Cat litter additive, method for preparing the same and use thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a cat litter additive, its preparation method, and its application. The preparation method includes the following steps: dripping a liquid component onto a solid base material, causing the solid base material to automatically agglomerate into granules, then separating and collecting the granules, and freeze-drying them to obtain the cat litter additive; the liquid component includes water; the solid base material, by weight, includes 5-10 parts of binder, 40-60 parts of pregelatinized starch, and 40-45 parts of microcrystalline cellulose. The preparation method provided by this invention is simple to operate, requires little liquid component, has low cost, and produces an additive with low density, good water absorption, resistance to breakage, and high quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pet products, specifically relating to a cat litter additive, its preparation method and application, and particularly to a low-density cat litter additive, its preparation method and application. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional methods for preparing cat litter additives typically involve mixing liquid, powder base, and binder, extruding the mixture, and then rapidly drying it. This method usually requires a large volume of liquid, making it inconvenient to handle expensive or difficult-to-dilute liquid active ingredients and significantly increasing costs. Furthermore, traditional extrusion pelleting uses guar gum as a binder, and the extrusion and thermoforming process often results in excessively high particle density. This high density causes the additive to sink to the bottom of the litter, rendering it ineffective. Additionally, the need for large amounts of binder often leads to poor water absorption, slow water absorption rates, and difficulty in quickly dissolving the pellets in water. Moreover, traditional drying methods often involve baking, and high temperatures can cause denaturation or reactions of heat-sensitive substances in the liquid active ingredients, affecting the effectiveness of the cat litter additive.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a method for preparing a cat litter additive with low density, good water absorption, simple preparation, and low cost has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a cat litter additive, its preparation method, and its application, particularly a low-density cat litter additive, its preparation method, and its application. The preparation method provided by this invention is simple to operate, requires less liquid components, is low in cost, and produces an additive with low density, good water absorption, resistance to breakage, and high quality.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] The liquid component is dripped onto the solid base material, which automatically agglomerates to form granules. The granules are then separated, collected, and freeze-dried to obtain the cat litter additive.

[0008] The liquid component includes water.

[0009] The solid base material comprises, by weight, 5-10 parts of binder, 40-60 parts of pregelatinized starch, and 40-45 parts of microcrystalline cellulose.

[0010] The number of parts of the binder can be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, etc.; the number of parts of the pregelatinized starch can be 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 or 60, etc.; and the number of parts of the microcrystalline cellulose can be 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 or 45, etc., but is not limited to the values ​​listed above. Other unlisted values ​​within the above range are also applicable.

[0011] The above preparation method involves directly dripping the liquid component onto a solid matrix made from specific raw materials, which automatically agglomerates into particles, saving a significant amount of liquid component and reducing costs. Subsequently, the particles are separated from the solid matrix using a vibrating screen, and the recovered solid matrix can be reused in the preparation. Furthermore, the use of freeze-drying avoids the damage to heat-sensitive substances in the effective liquid components caused by conventional high-temperature drying. The resulting granular additive has low density, good water absorption, is not easily broken, and has high quality and high yield.

[0012] Preferably, the adhesive comprises any one or a combination of at least two of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, xanthan gum, guar gum, or pectin, such as a combination of sodium polyacrylate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a combination of sodium polyacrylate and xanthan gum, or a combination of xanthan gum and guar gum, etc., but is not limited to the combinations listed above. Other combinations not listed above are also applicable.

[0013] Preferably, the adhesive is a combination of sodium polyacrylate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

[0014] The aforementioned specific adhesive can effectively combine with the dripping liquid components to form particles, resulting in products with low density, good water absorption, resistance to breakage, high quality, and the ability to withstand vibration without breaking. Furthermore, the use of this specific adhesive can further improve product quality and yield.

[0015] Preferably, the liquid component further includes an active ingredient, which includes any one or a combination of at least two of benzidine compounds, peroxides, disinfectants, or stabilizers, such as a combination of benzidine compounds and peroxides, a combination of peroxides and disinfectants, or a combination of disinfectants and stabilizers, but is not limited to the combinations listed above. Other combinations not listed above are also applicable.

[0016] Preferably, the liquid component is dripped onto the solid base material using a dripping needle.

[0017] Preferably, the number of the dripping needles is at least two.

[0018] Preferably, the spacing between the drop needles is 2.5-3.5 cm.

[0019] Preferably, the solid base material is located on the conveyor belt, and the dripping needle is perpendicular to the conveyor belt.

[0020] Preferably, the height of the dripping needle from the conveyor belt is 4-6 cm.

[0021] Preferably, the conveyor belt has a conveying speed of 1.5-2.5 m / min.

[0022] Preferably, the rate at which the liquid component drips onto the solid base material is 0.8-1.2 drops / s.

[0023] The number of dispensing needles can be two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine, etc. The spacing between the dispensing needles can be 2.5cm, 2.6cm, 2.7cm, 2.8cm, 2.9cm, 3cm, 3.1cm, 3.2cm, 3.3cm, 3.4cm, or 3.5cm, etc. The height of the dispensing needles from the conveyor belt can be 4cm, 4.5cm, 5cm, 5.5cm, or 6cm, etc. The conveying speed can be 1.5m / min. The drip rate of liquid components onto solid substrates can be 1.6 m / min, 1.7 m / min, 1.8 m / min, 1.9 m / min, 2 m / min, 2.1 m / min, 2.2 m / min, 2.3 m / min, 2.4 m / min, or 2.5 m / min, etc., but is not limited to the values ​​listed above. Other unlisted values ​​within the above range are also applicable.

[0024] The aforementioned specific parameters can control the interval between each drop of liquid, ensuring that the formed particles are distinct and of appropriate size, thereby improving product quality and yield.

[0025] Preferably, the particles are separated from the solid substrate by a vibrating screen.

[0026] Secondly, the present invention provides a cat litter additive prepared by the preparation method described above.

[0027] Thirdly, the present invention also provides the application of the cat litter additives described above in the preparation of cat litter.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] This invention provides a method for preparing cat litter additives. By directly dripping liquid components onto a solid base material made from specific raw materials, the additives automatically agglomerate to form granules, saving a significant amount of liquid components and reducing costs. The granules are then separated from the solid base material using a vibrating screen, and the recovered solid base material can be reused in the preparation process. The freeze-drying method avoids the damage to heat-sensitive substances in the liquid's active ingredients caused by conventional high-temperature drying. The resulting granular additive has low density, good water absorption, is not easily broken, and exhibits high quality and high yield. Furthermore, the use of specific binders and parameters can further improve product quality and yield. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention, the following describes the technical solution of the present invention in conjunction with preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0031] In the following examples, the pregelatinized starch was purchased from Henan Qianzhi Trading Co., Ltd.

[0032] Sodium polyacrylate was purchased from Suixian Youbaojia Food Co., Ltd.

[0033] Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was purchased from Henan Qianzhi Trading Co., Ltd.

[0034] Microcrystalline cellulose was purchased from Suixian Youbaojia Food Co., Ltd.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0037] The liquid components include 30 parts ethanol, 20 parts acetone, 25 parts xanthan gum, 0.5 parts 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine, 0.5 parts tetramethylbenzidine, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 1 part cumene hydrogen peroxide, 0.25 parts EDTA-2Na, 50 parts water, and 2.5 parts citric acid. The liquid is obtained by mixing the above components.

[0038] The solid base material, by weight, consists of 3.5 parts sodium polyacrylate, 3.5 parts hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, 50 parts pregelatinized starch, and 43 parts microcrystalline cellulose. The above components are mixed together to obtain the final product.

[0039] Solid base material is transported to the feeding port and evenly spread onto the conveyor belt (2m / min) to form a 3cm thick powder bed. Liquid components are transported to the liquid feeding port, which is connected to multiple infusion tubes and 10 drip needles. The drip needles are arranged in a row on a fixed crossbar, 3cm apart, perpendicular to the conveyor belt and 5cm above it. The speed controller on the infusion tubes is adjusted to control the liquid dripping speed to 1 drop / s, so that the liquid components drip onto the powder bed to form granules. The remaining powder bed and the formed granules on the conveyor belt are then transported to a vibrating screen. The granules are collected by the vibrating screen and placed in a tray for drying. The powder is returned to the solid feeding port via the conveyor belt to circulate and form a powder bed. The tray full of granules is transported to a freeze-drying chamber for freeze-drying and then packaged by a dispensing machine to obtain the cat litter additive.

[0040] Example 2

[0041] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the solid base material includes 2.5 parts sodium polyacrylate, 2.5 parts hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, 40 parts pregelatinized starch, and 40 parts microcrystalline cellulose by weight.

[0042] Example 3

[0043] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the solid base material includes 5 parts sodium polyacrylate, 5 parts hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, 60 parts pregelatinized starch, and 45 parts microcrystalline cellulose by weight.

[0044] Example 4

[0045] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in the solid base is replaced with an equal amount of sodium polyacrylate.

[0046] Example 5

[0047] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that sodium polyacrylate is replaced with an equal amount of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in the solid base material.

[0048] Example 6

[0049] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that sodium polyacrylate is replaced with an equal amount of xanthan gum in the solid base material.

[0050] Example 7

[0051] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. Except for the liquid dripping rate of 1.2 drops / s, the specific steps are the same as in Example 1.

[0052] Example 8

[0053] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the liquid dripping speed is 0.8 drops / s.

[0054] Example 9

[0055] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. Except for the liquid dripping speed of 1.5 drops / s, the specific steps are the same as in Example 1.

[0056] Example 10

[0057] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the liquid dripping speed is 0.5 drops / s.

[0058] Example 11

[0059] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the conveyor belt speed is 2.5 m / min.

[0060] Example 12

[0061] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the conveyor belt speed is 1.5 m / min.

[0062] Example 13

[0063] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the conveyor belt speed is 3m / min.

[0064] Example 14

[0065] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a cat litter additive. The specific steps are the same as in Example 1, except that the conveyor belt speed is 1 m / min.

[0066] Comparative Example 1

[0067] Cat litter additives sold in a certain market.

[0068] Effect test:

[0069] The yield per unit time in the preparation methods of Examples 1-14 was tested and observed, and the results are as follows:

[0070]

[0071]

[0072] The data above show that the additives prepared by the method of the present invention are not easily broken, have high quality, and high yield. Comparative examples 1 and 4-6 show that the present invention, by using a specific binder combination, can further improve the quality of the product, resulting in less breakage when the product passes through the vibrating screen and ultimately higher yield. Comparative examples 1 and 7-10 show that the present invention, by controlling the dripping speed of the liquid, can further improve the quality of the product and increase the yield. Comparative examples 1 and 11-14 show that the present invention, by controlling the conveyor belt speed, can further improve the quality of the product and increase the yield.

[0073] Water absorption test:

[0074] The product provided in Example 1 and the commercially available cat litter additive in Comparative Example 1 were tested for water absorption. 1 kg of the sample was poured into a basin, followed by slow pouring of 500 g of water into the center. After clumping, the clumped portion was removed, and the remaining portion was weighed. The results are as follows:

[0075] Group Example 1 Comparative Example 1 Remaining mass 890 g 720g

[0076] The data above shows that the cat litter additive provided by this invention has better water absorption than existing products. It requires less additive to absorb the same amount of water and can effectively absorb pet excrement, preventing it from polluting the cat litter and the surrounding environment.

[0077] The applicant declares that this invention illustrates the cat litter additive, its preparation method, and its application through the above embodiments. However, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, meaning that this invention does not necessarily rely on the above embodiments for implementation. Those skilled in the art should understand that any improvements to this invention, equivalent substitutions of the raw materials in the product, addition of auxiliary components, and selection of specific methods, etc., all fall within the protection and disclosure scope of this invention.

[0078] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0079] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a cat litter additive to improve product quality and yield, characterized in that, The preparation method includes the following steps: The liquid component is dropped onto the solid base material, which automatically agglomerates to form granules. The granules are then separated, collected, and freeze-dried to obtain the cat litter additive. The liquid component includes water; The solid base material comprises, by weight, 6-9 parts of binder, 40-60 parts of pregelatinized starch, and 40-45 parts of microcrystalline cellulose; The adhesive is a combination of sodium polyacrylate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; The liquid component is dripped onto the solid base material using a dripping needle; the solid base material is located on a conveyor belt, and the dripping needle is perpendicular to the conveyor belt; the conveying speed of the conveyor belt is 1.6-2.5 m / min; the rate at which the liquid component drips onto the solid base material is greater than 0.8 drops / s and less than or equal to 1.2 drops / s.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid composition also includes an active ingredient, which includes any one or a combination of at least two of benzidine compounds, peroxides, disinfectants, or stabilizers.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the dripping needles is at least two.

4. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spacing between the dropper needles is 2.5-3.5 cm.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the dripping needle from the conveyor belt is 4-6 cm.

6. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The particles are separated from the solid base material by a vibrating screen.

7. A cat litter additive prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. The use of the cat litter additive according to claim 7 in the preparation of cat litter.

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