A type of attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses an attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry and its preparation method. The method involves placing iron-modified attapulgite and antibacterial-modified attapulgite, activated carbon, gypsum, calamine, plant powder, and superabsorbent resin in a powder mixer and mixing thoroughly. The mixture contains 70-80 parts modified attapulgite, 3-10 parts activated carbon, 3-5 parts gypsum, 3-10 parts calamine, 3-5 parts plant powder, and 0.25-1 part superabsorbent resin. The attapulgite-based animal talcum powder prepared by this invention has a fine texture and a mild feel. It provides dryness and warmth, sterilization, and adsorption of harmful gases, and can be widely used for applying to the bodies of newborn piglets, postpartum vulvar care of sows, and environmental improvement in animal housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a talcum powder for animal husbandry, and more particularly to an attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry and its preparation method, belonging to the field of animal husbandry technology. Background Technology

[0002] In the daily production management of animal health breeding, the care of newborn animals is a crucial aspect of ensuring their healthy growth. For example, newborn piglets are covered by a large amount of placenta, resulting in high surface moisture. During moisture evaporation, this moisture draws heat away from their bodies, causing a rapid drop in body temperature, which can lead to illness, colds, or even death. If the umbilical cord dries and falls off too slowly, or if there is excessive blood loss, the chances of bacteria entering the animal's body increase, along with energy depletion, resulting in a lower survival rate. To prevent tail biting, tail docking is often performed on newborn piglets. If the wounds are not treated promptly, infection can occur. Therefore, newborn animals need to be wiped clean immediately to ensure their bodies dry quickly, and the wounds from umbilical cord and tail docking should be treated as soon as possible to improve survival rates.

[0003] Traditionally, wiping with a towel is used, but this is ineffective and fails to stop bleeding, reduce inflammation, or prevent infection. Improper application can also damage the piglet's skin. Washing, disinfecting, and drying the towel is also labor-intensive. Therefore, more and more farmers are choosing to use animal talcum powder for this purpose.

[0004] Animal talcum powder is a type of environmental conditioner used in animal husbandry. It is mainly applied to the surface of newborn animals to quickly dry their bodies, keep them dry and comfortable, stop bleeding quickly, and reduce the risk of infection from wounds caused by umbilical cord cutting, tail docking, etc. It can also be applied to the vulva of sows before and after mating or after farrowing to keep the vulva dry and prevent bacterial or fungal infections. Furthermore, it can be scattered throughout the breeding area to keep the environment dry, improve hygiene in pens, especially farrowing houses, farrowing crates, and incubators, inhibit the growth and reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, and reduce environmental stress and respiratory problems in animals.

[0005] Natural clay minerals, due to their excellent water absorption properties, can absorb excess moisture and keep animal skin dry. Their large surface area and porous structure also effectively adsorb ammonia and other harmful substances. Some clay minerals also possess natural antibacterial properties, reducing the growth of bacteria and germs, making them a primary raw material for preparing animal talcum powder. Commonly used clay minerals include montmorillonite, kaolin, diatomaceous earth, and attapulgite.

[0006] For example, CN 106265276 A provides an animal talcum powder composed of 30-60 parts montmorillonite, 2-7 parts talc, activated carbon, corn starch, magnesium stearate, plant extracts, and plant essential oils; CN110680770A provides a pig talcum powder for combating African swine fever virus composed of 20-50 parts montmorillonite, 30-80 parts silica, formic acid, propionic acid, and plant essential oils; CN108097005A provides a multifunctional animal talcum powder composed of 70-75% montmorillonite, 20-25% zeolite powder, and small amounts of vitamin C, silica, and organic acids; CN108785348A provides a piglet talcum powder composed of 45%-55% montmorillonite, 15%-25% talc, calcined alum, borneol, gallnut powder, and Panax notoginseng powder; CN 107625809 A provides a piglet talcum powder composed of 40-60 parts kaolin, 10-40 parts talc, eucalyptus leaf oil, and ferrous glycine; CN106937927B provides a sepiolite talcum powder prepared from raw materials such as sepiolite powder, borneol, Cnidium monnieri, castor bean, Cynanchum paniculatum, Panax notoginseng, and oleamide; CN107126401A provides an animal talcum powder composed from raw materials such as attapulgite, calamine, Artemisia argyi, Atractylodes lancea, Kochia scoparia, Stemona japonica, and ethylene bis-stearamide.

[0007] However, the aforementioned patents all directly use natural clay minerals without proper purification or modification, thus failing to fully utilize the nano-properties and functional characteristics of clay minerals. This results in a high sand content, insufficient smoothness, low adsorption capacity, and poor antibacterial properties. Furthermore, some natural clay minerals often exhibit alkaline characteristics in their natural environment. For example, natural montmorillonite typically has a pH of 7-12, and natural attapulgite typically has a pH of 8-10. Direct use of these minerals can irritate the skin of newborn piglets and disrupt their healthy skin balance (generally, the skin pH of newborn piglets can be between 5.5 and 7.0). Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems existing in the aforementioned patents by providing a mild and non-irritating attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for healthy animal husbandry, which has multiple functions such as keeping the animal dry and warm, sterilizing and disinfecting, and removing ammonia and odors. This product has strong moisture absorption, is dry and smooth, and has strong adsorption properties. It can be widely used for applying to the body of newborn piglets, for vulvar care of postpartum sows, and for improving the environment of animal housing.

[0009] The attapulgite-based animal talcum powder of the present invention is prepared by placing modified attapulgite, activated carbon, gypsum, calamine, plant raw powder and superabsorbent resin in a powder mixer and mixing them thoroughly.

[0010] The raw materials are formulated in the following proportions by weight: 70-80 parts modified attapulgite, 3-10 parts activated carbon, 3-5 parts gypsum, 3-10 parts calamine, 3-5 parts plant powder, and 0.25-1 part superabsorbent resin.

[0011] All raw materials are powder samples with a mesh size of 200 or higher and a moisture content of ≤10%.

[0012] The modified attapulgite is prepared by mixing iron salt modified attapulgite and antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite in a mass ratio of 1:1 to 1:5.

[0013] The iron salt modified attapulgite is prepared by dissolving purified attapulgite and iron salt in water, stirring and mixing evenly, reacting at room temperature for 2-4 hours, filtering, drying, and pulverizing.

[0014] The iron salt is one of ferric chloride, ferric nitrate or ferric sulfate, and the amount added is 3% to 20% of the mass of purified attapulgite.

[0015] The antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite is prepared by spraying the prepared antibacterial liquid onto the surface of purified attapulgite, mixing it evenly, and then treating it by rollers 3 to 5 times on a roller mill.

[0016] The antibacterial solution is obtained by adding 1-3 wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 0.5-2 wt% organic acid, and 4-6 wt% emulsifier to 20-50 wt% hot water at 60-90°C and stirring thoroughly. The amount of antibacterial solution added is 5%-10% of the mass of purified attapulgite. The organic acid is one or more of benzoic acid, gallic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid, and the emulsifier is one or more of cocoyl glucoside, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl monolaurate, glyceryl monodecanoate, glyceryl monomyristate, and glyceryl monolactic acid.

[0017] The purified attapulgite is prepared by uniformly dispersing crushed one-dimensional attapulgite clay in an acidic aqueous solution with a pH of 3-4 for 4-6 hours, followed by hydrocyclone purification, solid-liquid separation, and drying.

[0018] The activated carbon has an iodine value ≥800 mg / g, the superabsorbent resin has a water absorption ≥300 g / g, the calamine is calcined calamine, and the gypsum is calcined gypsum.

[0019] The plant powder is one or more of the following: honeysuckle powder, purslane powder, gallnut powder, soapberry powder, licorice powder, soapberry powder, dandelion powder, and wild chrysanthemum powder.

[0020] This invention organically combines modified attapulgite, activated carbon, gypsum, calamine, plant powder, and superabsorbent resin to prepare a mild and non-irritating animal talcum powder with multiple functions including dryness and insulation, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and ammonia and deodorization. Through purification and modification of attapulgite, its pH value is lowered, enhancing its adsorption and antibacterial properties. The addition of activated carbon and gypsum provides excellent insulation while also improving the adsorption of harmful gases such as ammonia. The addition of calamine and superabsorbent resin effectively soothes the skin, keeping animals feeling dry. The addition of plant powder further enhances the product's antibacterial, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Ultimately, through technological integration, the product achieves multiple functions including dryness and insulation, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and ammonia and deodorization. The product is highly safe and gentle, and can be widely used for body application to newborn piglets, vulvar care of postpartum sows, and environmental improvement in animal pens, especially farrowing houses, farrowing crates, and incubators. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following detailed explanation of the attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry is further illustrated with specific embodiments.

[0022] The preparation process of purified attapulgite used in the following examples is as follows: the crushed attapulgite clay is uniformly dispersed in a sulfuric acid aqueous solution with a pH of 3-4 and activated for 4 hours. Then, it is purified by three stages of hydrocyclone purification, solid-liquid separation, strong drying treatment and passed through a 200-mesh sieve. After purification, the pH value of attapulgite is reduced from 8.7 to 6.0.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] (1) Preparation of ferric salt modified attapulgite: Weigh 5g of ferric chloride and dissolve it in 250mL of water. Add 100g of purified attapulgite under stirring and react at room temperature for 2h. Filter, dry, crush and pass through a 200-mesh sieve to obtain ferric salt modified attapulgite.

[0025] (2) Preparation of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite: 1wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 0.75wt% benzoic acid, 3wt% glyceryl monolaurate and 2wt% cocoyl glucoside were added to 35wt% hot water at 80℃ and stirred thoroughly to obtain antibacterial liquid; 5g of antibacterial liquid was weighed and sprayed on the surface of 100g purified attapulgite, mixed evenly, and rolled 3 times on a roller mill to obtain antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite.

[0026] (3) Preparation of animal talcum powder: Weigh 30 parts of iron salt modified attapulgite, 35 parts of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite, 8 parts of activated carbon, 3 parts of gypsum, 9.75 parts of calamine, 2 parts of honeysuckle powder, 1 part of purslane powder, 1 part of soapberry powder, and 0.25 parts of superabsorbent resin. Place them in a powder mixer and mix thoroughly for 30 minutes to obtain animal talcum powder.

[0027] Example 2

[0028] (1) Preparation of ferric salt modified attapulgite: Weigh 10g of ferric chloride and dissolve it in 250mL of water. Add 100g of purified attapulgite under stirring and react at room temperature for 2h. Filter, dry, crush and pass through a 200-mesh sieve to obtain ferric salt modified attapulgite.

[0029] (2) Preparation of antibacterial solution modified attapulgite: 2wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 1wt% citric acid, 2wt% glyceryl monolaurate, 1wt% glyceryl monomyristate, and 1wt% glyceryl stearate were added to 30wt% hot water at 85℃ and stirred thoroughly to obtain an antibacterial solution. 10g of the antibacterial solution was weighed and sprayed onto the surface of 100g of attapulgite, mixed evenly, and rolled three times on a roller mill to obtain antibacterial solution modified attapulgite.

[0030] (3) Preparation of animal talcum powder: Weigh 40 parts of iron salt modified attapulgite, 40 parts of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite, 5 parts of activated carbon, 4 parts of gypsum, 6 parts of calamine, 2 parts of licorice powder, 1 part of dandelion powder, 1 part of soapberry powder, and 1 part of superabsorbent resin. Place them in a powder mixer and mix thoroughly for 30 minutes to obtain animal talcum powder.

[0031] Example 3

[0032] (1) Preparation of ferric salt modified attapulgite: Weigh 15g of ferric chloride and dissolve it in 250mL of water. Add 100g of purified attapulgite under stirring and react at room temperature for 4h. Filter, dry, crush and pass through a 200-mesh sieve to obtain ferric salt modified attapulgite.

[0033] (2) Preparation of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite: 3wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 0.5wt% benzoic acid, 3wt% glyceryl monolaurate, 1wt% glyceryl monomyristate and 2wt% glyceryl stearate were added to 45wt% hot water at 85℃ and stirred thoroughly to obtain antibacterial liquid; 10g of antibacterial liquid was weighed and sprayed on the surface of 100g purified attapulgite, mixed evenly, and rolled 3 times on a roller mill to obtain antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite.

[0034] (3) Preparation of animal talcum powder: Weigh 20 parts of iron salt modified attapulgite, 50 parts of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite, 10 parts of activated carbon, 5 parts of gypsum, 10 parts of calamine, 1 part of honeysuckle powder, 1 part of wild chrysanthemum powder, 1.5 parts of soapberry powder, 1 part of dandelion powder, and 0.5 parts of superabsorbent resin. Place them in a powder mixer and mix thoroughly for 30 minutes to obtain animal talcum powder.

[0035] Example 4

[0036] (1) Preparation of ferric salt modified attapulgite: Weigh 20g of ferric chloride and dissolve it in 250mL of water. Add 100g of purified attapulgite under stirring and react at room temperature for 2h. Filter, dry, crush and pass through a 200-mesh sieve to obtain ferric salt modified attapulgite.

[0037] (2) Preparation of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite: 2wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 1wt% benzoic acid, 3wt% glyceryl monolaurate and 2wt% cocoyl glucoside were added to 45wt% hot water at 85℃ and stirred thoroughly to obtain antibacterial liquid; 10g of antibacterial liquid was weighed and sprayed on the surface of 100g purified attapulgite, mixed evenly, and rolled 3 times on a roller mill to obtain antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite.

[0038] (3) Preparation of animal talcum powder: Weigh 15 parts of iron salt modified attapulgite, 60 parts of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite, 6 parts of activated carbon, 3 parts of gypsum, 10 parts of calamine, 2 parts of honeysuckle powder, 2 parts of licorice powder, 1 part of soapberry powder, and 1 part of superabsorbent resin. Place them in a powder mixer and mix thoroughly for 30 minutes to obtain animal talcum powder.

[0039] Example 5

[0040] (1) Preparation of ferric salt modified attapulgite: Weigh 10g of ferric chloride and dissolve it in 250mL of water. Add 100g of purified attapulgite clay under stirring and react at room temperature for 2h. Filter, dry, crush and pass through a 200-mesh sieve to obtain ferric salt modified attapulgite.

[0041] (2) Preparation of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite: 3wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 1wt% citric acid, 2wt% glyceryl monolaurate, 1wt% glyceryl stearate and 2wt% glyceryl monolactate were added to 50wt% hot water at 85℃ and stirred thoroughly to obtain antibacterial liquid; 15g of antibacterial liquid was weighed and sprayed on the surface of 100g purified attapulgite, mixed evenly, and rolled 5 times on a roller mill to obtain antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite.

[0042] (3) Preparation of animal talcum powder: Weigh 25 parts of iron salt modified attapulgite, 54 parts of antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite, 8 parts of activated carbon, 4 parts of gypsum, 5 parts of calamine, 1.5 parts of honeysuckle powder, 1 part of gallnut powder, 1 part of soapberry powder, and 0.5 parts of superabsorbent resin. Place them in a powder mixer and mix thoroughly for 30 minutes to obtain animal talcum powder.

[0043] Product practical application effect evaluation (test location: a professional cooperative breeding farm in Shandan County, Gansu Province)

[0044] Four groups of newborn piglets (each litter as the research subject) were selected, with three piglets in each group. The groups were designated as follows: blank control group (numbered 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc.), Example 3 product group (numbered 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, etc.), Example 5 product group (numbered 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, etc.), and commercially available imported product group (numbered 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, etc.). The piglets were marked by making holes in their ears during the actual experiment.

[0045] Weigh 500g of each of the samples from Examples 3 and 5, as well as commercially available products from abroad, and pour them into a basin. First, gently wipe the piglets' bodies with a clean cloth to remove the placenta. Then, evenly apply the powder sample to each piglet by hand. Use approximately 25g per piglet. Also, apply a small amount to the umbilical cord cut surface after the umbilical cord is cut. Then, place the piglets in an incubator under light until all the powder sample has fallen off and the piglets are completely dry. Start feeding them. Observe the drying speed of the product used during the application process, as well as the piglets' stress response and behavioral dynamics, such as strong struggles and squeals. Place them next to the sow and observe their intake of colostrum. During the lactation period, observe the piglets' feces and sleep patterns, looking for diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, etc., and weigh them periodically.

[0046] Experimental Results: Comparison revealed that the product formulated in this invention is delicate and smooth, gentle to the touch, odorless, and applies evenly. It does not cause stress in piglets during application, and it dries quickly and easily under light. Its effectiveness surpasses that of commercially available foreign products (which have a noticeable pungent herbal odor, feel rough, and contain small particles). Throughout the testing process, no piglets exhibited diarrhea or loss of appetite, and their growth was good. Piglet growth performance is shown in Table 1 below.

[0047] Table 1. Comparative Experiment Data on Product Effectiveness

[0048] .

Claims

1. A method for preparing attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry, characterized in that, The modified attapulgite, activated carbon, gypsum, calamine, plant powder, and superabsorbent resin are placed in a powder mixer, thoroughly mixed, and then sealed and packaged. The raw materials are formulated in the following proportions by weight: 70-80 parts modified attapulgite, 3-10 parts activated carbon, 3-5 parts gypsum, 3-10 parts calamine, 3-5 parts plant powder, and 0.25-1 part superabsorbent resin; all raw materials are powders that have passed through a mesh size of 200 or larger, with a moisture content of ≤10%. The modified attapulgite is prepared by mixing iron salt modified attapulgite and antibacterial liquid modified attapulgite in a mass ratio of 1:1 to 1:

5. The iron-modified attapulgite is prepared by dissolving purified attapulgite and iron salt in water, stirring and mixing evenly, reacting at room temperature for 2-4 hours, filtering, drying, and pulverizing; the iron salt is one of ferric chloride, ferric nitrate, or ferric sulfate, and the amount of iron salt added is 3%-20% of the mass of purified attapulgite. The antibacterial solution modified attapulgite is prepared by spraying the prepared antibacterial solution onto the surface of purified attapulgite, mixing it evenly, and then treating it by roller milling 3-5 times. The antibacterial solution is obtained by adding 1-3 wt% chlorhexidine acetate, 0.5-2 wt% organic acid, and 4-6 wt% emulsifier to 20-50 wt% hot water at 60-90°C and stirring thoroughly. The amount of antibacterial solution added is 5%-10% of the mass of purified attapulgite.

2. The preparation method of the attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The organic acid is one or more of benzoic acid, gallic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid, and the emulsifier is one or more of cocoyl glucoside, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl monolaurate, glyceryl monodecanoate, glyceryl monomyristate, and glyceryl monolactic acid.

3. The preparation method of the attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The purified attapulgite is prepared by uniformly dispersing crushed attapulgite in an acidic aqueous solution with a pH of 3-4 and activating it for 4-6 hours, followed by hydrocyclone purification, solid-liquid separation, and drying.

4. The preparation method of the attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The activated carbon has an iodine value ≥800 mg / g, the superabsorbent resin has a water absorption capacity ≥300 g / g, the calamine is calcined calamine, and the gypsum is calcined gypsum.

5. The method for preparing an attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The plant powder is one or more of the following: honeysuckle powder, purslane powder, gallnut powder, soapberry powder, licorice powder, soapberry powder, dandelion powder, and wild chrysanthemum powder.

6. An attapulgite-based animal talcum powder for animal husbandry prepared by the method described in claim 1.