A whole starch cat litter pellet composition and method of making same

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of materials and discloses a whole starch cat litter granule composition and its preparation method. The whole starch cat litter granule composition comprises the following raw materials in the indicated mass percentages: 10-40% plant-based starch, 40-70% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-25% pregelatinized tapioca starch, and 2-10% esterified modified starch; wherein the mass ratio of plant-based starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:5-1:1; and the overall gelatinization degree of the three components is 35-65%. This invention, without adding any adhesives, obtains a whole starch cat litter granule composition by using plant-based starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized tapioca starch, and esterified modified starch in specific proportions and specifications. This whole starch cat litter granule composition simultaneously possesses the characteristics of rapid penetration, good clumping performance, non-stickiness, and easy scooping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of materials, and more particularly to a whole starch cat litter granule composition and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Commonly available cat litters, categorized by material, include tofu cat litter, bentonite cat litter, and plant-modified fiber cat litter. Tofu cat litter utilizes pea fiber for water absorption and guar gum or binding starch for clumping. Bentonite cat litter achieves its clumping effect through the diversity of surface charges on its crystals, hydrogen bonds formed between hydroxyl groups and water, and its small, irregular particle size; the montmorillonite content and the presence of calcium or sodium groups affect its swelling size. Plant-modified fiber cat litter modifies non-absorbent fibers into hydrophilic fibers and relies on guar gum or binding starch for clumping. Therefore, the clumping performance of plant fiber or bentonite cat litter requires both good water absorption and good binding properties.

[0003] In practical use, tofu litter, bentonite litter, and plant-modified fiber litter tend to absorb water, swell, and turn into powder, increasing the height of the litter clumps. This can easily come into contact with the cat's urethra during use, potentially causing harm. When the litter is laid thinly, urine easily sticks to the bottom. Additionally, due to differences in cats' urination habits, they may urinate on the sides of the litter box, causing litter to stick to the walls. If the litter is too sticky, the clumps are difficult to scoop out, remaining stuck to the bottom or sides of the box, making cleaning the litter box difficult. Therefore, new types of starch cat litter with non-stick properties have attracted much attention from consumers. Their main raw materials include corn starch, tapioca starch, guar gum, and modified starch. In the existing technology, patent CN 114651731A discloses a pearl cat litter containing tapioca starch, pea fiber, tapioca flour, persimmon extract, edible guar gum, antifungal agents, antibacterial agents, and edible flavorings. Combined with the production process, it can produce cat litter with excellent deodorizing and encapsulating properties. Patent CN116746498A discloses a corn starch cat litter and its production process. This cat litter contains corn starch, guar gum, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate, and corn cob granules. The resulting clumping cat litter is less prone to powdering and dust generation, and has good environmental performance.

[0004] The aforementioned starch-based cat litter primarily clumps together due to the absorbency of the native starch combined with the binding effect of adhesives. However, we have found a drawback in this type of starch-based cat litter: during urination, urine does not easily penetrate downwards, leading to water accumulation on the surface of the litter clumps. This is attributed to the small distance between starch molecules and the film-forming properties of the adhesives. However, if adhesives are not added to the starch-based cat litter, its clumping performance deteriorates, making it prone to breaking apart. Therefore, currently available starch-based cat litter products cannot simultaneously possess the characteristics of rapid absorption, good clumping performance, and easy scooping without sticking to the bottom. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a whole starch cat litter granule composition and its preparation method. Without adding any adhesive binders, this invention prepares a whole starch cat litter granule composition by using plant-derived starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized cassava starch, and esterified modified starch in specific proportions and specifications. This whole starch cat litter granule composition simultaneously possesses the characteristics of rapid penetration, good clumping performance, non-stickiness, and easy scooping.

[0006] The specific technical solution of this invention is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a whole starch cat litter granule composition comprising the following raw materials in weight percentages: 10-40% plant native starch, 40-70% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-25% pregelatinized cassava starch, and 2-10% esterified modified starch.

[0008] The mass ratio of native plant starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:5 to 1:1. The overall gelatinization degree of the three components—native plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized cassava starch—is 35-65%.

[0009] As described in the background section of this application, common tofu cat litter, bentonite cat litter, and plant-modified fiber cat litter suffer from problems such as sticking to the bottom, difficulty in scooping out, and swelling due to water absorption. Furthermore, novel starch cat litter prepared using a mixture of corn starch, cassava starch, and adhesives in the prior art cannot simultaneously possess the characteristics of fast penetration, good clumping performance, and easy scooping without sticking to the bottom. Therefore, this invention initially replaced some plant-based starches such as cassava starch and corn starch with pregelatinized corn starch, and replaced adhesives with pregelatinized cassava starch and esterified modified starch, resulting in a completely starch-based cat litter without adhesives. However, during actual granulation and performance testing, its performance was found to be insufficient. Analysis revealed the following main reasons:

[0010] 1) After starch gelatinization, the ordered crystalline and double-helix structures of the starch are destroyed, and more starch precipitates from the granules and dissolves in water, exhibiting irreversible water absorption. A certain amount of water needs to be added during granulation, followed by drying to obtain starch cat litter granules. At this point, the pregelatinized starch has lost some of its water absorption capacity. When cat urine seeps into the starch cat litter granules, its water absorption performance is crucial. Insufficient water absorption will lead to clumping and loosening; excessive water absorption will cause water accumulation and clumps sticking to the litter box, making them difficult to scoop out. Therefore, it is necessary to control the content and ratio of native plant starch and pregelatinized corn starch to achieve the desired water absorption performance.

[0011] 2) The degree of gelatinization represents the irreversibility of starch water absorption. The resulting starch cat litter granules require both the reversibility of water absorption of ungelatinized starch and the irreversibility of water absorption of gelatinized starch. When the overall degree of starch gelatinization is too high, the water absorption of the granulated cat litter becomes poor and the clumping becomes weak; when the overall degree of starch gelatinization is too low, the water absorption rate of the granulated cat litter is too high, which makes it easy to swell and accumulate water when sticking together; and the binding performance becomes very poor and it clumps together.

[0012] 3) Different types of starch exhibit varying properties after gelatinization. Starches with higher amylose content show weaker viscoelasticity, while those with higher amylopectin content show stronger viscoelasticity. Corn starch has a higher amylose content than cassava starch. Therefore, the amount of pregelatinized cassava starch plays a crucial role in the binding properties of cat litter granules. However, excessively high content leads to excessive stickiness, causing litter clumps to adhere to the litter box; conversely, insufficient content results in inadequate clumping performance. This invention also unexpectedly discovered that esterified starch can provide both good binding properties and improve water retention.

[0013] Therefore, this invention further optimizes several aspects, including the content of four types of starch raw materials, the ratio of plant native starch and pregelatinized corn starch, the overall degree of starch gelatinization, and the use of esterified modified starch, to obtain the above-mentioned all-starch cat litter granule composition. The raw material of this all-starch cat litter granule composition is 100% starch, without any adhesives, and has the characteristics of fast penetration, good clumping performance, non-stickiness, and easy scooping, which can significantly improve the user experience for both consumers and pets.

[0014] As a further preferred embodiment, the whole starch cat litter granule composition comprises the following raw materials in the following mass percentages: 10-30% native plant starch, 45-65% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-20% pregelatinized tapioca starch, and 2-8% esterified modified starch. The mass ratio of native plant starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:4-1:2, more preferably 1:4-1:2.5, and most preferably 1:4-1:3; the combined gelatinization degree of the native plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized tapioca starch is 40-60%.

[0015] Preferably, the esterified modified starch is obtained by cross-linking and esterification of plant native starch and sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives. The structural formula of sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives is shown below:

[0016]

[0017] R is H or an alkyl group.

[0018] This invention discovers that, to further improve the technical effect, starch modified by esterification with sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives can be further selected. Different esterifying agents have a significant impact on the performance of modified starch. When the esterifying agent is a monocarboxylic acid, the hydrophobic properties of the esterified starch hinder urine penetration; when the esterifying agent is a dicarboxylic acid, it easily causes cross-linking of the two carboxyl chains, still hindering urine penetration due to hydrophobicity. This invention discovers that adding hydrophilic sulfonic acid groups to the dicarboxylic acid chain enhances the hydrophilicity of the esterified starch, ultimately giving the starch cat litter excellent urine penetration and binding properties.

[0019] Preferably, in sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives, R is H, methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl, more preferably H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, further preferably H, methyl, ethyl, and most preferably sodium sulfosuccinate, sodium methylsulfosuccinate or sodium ethylsulfosuccinate.

[0020] This invention reveals that the length of the alkyl carbon chain in sodium sulfosuccinate esterified starch also affects its performance. If the alkyl carbon chain is too long, it leads to increased hydrophobicity, resulting in a decrease in the water absorption rate, clumping strength, and penetration rate of the all-starch cat litter.

[0021] Preferably, during the synthesis of the esterified modified starch, at least one hydroxyl site at the C2, C3, or C6 position of the glycosidic bond in the plant native starch undergoes cross-linking esterification with sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivative.

[0022] Preferably, the plant-based starch in the esterified modified starch includes one or more of corn starch, cassava starch, and rice starch.

[0023] Preferably, the plant-based starch includes one or more of corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, barley starch, rice starch, pea starch, mung bean starch, broad bean starch, potato starch, cassava starch, and sweet potato starch; more preferably, one or more of corn starch, wheat starch, barley starch, rice starch, potato starch, and cassava starch; and even more preferably, one or more of corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, and cassava starch.

[0024] Preferably, the degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized corn starch is 60-90%, more preferably 60-80%, and even more preferably 62%, 68%, 73%, and 80% pregelatinized corn starch.

[0025] Preferably, the degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized cassava starch is 60-90%, more preferably 65-85%, and even more preferably 65%, 75%, and 85% pregelatinized cassava starch.

[0026] Preferably, the all-starch cat litter granule composition also contains one or more of a deodorant, antibacterial agent, antifungal agent, and fragrance.

[0027] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned all-starch cat litter granule composition, comprising the following steps:

[0028] 1) At room temperature, mix plant native starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized cassava starch and esterified modified starch.

[0029] 2) Granulate the material obtained in step 1);

[0030] 3) The shaped granules obtained in step 2) are dried and sieved to obtain a whole starch cat litter granule composition.

[0031] Preferably, in step 2), the material obtained in step 1) is conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the mass ratio of water to material is 0.4-1:1, and more preferably 0.5-0.8:1.

[0032] Preferably, in step 3), the moisture content of the dried and shaped granules is 8-12 wt%.

[0033] Preferably, in step 3), the sieving is performed through a 30-60 mesh sieve.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0035] This invention utilizes the characteristics of starch gelatinization without using conventional adhesives. By combining plant native starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized cassava starch, and esterified modified starch in specific proportions and specifications, it ultimately produces cat litter that combines rapid cat urine penetration, good clumping properties, and non-stickiness, making it easy to scoop out. This eliminates the problem of cat litter sticking to the bottom when laid thinly, as well as the health problems caused by the cat litter absorbing water and swelling or accumulating water when laid thickly. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments.

[0037] General Implementation Examples

[0038] First, this invention provides a whole starch cat litter granule composition, comprising the following raw materials by weight percentage: 10-40% native plant starch, 40-70% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-25% pregelatinized cassava starch, and 2-10% esterified modified starch. The mass ratio of native plant starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:5-1:1. The combined degree of gelatinization of the native plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized cassava starch is 35-65%. The esterified modified starch is obtained by cross-linking and esterification of native plant starch with sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives. The structural formula of sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives is shown below:

[0039]

[0040] R is H or an alkyl group.

[0041] In some preferred embodiments, the whole starch cat litter granule composition comprises the following raw materials in weight percentages: 10-30% native plant starch, 45-65% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-20% pregelatinized tapioca starch, and 2-8% esterified modified starch. The weight ratio of native plant starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:4-1:2, more preferably 1:4-1:2.5, and most preferably 1:4-1:3; the overall gelatinization degree of the native plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized tapioca starch is 40-60%.

[0042] In some preferred embodiments, R in sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives is H, methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl, more preferably H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, further preferably H, methyl, ethyl, and most preferably sodium sulfosuccinate, sodium methylsulfosuccinate or sodium ethylsulfosuccinate.

[0043] In some preferred embodiments, during the synthesis of the esterified modified starch, at least one hydroxyl site at the C2, C3, or C6 position of the glycosidic bond in the plant native starch undergoes cross-linking esterification with sodium sulfosuccinate or a derivative thereof.

[0044] In some preferred embodiments, the plant native starch in the esterified modified starch includes one or more of corn starch, cassava starch, and rice starch.

[0045] In some preferred embodiments, the plant starch comprises one or more of corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, barley starch, rice starch, pea starch, mung bean starch, broad bean starch, potato starch, cassava starch, and sweet potato starch; more preferably, one or more of corn starch, wheat starch, barley starch, rice starch, potato starch, and cassava starch; and even more preferably, one or more of corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, and cassava starch.

[0046] In some preferred embodiments, the degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized corn starch is 60-90%, more preferably 60-80%, and even more preferably 62%, 68%, 73%, and 80% pregelatinized corn starch.

[0047] In some preferred embodiments, the degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized cassava starch is 60-90%, more preferably 65-85%, and even more preferably 65%, 75%, and 85%.

[0048] In some preferred embodiments, the all-starch cat litter granule composition also includes one or more of a deodorant, antibacterial agent, antifungal agent, and fragrance. Further preferred, the deodorant includes one or more of zinc ricinoleate, FS compound bio-enzyme, probiotics, and persimmon extract; the antibacterial agent includes one or more of 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, dichloromethylphenol, and 5-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenol; the antifungal agent includes one or more of calcium propionate, sodium benzoate, sodium diacetate, potassium sorbate, dimethyl fumarate, methylparaben, methyl benzimidazole carbamate, octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 3-iodo-2-propargyl butylcarbamate, and 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; and even more preferred are one or more of calcium propionate, methylparaben, octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, and 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one.

[0049] Secondly, a method for preparing the above-mentioned all-starch cat litter granule composition includes the following steps:

[0050] 1) At room temperature, mix plant native starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized cassava starch and esterified modified starch.

[0051] 2) Granulate the material obtained in step 1).

[0052] In some preferred embodiments, the material obtained in step 1) is conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the mass ratio of water to material is 0.4-1:1, and more preferably 0.5-0.8:1.

[0053] 3) The shaped granules obtained in step 2) are dried and sieved to obtain a whole starch cat litter granule composition.

[0054] In some preferred embodiments, the moisture content of the dried granules is 8-12 wt%; the sieving is performed through a 30-60 mesh sieve.

[0055] Test methods

[0056] <Water Absorption Performance>

[0057] Immerse a 0.15mm (100-mesh) test sieve in water for 30 seconds, then remove it and tilt it at a 30° angle for 10 minutes. Weigh the test sieve (m1) using an electronic scale. Weigh approximately 20g (m2) of the target cat litter sample using an electronic scale. Spread the sample flat on the test sieve and slowly immerse it in water to a depth of approximately 2-3cm. After 5 minutes, remove the test sieve and suspend it in the air until most of the water has drained from the sieve. Tilt it at a 30° angle for 10 minutes, then weigh the total weight of the test sieve and sample (m3) using an electronic scale. Note: If the water does not drain completely due to sieve blockage, tilt the sieve at an appropriate angle to slowly drain the water.

[0058] Result Calculation

[0059]

[0060] In the formula:

[0061] X – Water absorption rate, %

[0062] m1 — Weight of the wet screen, in grams

[0063] m2 — Weight of the dry cat litter sample, in grams

[0064] m3 — Total weight of wetted sieve and sample after water absorption, in grams

[0065] <Clumping strength>

[0066] Spread a cat litter sample in a sample container to a thickness of approximately 8-10 cm. Using a pipette (pipette or other measuring instrument), draw 20 mL of 1% sodium chloride solution at 36-40℃ and transfer it to a stoppered burette. Adjust the burette so that the outlet is approximately 3 cm from the sample surface. Open the burette to allow the solution to flow out as quickly as possible. After all the solution has flowed out for 60 seconds, remove the clumped sample and weigh it (m). Then, drop the sample freely from a height of 60 cm onto a marble or other non-elastic tabletop. Pick up the largest cat litter clump and weigh it (m4). The clumping strength is calculated using the following formula:

[0067]

[0068] In the formula:

[0069] Q – Agglomeration strength (%);

[0070] m4 — the mass of the largest agglomerate (g);

[0071] m — weight of the clumping before the drop (g).

[0072] <Adhesion properties>

[0073] Place 200g of starch-based cat litter on the litter box, spreading it thinly to about 1-2cm. Use a pipette (or other measuring instrument) to add 5mL of 1% sodium chloride solution at 36-40℃. After letting it stand for 10 minutes, use a litter scoop to remove the litter clumps. Perform a sensory evaluation of the scooping process and the contact surface of the litter clumps with your hands. Specific evaluations are as follows:

[0074] Evaluation scores Evaluation results A The litter clumps are easily scooped out, and the contact surface is not sticky to the touch. B The litter clumps were easily scooped out, but the contact surface felt sticky. C The litter clumps are difficult to scoop out, become loose when scooped out, and feel sticky to the touch.

[0075] <Penetration rate>

[0076] Spread excess cat litter evenly on a transparent cup (inner height 50mm, inner diameter of opening ≥60mm, outer diameter of bottom ≥50mm), gently shake to level the litter with the rim of the cup. Use a pipette to draw 10mL of 1% sodium chloride solution (36-40℃), keeping the pipette vertical, and allow the water to drain naturally. Observe the surface of the litter as the 10ml of water drips continuously. Specific evaluation is as follows:

[0077] Evaluation scores Evaluation results A The infiltration rate was very fast, with no obvious water accumulation. B The infiltration rate is average, with brief periods of water accumulation. C The infiltration rate is slow, and there is prolonged water accumulation.

[0078] Specific embodiments and comparative examples

[0079] Examples 1-6

[0080] Table 1: Starch Cat Litter Formulas in Examples 1-6

[0081]

[0082]

[0083] Preparation methods of all-starch cat litter in Examples 1-6: Taking Example 1 as an example, under room temperature conditions, 20 parts of corn starch, 60 parts of pregelatinized corn starch (gelatinization degree 68%), 15 parts of pregelatinized cassava starch (gelatinization degree 75%) and 5 parts of esterified modified starch were placed in a mixer and mixed for 20 minutes; the mixed material was conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the water ratio to the material ratio was 0.8:1; then the formed granules were dried at 90°C to a moisture content of 10%, and the dried cat litter granules were sieved through a 60-mesh sieve; large particles below 10 mesh were crushed and sieved to obtain the formed starch cat litter granules.

[0084] The performance test results are as follows:

[0085] Table 2: Cat litter performance test results of Examples 1-6

[0086] Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Water absorption rate / % 196.4 192.6 202.5 201.2 207.5 205.4 Agglomeration strength / % 97.6 97.4 97.8 97.7 96.6 96.9 Adhesion to bottom A A A A A A Permeation rate A A A A A A

[0087] The test results in the table above show that the water absorption rates of Examples 1-6 are around 200%, which is generally lower than that of tofu cat litter or bentonite cat litter, which typically have a water absorption rate of over 300%. Furthermore, starch cat litter exhibits excellent clumping strength, adhesion to the bottom, and penetration speed.

[0088] Examples 1 and 4, Comparative Examples 1-3

[0089] Table 3: Starch Cat Litter Formulations of Examples 1 and 4, and Comparative Examples 1-3

[0090]

[0091]

[0092] The preparation methods for the all-starch cat litter in Comparative Examples 1-3 are the same as those in Examples 1-6.

[0093] The performance test results are as follows:

[0094] Table 4: Comparison of cat litter performance between Examples 1 and 4 and Comparative Examples 1-3

[0095] Example 1 Example 4 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Water absorption rate / % 196.4 201.2 284.6 304.3 187.5 Agglomeration strength / % 97.6 97.7 98.0 98.4 64.7 Adhesion to bottom A A B B B Permeation rate A A C C B

[0096] The test results in the table above show that the performance of cat litter changes significantly when guar gum, carrageenan, or other adhesive substances are added to the formula. The cat litter prepared in Comparative Examples 1-2 has a significantly higher water absorption rate than that in Examples 1 and 4, exhibiting poor adhesion and penetration speed after water addition, and also showing signs of water accumulation. This is mainly due to the good water absorption of the adhesive binder, which easily forms a barrier film, and the high moisture content of the litter clumps. In contrast, Comparative Example 3, without the addition of esterified modified starch, shows worse clumping strength and penetration speed.

[0097] Examples 7-10, Comparative Examples 4-5

[0098] Table 5: Starch Cat Litter Formulations for Examples 7-10 and Comparative Examples 4-5

[0099]

[0100] Preparation methods of all-starch cat litter in Examples 7-10 and Comparative Examples 4-5: Taking Example 7 as an example, under room temperature conditions, 20 parts of corn starch, 60 parts of pregelatinized corn starch (gelatinization degree 73%), 15 parts of pregelatinized cassava starch (gelatinization degree 80%), and 5 parts of esterified modified starch were placed in a mixer and mixed for 20 minutes; the mixed material was conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the water ratio to the material specific gravity was 0.6:1; then the formed granules were dried at 90°C to a moisture content of 10%, and the dried cat litter granules were sieved through a 35-mesh sieve; large particles smaller than 10 mesh were crushed and sieved to obtain formed starch cat litter granules.

[0101] The performance test results are as follows:

[0102] Table 6 shows the cat litter performance test results for Examples 7-10 and Comparative Examples 4-5.

[0103] Example 7 Example 8 Example 9 Example 10 Comparative Example 4 Comparative Example 5 Water absorption rate / % 202.5 203.0 205.3 206.1 166.5 234.6 Agglomeration strength / % 97.4 96.7 97.9 97.7 92.4 54.6 Adhesion to bottom A A A A B B Permeation rate A A A A A B

[0104] The test results in the table above show that Examples 7-10 exhibited fast absorption, good clumping properties, and were easy to scoop out without sticking to the bottom. Comparative Example 4 showed worse absorbency, less stickiness, and average clumping strength, mainly due to its low corn starch content, resulting in excessive gelatinization and consequently poor absorbency. Comparative Example 5 performed even worse due to its excessively low degree of gelatinization.

[0105] Examples 11-14, Comparative Examples 6-7

[0106] Table 7: Starch Cat Litter Formulations for Examples 11-14 and Comparative Examples 6-7

[0107]

[0108]

[0109] The preparation methods of the all-starch cat litter in Examples 11-14 and Comparative Examples 6-7 are the same as those in Examples 1-6.

[0110] The performance test results are as follows:

[0111] Table 8: Cat litter performance test results for Examples 11-14 and Comparative Examples 6-7

[0112] Example 11 Example 12 Example 13 Example 14 Comparative Example 6 Comparative Example 7 Water absorption rate / % 198.4 196.0 200.3 199.6 186.4 176.4 Agglomeration strength / % 98.4 98.3 97.9 98.0 94.1 92.0 Adhesion to bottom A A A A A A Permeation rate A A A A B C

[0113] According to the test results in the table above, the cat litters in Examples 11-14 all exhibited characteristics of fast penetration, good clumping performance, and easy scooping without sticking to the bottom. However, the cat litters in Comparative Examples 6 and 7 performed worse, with a noticeable decrease in penetration speed after water addition. This was mainly due to the excessively long alkyl carbon chains in the sodium sulfosuccinate esterified starch, which increased hydrophobicity, resulting in reduced water absorption, clumping strength, and penetration speed.

[0114] Examples 15-20

[0115] Table 9: Starch Cat Litter Formulas from Examples 15-20

[0116]

[0117]

[0118] Preparation method of starch cat litter in Examples 15-20: Taking Example 15 as an example, under room temperature conditions, 19.1 parts of corn starch, 60 parts of pregelatinized corn starch (gelatinization degree 68%), 15 parts of pregelatinized cassava starch (gelatinization degree 75%), 5 parts of esterified modified starch, 0.5 parts of zinc ricinoleate, 0.1 parts of 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, 0.2 parts of calcium propionate, and 0.1 parts of fragrance were placed in a mixer and mixed for 20 minutes. The mixed material was then conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the water content and the specific gravity of the material were within the range of 0.8. The shaped granules were then dried at 85-95℃ to a moisture content of 8-12%. The dried cat litter granules were sieved through a 30-60 mesh screen. Large particles smaller than 10 mesh were crushed and sieved to obtain shaped starch cat litter granules.

[0119] Table 10: Performance test results of the cat litter prepared in Examples 15-20

[0120] Example 15 Example 16 Example 17 Example 18 Example 19 Example 20 Water absorption rate / % 199.6 201.2 201.8 202.4 198.9 200.4 Agglomeration strength / % 98.2 98.0 98.7 98.5 97.1 97.2 Adhesion to bottom A A A A A A Permeation rate A A A A A A

[0121] Based on the test results in the table above, it can be seen that Examples 15-20 exhibit rapid penetration, good clumping properties, and are easy to scoop out as they do not stick to the bottom. The addition of zinc ricinoleate, FS complex bio-enzyme, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, calcium propionate, n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, and citronellol has little impact on the performance characteristics of the starch cat litter.

[0122] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials and equipment used in this invention are all commonly used in the field; unless otherwise specified, the methods used in this invention are all conventional methods in the field.

[0123] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications, alterations, and equivalent transformations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A whole starch cat litter pellet composition characterized in that, The raw materials include the following percentages by weight: 10-40% native plant starch, 40-70% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-25% pregelatinized tapioca starch, and 2-10% esterified modified starch; wherein: The mass ratio of plant native starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:5-1:1; The combined gelatinization degree of plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized cassava starch is 35-65%. The esterified modified starch is obtained by cross-linking and esterification of plant native starch and sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives. The structural formula of sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivatives is shown below: ； R is H or an alkyl group.

2. The whole-starch cat litter pellet composition of claim 1, characterized by: The raw materials include the following percentages by weight: 10-30% native plant starch, 45-65% pregelatinized corn starch, 10-20% pregelatinized tapioca starch, and 2-8% esterified modified starch; wherein: The mass ratio of plant native starch to pregelatinized corn starch is 1:4-1:2; The combined gelatinization degree of plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and pregelatinized cassava starch is 40-60%.

3. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: R can be H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl.

4. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the synthesis process of the esterified modified starch, at least one hydroxyl site at the C2, C3, and C6 positions of the glycosidic bond in the plant native starch undergoes cross-linking esterification with sodium sulfosuccinate or its derivative.

5. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plant native starch in the esterified modified starch includes one or more of corn starch, cassava starch, and rice starch.

6. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plant-based starches include one or more of the following: corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, barley starch, rice starch, pea starch, mung bean starch, broad bean starch, potato starch, cassava starch, and sweet potato starch.

7. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized corn starch is 60-90%.

8. The all-starch cat litter granule composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The degree of gelatinization of the pregelatinized cassava starch is 60-90%.

9. A method for preparing the all-starch cat litter granule composition according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: 1) Mix the plant starch, pregelatinized corn starch, pregelatinized cassava starch and esterified modified starch evenly; 2) Granulate the material obtained in step 1); 3) The shaped granules obtained in step 2) are dried and sieved to obtain a whole starch cat litter granule composition.

10. The preparation method according to claim 9, characterized in that: In step 2), the material obtained in step 1) is conveyed to a disc granulator and granulated by water spraying, wherein the mass ratio of water to material is 0.4-1:1.

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