2 derives the desirable ratio (0.1 to 30% by weight) of finely divided materials to achieve uniform coloring without unevenness in colored paper. However, this value was derived using by-products of the food processing industry, such as coffee grounds and tea leaves, and no consideration was given to the ratio when using Phalaenopsis orchid flower buds and flower stems.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to make it possible to use Phalaenopsis orchid waste to produce paper (made paper) in good condition that can withstand printing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The paper according to one aspect of the present invention is made by mixing plant-containing material derived from at least one of the flower buds and flower stems of Phalaenopsis orchid with a paper slurry, and is characterized in that the ratio of the plant-containing material to the total mixture is 40 to 60 mass%.

[0009] Preferably, the plant-containing material is a liquid (suspension) prepared by stirring flower stalks and water in a predetermined ratio.

[0010] Preferably, the paper slurry is a liquid (suspension) obtained by stirring shredded paper and water in a predetermined ratio.

[0011] More preferably, the plant-containing material is a liquid obtained by stirring flower stems and water, with the proportion of flower stems being approximately 30% by weight of the water, and the paper slurry is a liquid obtained by stirring shredded paper and water, with the proportion of shredded paper being approximately 3% by weight of the water.

[0012] A papermaking method according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of mixing a plant-containing material, made from at least one of the flower buds and flower stems of Phalaenopsis orchid, with a paper slurry to produce a mixed liquid, filtering the mixed liquid with a filter, and drying the filtered mixed liquid to obtain paper. This papermaking method is characterized in that the ratio of the plant-containing material to the total mixed liquid is 40 to 60 mass%. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to produce paper in good condition that can withstand printing (i.e., paper that is strong and has little roughness) using waste materials from Phalaenopsis orchids, such as flower buds thinned out during cultivation and unshipped stems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is an image diagram showing the relationship between the Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation cycle and papermaking. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing a papermaking method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0016] In this embodiment, a papermaking method using industrial waste generated from a Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation facility will be described.

[0017] (About the overview) Figure 1 is an image diagram showing the relationship between the cultivation cycle of Phalaenopsis orchids and papermaking. Phalaenopsis orchids are miniature Phalaenopsis orchids grown in specialized cultivation facilities (plant factories). Miniature Phalaenopsis orchids are shorter than regular Phalaenopsis orchids, about 20 cm tall for example. The flower stalks of miniature Phalaenopsis orchids are shorter than those of regular Phalaenopsis orchids, and have a greater ratio of diameter to length.

[0018] After raising Phalaenopsis orchids, they undergo flower bud formation and flowering, and are then acclimatized, trained, and shipped. Unshipped seedlings are used for the next cycle of raising seedlings. In this cultivation cycle, flower buds 11 thinned out during cultivation and unshipped stems (mature flower stems) 12 after cultivation is complete are usually disposed of as industrial waste. In addition, the inspection sheet 13 required for shipping Phalaenopsis orchids is shredded and disposed of as shredded waste.

[0019] In this embodiment, at least one of the flower buds 11 thinned out during cultivation and the unshipped stems 12 after cultivation is completed is used to make paper. Also, although it is said that shredded waste is difficult to reuse because the paper fibers are broken, in this embodiment, shredded waste from inspection sheets 13 (hereinafter also referred to as "shredded paper") that are discarded at the time of shipping is also used to make paper. In this way, the amount of industrial waste generated from Phalaenopsis cultivation facilities can be reduced.

[0020] (About papermaking methods) Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the papermaking method. The general steps in papermaking are as follows:

[0021] First, papermaking liquid (liquid mixture) is generated (process P1), and the generated papermaking liquid is poured into the papermaking tank (process P2). The papermaking worker (participant) passes the papermaking tools through the papermaking tank to make paper (process P3), and then attaches a nonwoven fabric and a suction mold to the papermaking tools to suck out the moisture (process P4). The mold is then removed, and the nonwoven fabric is pressed with a roller onto a plastic panel (process P5), and the paper is left to dry for about a day (process P6). In this way, printing paper (recycled paper) can be obtained. Note that in this embodiment, an example of papermaking by passing the papermaking tools through the papermaking tank has been shown, but papermaking can also be done by pouring papermaking liquid over the papermaking tools.

[0022] The method for producing the filtering liquor (processing of step P1) will be described in detail with reference to the figure. The method for producing the filtering liquor according to this embodiment includes a step (P11) of boiling Phalaenopsis orchid flower stems, a step (P12) of producing plant-containing material, a step (P13) of producing paper slurry, and a step (P14) of mixing the plant-containing material and the paper slurry in a predetermined ratio. Step P13 of producing paper slurry may be performed in parallel with steps P11 and P12, or may be performed before (first) these steps.

[0023] In step P11, the inflorescence stalks are cut into lengths of, for example, about 10 cm and boiled at high temperature in a pot or the like to accelerate softening, thereby separating the fibers of the inflorescence stalks. The boiling time is 30 minutes or more, for example, 1 hour.

[0024] In step P12, the softened flower stalks are stirred with water (tap water) at a predetermined ratio to produce a suspension containing pulverized flower stalks. The predetermined ratio is, for example, 300 g of flower stalks per 1 liter of water. In this case, the concentration (weight concentration) of the raw material (flower stalks) of the plant-containing material is approximately 30% by weight of the water. Note that approximately 30% typically means approximately 30±3%.

[0025] In step P13, the shredded paper and water (tap water) are stirred at a predetermined ratio to produce a suspension containing further pulverized paper. The predetermined ratio here is, for example, 30 g of shredded paper per 1 liter of water. In this case, the concentration (weight concentration) of the raw material (shredded paper) of the paper slurry is approximately 3% by weight of the water. Note that approximately 3% typically means approximately 3±0.3%.

[0026] In step P14, the plant-containing material and the paper slurry are mixed in a predetermined ratio to produce a mixture for papermaking (i.e., papermaking liquid). The preferred blending ratio of the plant-containing material and the paper slurry was investigated as follows.

[0027] (Test 1) Table 1 below shows the results of using 514g of papermaking liquid (mixture) to make paper measuring 154mm x 214mm (1.56g / cm 2 ) The test results show the results when the mixture was poured into the papermaking tool (similar to Test 2). In the table, the plant-containing material is referred to as "stem" and the paper slurry as "paper."

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] In Test 1, when the ratio of plant-containing materials to the total mixture was 30% or less and the ratio of paper slurry was 70% or more (Tests 1 to 4), undulations occurred after drying. On the other hand, when the ratio of plant-containing materials to the total mixture was 70% or more and the ratio of paper slurry was 30% or less (Tests 8 to 11), the surface became rough and brittle. When the ratio of plant-containing materials to the total mixture was 40 to 60% by mass (Tests 5 to 7), strong, uniform paper with little roughness was produced, i.e., paper usable as printing paper. The color of the paper from Tests 5 to 7 was a greenish-white, a color suitable for printing.

[0030] (Test 2) Table 2 below shows the results when the weight of the entire mixture containing plant-containing materials was reduced to half (257 g) of that in Test 1 above, and paper of the same length and width dimensions as Test 1 was made (0.78 g / cm 2 ).

[0031] [Table 2]

[0032] In Test 2, similar results to those in Test 1 were obtained, but the closer the ratio of plant-containing material was to 50% by mass (i.e., when the plant-containing material and paper slurry were mixed in an approximately 1:1 ratio), the more uniform the paper could be produced.

[0033] The fiber diameter of the raw material (pulp) for paper slurry is said to be around 20 μm. In contrast, while the fiber diameter of Phalaenopsis flower stems has not been determined, it is presumed to be larger than that of pulp (other plant fiber diameters, such as ramie, are known to be 48.5 μm). In particular, the fiber diameter of the relatively thick and short flower stems of mini Phalaenopsis orchids grown under illumination in a cultivation facility is presumed to be larger than that of regular Phalaenopsis orchids or other epiphytic plants. Given this difference in fiber diameter, it is thought that if there are too many mini Phalaenopsis flower stems, the surface will become rough and brittle. Conversely, if there are too few mini Phalaenopsis flower stems, the paper will lose its firmness and become wavy (resulting in thicker paper).

[0034] From the above test results, it is found that the ratio of plant-containing material to the entire mixed liquid is preferably 40 to 60 mass %, and more preferably 45 to 55 mass %.

[0035] The above tests 1 and 2 examined the blending ratio of two materials containing water. As for the blending ratio of the raw materials alone, it is desirable that the raw material for the plant-containing material (flower stems) be at least 6 times but not more than 15 times the raw material for the paper slurry (shredded paper).

[0036] In this way, unshipped stems of Phalaenopsis orchids grown in cultivation facilities can be used in greater quantities than paper raw material (shredded paper), reducing flower waste. Also, because shredded paper disposed of at cultivation facilities is used for paper slurry, papermaking liquid (mixed liquid) can be produced using only waste generated at the cultivation facility when Phalaenopsis orchids are shipped. Furthermore, because papermaking liquid can be produced at Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation facilities, papermaking experiences using the papermaking liquid can be held at facilities nearby the cultivation facilities, and it is thought that it could also serve as a communication tool between local residents.

[0037] (Variation) In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the raw material of the plant-containing material contains only the flower stems of the mini Phalaenopsis orchid, but it may also contain flower buds in addition to the flower stems. Note that if the leaves or flowers of the mini Phalaenopsis orchid are used as raw materials, the color of the paper will become darker, so it is preferable that the raw material for producing printing paper does not contain leaves or flowers.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a papermaking method using waste from miniature Phalaenopsis orchids has been described, but Phalaenopsis orchids of normal height may also be used.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which shredded waste is used as the raw material for the paper slurry, but other types of waste paper may also be used.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 11. Flower buds, 12. Unshipped stems (flower stalks), 13. Inspection sheet.

Claims

1. A paper made by mixing a plant-containing material made from at least one of the flower buds and flower stems of Phalaenopsis orchid with a paper slurry, The paper is characterized in that the ratio of the plant-containing material to the total amount of the mixed liquid is 40 to 60 mass %.

2. The paper according to claim 1 , wherein the plant-containing material is a liquid obtained by stirring the flower stalks and water in a predetermined ratio.

3. 2. The paper according to claim 1, wherein the paper slurry is a liquid obtained by stirring shredded paper and water in a predetermined ratio.

4. The plant-containing material is a liquid obtained by stirring the flower stalks and water, and the ratio of the flower stalks to the water is about 30% by weight; 2. The paper according to claim 1, wherein the paper slurry is a liquid obtained by stirring shredded paper and water, the weight ratio of the shredded paper being about 3% of the weight of the water.

5. A step of mixing a plant-containing material made from at least one of flower buds and flower stems of Phalaenopsis orchid with a paper slurry to produce a mixed liquid; Straining the mixture with a strainer; and drying the mixture filtered with the filter to obtain paper. A papermaking method characterized in that the ratio of the plant-containing material to the entire mixed liquid is 40 to 60 mass %.

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