Deodorizing type functional cat litter and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of pet cleaning supplies, and discloses a modified plant fiber for cat litter, the modified plant fiber takes plant fiber as a raw material, and the modified plant fiber is modified and puffed through a modifier; the modifier is composed of sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, aluminum potassium sulfate and sodium citrate; the weight ratio of the sodium hydroxide to the sodium bicarbonate to the aluminum potassium sulfate to the sodium citrate is (1-5): (1-5): (1-5): (0.2-0.5). The modified plant fiber is modified by adopting sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, aluminum potassium sulfate and sodium citrate, so that the deodorization effect of the plant fiber can be effectively improved. Meanwhile, the invention further provides cat litter adopting the modified plant fiber and a preparation method of the cat litter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of pet cleaning products, in particular to a deodorizing functional cat litter and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Cat litter is a pet product with a very high consumption. It is a common necessity for most families with pet cats. When cat litter comes into contact with cat feces and urine, the part that comes into contact will solidify into lumps, while the cat litter that is not touched by feces and urine will not be contaminated. When using it, pour the cat litter into the cat litter box, spread it 7 to 10 cm thick, and then it can be used by the cat. When cleaning the cat litter box, use a cat litter shovel to scoop out the solidified lumps from the cat litter and throw it into the trash can, so as to achieve the purpose of removing cat feces and urine. The remaining cat litter in the cat litter box is still clean and can continue to be used. When the amount is reduced, new cat litter can be added to supplement it. Therefore, using cat litter can remove cat feces conveniently, quickly, cleanly and hygienically. Most of the existing cat litters only absorb urine and clump, which is convenient for cleaning. However, no matter how diligently the cat litter is changed, there is always an unpleasant smell in the air.

[0003] The reason why cat urine smells bad is because it contains a substance called feline urinary acid. Feline urinary acid is excreted with urine and when it comes into contact with the air, it will be converted into thiol, which will then emit a unique odor. The bacteria in cat feces will convert uric acid into ammonia, giving the urine an ammonia odor.

[0004] Chinese patent application 202110075515.8 discloses a hydrophilic modified plant fiber cat litter material and a preparation method thereof. The cat litter material comprises the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100-200 parts of hydrophilic modified plant fiber, 50-80 parts of corn flour, 10-30 parts of guar gum, 20-40 parts of activated carbon, 10-50 parts of diatomaceous earth, 50-100 parts of super absorbent resin, and 50-100 parts of pure water. The cat litter has good comprehensive performance of water absorption and water absorption rate, deodorization and comfort.

[0005] The cat litter is improved in terms of water absorption, water absorption rate and deodorization performance by adding plant fibers modified with lime water, dihydroxymethyl dihydroxyethylene urea and ammonium persulfate.

[0006] This shows that modifying plant fibers is an effective way to improve the performance of cat litter.

[0007] The problem that this scheme needs to solve: how to propose a cat litter with good deodorizing performance. Summary of the invention

[0008] The invention aims to provide a modified plant fiber for cat litter. The modified plant fiber is modified by sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate, and the deodorizing effect of the plant fiber can be effectively improved.

[0009] At the same time, the invention also provides cat litter using the modified plant fiber and a preparation method thereof.

[0010] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, wherein the modified plant fiber is made of plant fiber as a raw material and is modified and expanded by a modifier;

[0011] The modifier is composed of sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate;

[0012] The weight ratio of the sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate is 1-5:1-5:1-5:0.2-0.5.

[0013] In the present invention, the deodorizing effect of cat litter can be effectively improved by modifying plant fiber with sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate;

[0014] Sodium hydroxide: builds a basic alkaline environment, and in the modification process, achieves fiber dispersion and softening, which is beneficial to the subsequent puffing operation and improves fiber fluffiness; while softening the fiber, it improves the hydrophilicity of the fiber, allowing sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate, and sodium citrate to penetrate into the fiber and combine closely with the fiber;

[0015] Sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and can dissolve in water to form an alkaline solution.

[0016] In the application of modified deodorization, sodium bicarbonate may play a role in the following ways: it combines with plant fibers to increase the reactivity of plant fibers when in contact with acidic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, and releases carbon dioxide through the reaction of bicarbonate and acidic gases, effectively fixing the acidic gases; at the same time, it can work with sodium hydroxide to improve the fiber softening effect and subsequent fiber expansion effect, and improve the binding force between other additives and fibers and the porosity of fibers;

[0017] Citric acid is an organic acid, and the application of organic salts in the form of citrate in deodorization is mainly due to its chemical properties and functions.

[0018] Neutralize odor: Citric acid is weakly acidic. In aqueous solution, it can combine with some alkaline malodorous substances to form stable organic salts, helping to reduce or eliminate unpleasant odors.

[0019] Bactericidal effect: Citric acid has a certain bactericidal ability and can inhibit the growth of bacteria, thereby reducing the odor caused by bacteria.

[0020] Adsorption effect: Citric acid can adsorb some odor molecules and help remove odors through physical adsorption.

[0021] Potassium aluminum sulfate is a coagulant commonly used in cat litter. It helps cat litter particles to quickly coagulate after absorbing urine, making it easier to clean up. Potassium aluminum sulfate can improve the water absorption and clumping effect of cat litter, and it also helps control the odor of cat litter.

[0022] When the above four modifiers are used to modify plant fibers, the deodorizing effect of plant fibers can be improved. The reason is that: by modifying plant fibers with sodium hydroxide, the fibers are softened and hydrophilic, and the degree of bonding between other modifiers and fibers is improved; in the deodorizing process, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are used to achieve synergistic adsorption and deodorization, and potassium aluminum sulfate is used to improve the ability of fibers to quickly aggregate after absorbing water, fixing the odor in cat urine. By modifying the above four substances, the super-efficient odor absorption and odor fixing effect of plant fibers is achieved.

[0023] In the modified plant fiber, the modifier reacts with the plant fiber in the form of a modifier solution; the mass ratio of the plant fiber to the modifier solution is 85-95:5-15;

[0024] The modifier solution contains 1-5 wt% of sodium hydroxide, 1-5 wt% of sodium bicarbonate, 1-5 wt% of potassium aluminum sulfate, and 0.2-0.5 wt% of sodium citrate.

[0025] In the modified plant fiber mentioned above, the plant fiber is one or more combinations of bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust.

[0026] In the modified plant fiber, the plant fiber is composed of bagasse, bean dregs, sawdust and other fibers; the mass ratio of bagasse, bean dregs, sawdust and other fibers is 10-40:10-40:10-40:1-10;

[0027] The other fibers are at least one of coconut bricks, Chinese medicine residues, moss, tea stems, bamboo powder, lotus leaf powder, paper mulberry leaves, vegetable stems, plant vines, and grapefruit peels.

[0028] Coconut Brick Coconut fiber has a good ability to absorb water and can quickly wrap pet urine and feces;

[0029] The Chinese medicine residue contains certain medicinal properties, which can penetrate into the skin through the effective ingredients of cat litter and play an antibacterial role. At the same time, its special smell can effectively reduce the odor in cat litter. This utilization is not only environmentally friendly, but also effectively improves the environmental sanitation of pet toilets, which is beneficial to both pets and pet owners.

[0030] As a master of scavenging in nature, moss’ individual structures can utilize surrounding organic matter and put it to good use. At the same time, its dense structure is quite stable, making it a good filtration system.

[0031] Tea stems are rich in tea polyphenols and have a unique tea fragrance, which can better cover up the odor of cat excrement;

[0032] Bamboo powder: Green bamboo has super antibacterial and antiseptic effects and super deodorizing effects. It is a natural antibacterial and anti-odor material given by nature, which makes the cat litter have a natural green bamboo fragrance;

[0033] Lotus leaf powder: It has excellent hygroscopicity and adsorption properties. It can quickly absorb moisture from urine and feces, keeping cat litter dry and clean. At the same time, the addition of lotus leaf powder can also enhance the agglomeration ability of cat litter, so that cat litter can be better agglomerated during use, which is easy to clean and avoids the pollution of the environment caused by scattered cat litter. In addition, lotus leaf powder also has a certain deodorizing effect, which can neutralize the odor in urine, reduce the odor of cat litter, and improve the quality of the living environment of cats;

[0034] Paper mulberry leaves: Paper mulberry leaves, as a traditional Chinese medicine, have medicinal properties such as clearing away heat and detoxification, stopping bleeding, and reducing swelling. They can help deal with inflammation and swelling caused by skin problems such as interdigital inflammation in cats, thus providing a natural treatment method.

[0035] Vegetable stems: Vegetable stems are used as raw materials for cat litter, which can absorb urine and solid excrement more effectively, thus reducing the amount of cat litter used;

[0036] Plant vines: have good hygroscopicity and antibacterial properties, and can quickly absorb and lock cat urine and feces;

[0037] Grapefruit peel: Grapefruit peel extract contains naringin, which has the effect of inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae and Salmonella typhi. It also acts as a bittering agent to prevent pets from accidentally ingesting it.

[0038] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for preparing the modified plant fiber as described above, comprising crushing the plant fiber, sieving through a 40-60 mesh screen to obtain a plant fiber substrate; adding a modifier to the plant fiber substrate, stirring and heating to 60-90° C. to react for 2-4 hours, and then expanding at 105-135° C. to obtain the modified plant fiber.

[0039] Meanwhile, the present invention also provides a deodorizing functional cat litter, comprising any of the modified plant fibers described above.

[0040] In the above-mentioned deodorizing functional cat litter, the content of the modified plant fiber is 60-80wt%.

[0041] The deodorizing functional cat litter further comprises starch, adhesive and super absorbent resin; the weight ratio of the modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive and super absorbent resin is 60-80:15-30:2-5:1-3.

[0042] The deodorizing functional cat litter further comprises an antibacterial agent, wherein the antibacterial agent is selected from at least one of sodium diacetate, wormwood leaf extract, camellia extract, ginkgo leaf extract and thyme extract;

[0043] The starch is selected from at least one of α-starch, gluten, tapioca starch and corn starch; the adhesive is selected from at least one of guar gum, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate and xanthan gum.

[0044] Finally, the present invention also provides a method for preparing the deodorizing functional cat litter as described above, comprising mixing and stirring the composite modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive, super absorbent resin and antibacterial agent to obtain a mixture; granulating, drying and sieving the mixture to obtain the cat litter.

[0045] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0046] The present invention modifies plant fibers with sodium hydroxide to soften the fibers and improve their hydrophilicity, thereby increasing the degree of bonding between other modifiers and fibers. In the deodorization process, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are used to achieve synergistic adsorption deodorization, and potassium aluminum sulfate is used to increase the ability of fibers to quickly aggregate after absorbing water, thereby fixing the odor in cat urine. The above four substances are used to modify the plant fibers to achieve ultra-high efficiency in deodorization and odor fixation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, if the specific conditions are not specified in the examples, the experiments were carried out according to conventional conditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer. The reagents or instruments used, if the manufacturer is not specified, are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0048] Part I Preparation of Modified Plant Fibers

[0049] Example 1

[0050] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, the preparation method of which is as follows:

[0051] Step 1: Mix bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust sieved through 40-60 meshes in a weight ratio of 1:1:1 to obtain mixed fibers;

[0052] Step 2: Spray 10 kg of the modifier solution into 90 kg of the mixed fiber in step 1, stir, heat to 80° C. and react for 3 hours; the modifier solution contains 3 wt% sodium hydroxide, 3 wt% sodium bicarbonate, 3 wt% potassium aluminum sulfate, 0.35 wt% sodium citrate, and the solvent is water;

[0053] Step 3: The mixed fiber obtained in step 2 that has absorbed the liquid sufficiently is expanded at a temperature of 120° C. to obtain expanded fiber, namely, modified plant fiber 1.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, the preparation method of which is as follows:

[0056] Step 1: Mix bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust sieved through 40-60 meshes in a weight ratio of 1:4:1 to obtain mixed fibers;

[0057] Step 2: Spray 5 kg of the modifier solution into 90 kg of the mixed fiber in step 1, stir, heat to 70° C. and react for 3 hours; the modifier solution contains 5 wt% sodium hydroxide, 5 wt% sodium bicarbonate, 5 wt% potassium aluminum sulfate, 0.5 wt% sodium citrate, and the solvent is water;

[0058] Step 3: The mixed fiber obtained in step 2 that has absorbed the liquid sufficiently is expanded at a temperature of 120° C. to obtain expanded fiber, namely, modified plant fiber 2.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, the preparation method of which is as follows:

[0061] Step 1: Mix bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust sieved through 40-60 meshes in a weight ratio of 4:1:4 to obtain mixed fibers;

[0062] Step 2: Spray 15 kg of the modifier solution into 90 kg of the mixed fiber in step 1, stir, heat to 90 ° C and react for 3 hours; the modifier solution contains 1 wt% sodium hydroxide, 1 wt% sodium bicarbonate, 1 wt% potassium aluminum sulfate, 0.2 wt% sodium citrate, and the solvent is water;

[0063] Step 3: The mixed fiber obtained in step 2 that has absorbed the liquid sufficiently is expanded at a temperature of 120° C. to obtain expanded fiber, i.e., modified plant fiber 3.

[0064] Example 4

[0065] The method is substantially the same as Example 1, except that the plant fibers are bagasse, bean dregs, wood chips, coconut bricks, Chinese medicine residues, moss, tea stems, and bamboo powder; and the weight ratio thereof is 30:30:30:2:2:2:2:2:2.

[0066] The modified plant fiber obtained in this example is modified plant fiber 4.

[0067] Comparative Example 1

[0068] It is substantially the same as Example 1, except that the modifier solution contains 3wt% sodium hydroxide, 3.35wt% sodium bicarbonate, 3wt% potassium aluminum sulfate, and the solvent is water.

[0069] The modified plant fiber obtained in this comparative example is modified plant fiber 5.

[0070] Comparative Example 2

[0071] It is substantially the same as Example 1, except that the modifier solution contains 4.5 wt % sodium hydroxide, 4.5 wt % potassium aluminum sulfate, 0.35 wt % sodium citrate, and the solvent is water.

[0072] The modified plant fiber obtained in this comparative example is modified plant fiber 6.

[0073] Comparative Example 3

[0074] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, the preparation method of which is as follows:

[0075] Step 1: Mix bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust sieved through 40-60 meshes in a weight ratio of 1:1:1 to obtain mixed fibers;

[0076] Step 2: Spray 10 kg of the aqueous solution into 90 kg of the mixed fiber in step 1, stir, heat to 80 ° C and react for 3 hours;

[0077] Step 3: expanding the mixed fiber obtained in step 2 after sufficient absorption of liquid, at a puffing temperature of 120° C., to obtain puffed fiber;

[0078] Step 4: Spray 10 kg of the modifier solution (same as in Example 1) onto the surface of the expanded fiber in Step 3, and dry at 110° C. for 2 h to fully evaporate the water; obtain modified plant fiber 7.

[0079] Comparative Example 4

[0080] A modified plant fiber for cat litter, the preparation method of which is as follows:

[0081] Step 1: Mix bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust sieved through 40-60 meshes in a weight ratio of 1:1:1 to obtain mixed fibers;

[0082] Step 2: Spray 10 kg of the modifier solution into 90 kg of the mixed fiber in step 1, stir, heat to 80° C. and react for 3 hours; the modifier solution contains 3 wt% sodium hydroxide, 3 wt% sodium bicarbonate, 0.35 wt% sodium citrate, and the solvent is water;

[0083] Step 3: expanding the mixed fiber obtained in step 2 after sufficient absorption of liquid, at a puffing temperature of 120° C., to obtain puffed fiber;

[0084] Step 4: Spray 10 kg of potassium aluminum sulfate alkaline solution (containing 3 wt % sodium hydroxide and 3 wt % potassium aluminum sulfate) onto the surface of the expanded fiber in step 3, and dry at 110° C. for 2 h to fully evaporate the water; obtain modified plant fiber 8.

[0085] Part II Preparation of Cat Litter

[0086] The modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive, super absorbent resin and antibacterial agent are mixed and stirred according to a formula ratio to obtain a mixture; the mixture is granulated, dried and sieved to obtain cat litter.

[0087] The weight ratio of modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive, super absorbent resin and antibacterial agent is 70:22:4:2:2;

[0088] The antibacterial agent is a mixture of sodium diacetate, wormwood leaf extract, camellia extract, ginkgo leaf extract and thyme extract, and the masses of sodium diacetate, wormwood leaf extract, camellia extract, ginkgo leaf extract and thyme extract are equal.

[0089] The modified plant fibers adopt the modified plant fibers 1 to 8 of the first part, and the cat litters obtained are numbered one-to-one corresponding to the modified plant fibers 1 to 8, respectively.

[0090] Part III Performance Test

[0091] Test method:

[0092] Dust rate: Randomly select a bag of finished cat litter and use a 60-mesh screen. Pour the cat litter into the vibrating screen 5 times. The standard test screen diameter is 200mm. Vibrate for 10 seconds and the vibration frequency is 1440 times / minute. Weigh the dust under the 5 sieves in total and record it as m1.

[0093] The dust rate result is calculated according to the formula F = m1 / m×100%, where m is the total weight of the cat litter;

[0094] Saturated water absorption: The water absorption rate of cat litter is evaluated by measuring its ability to absorb water during the expansion process;

[0095] Ammonia removal rate: Add odorous substances such as ammonia water to cat litter, detect the difference in ammonia volatile concentration compared with the control treatment, and calculate the deodorization efficiency.

[0096] Antibacterial property: Refer to WS / T 650-2019 for evaluation methods of antibacterial and antibacterial effects.

[0097] The test results are shown in Table 3:

[0098] Table 3

[0099]

[0100] Result analysis:

[0101] 1. It can be seen from cat litters 1 to 4 that when plant fibers are modified with four modifiers and prepared into cat litters, they can absorb odors very effectively.

[0102] It can be seen from cat litter 1 to cat litter 7 that the water absorption rate is relatively excellent. Although there are differences, under the condition of the presence of super absorbent resin, it can meet the basic water absorption needs.

[0103] 2. By comparing cat litter 1, cat litter 5 and cat litter 6, it can be seen that the simultaneous use of sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate is a necessary condition for achieving full absorption of odor. The reason is that the deodorizing mechanisms of the two are different. The former removes acidic gases by reacting its bicarbonate with acidic gases; the latter is used to combine with alkaline gases to form stable organic salts; at the same time, sodium bicarbonate can also assist sodium hydroxide in softening the fibers and improving the subsequent puffing effect. Therefore, cat litter 6 not only shows a decrease in deodorizing ability, but also a decrease in water absorption.

[0104] 3. By comparing cat litter 1 and cat litter 7, it can be seen that spraying the modifier solution onto the fiber surface in a spraying manner can only achieve surface modification of the fiber, which leads to a significant deterioration in the deodorization effect and the water absorption effect.

[0105] 4. Through the comparison of cat litter 1, cat litter 7 and cat litter 8, it can be seen that cat litter 8 adopts a two-step modification, firstly the internal modification of the fiber is carried out by alkali solution, and then the external modification is carried out by spraying alkaline solution of potassium aluminum sulfate. It can be seen from cat litter 8 that its performance is slightly improved compared with cat litter 7, which is enough to show that potassium aluminum sulfate entering into the fiber is an effective means to achieve rapid agglomeration of the fiber after absorbing water and to fix the odor adsorbed by other adsorbents to prevent subsequent escape.

[0106] Through the optimization of the present invention, a cat litter with good water absorption effect and good deodorization effect is obtained.

[0107] The above embodiments are preferred implementation modes of the present invention, but the implementation modes of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any other changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, and simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be equivalent replacement methods and shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modified plant fiber for cat litter, characterized in that: The modified plant fiber uses plant fiber as raw material, and is modified and expanded by a modifier; The modifier is composed of sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate; The weight ratio of the sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium aluminum sulfate and sodium citrate is 1-5:1-5:1-5:0.2-0.

5.

2. The modified plant fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that The modifier reacts with the plant fiber in the form of a modifier solution; the mass ratio of the plant fiber to the modifier solution is 85-95:5-15; The modifier solution contains 1-5 wt% of sodium hydroxide, 1-5 wt% of sodium bicarbonate, 1-5 wt% of potassium aluminum sulfate, and 0.2-0.5 wt% of sodium citrate.

3. The modified plant fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that The plant fiber is one or more combinations of bagasse, bean dregs and sawdust.

4. The modified plant fiber according to claim 3, characterized in that The plant fiber is composed of bagasse, bean dregs, sawdust and other fibers; the mass ratio of bagasse, bean dregs, sawdust and other fibers is 10-40:10-40:10-40:1-10; The other fibers are at least one of coconut bricks, Chinese medicine residues, moss, tea stems, bamboo powder, lotus leaf powder, paper mulberry leaves, vegetable stems, plant vines, and grapefruit peels.

5. A method for preparing the modified plant fiber according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The plant fiber is crushed and sieved through 40-60 meshes to obtain a plant fiber base material; a modifier is added to the plant fiber base material, stirred, heated to 60-90° C. for reaction for 2-4 hours, and then expanded at 105-135° C. to obtain a modified plant fiber.

6. A deodorizing functional cat litter, characterized in that: Containing the modified plant fiber as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The deodorizing functional cat litter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The content of the modified plant fiber is 60-80wt%.

8. The deodorizing functional cat litter according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes starch, adhesive and super absorbent resin; the weight ratio of the modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive and super absorbent resin is 60-80:15-30:2-5:1-3.

9. The deodorizing functional cat litter according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes an antibacterial agent, which is selected from at least one of sodium diacetate, wormwood leaf extract, camellia extract, ginkgo leaf extract, and thyme extract; The starch is selected from at least one of α-starch, gluten, tapioca starch and corn starch; the adhesive is selected from at least one of guar gum, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate and xanthan gum.

10. A method for preparing the deodorizing functional cat litter as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The composite modified plant fiber, starch, adhesive, super absorbent resin and antibacterial agent are mixed and stirred to obtain a mixture; the mixture is granulated, dried and sieved to obtain cat litter.

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