Method for improving sealing performance and rebound resilience of synthetic cork

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for improving leakproofness and rebound resilience of a synthetic cork, which comprises the following steps: step 1, cleaning and wetting cork particles to keep the moisture of the cork particles at 8-10%; step 2, uniformly mixing 90% of cork particles and 10% of an adhesive according to a weight ratio, and stirring; 3, an expanding agent is added, the adding amount of the expanding agent is 1 / 10 of that of the adhesive, and stirring is conducted; step 4, pumping the uniformly mixed materials into a rod extruder, setting the extrusion pressure to be 0.25-0.30 MPa and the extrusion temperature to be 120-150 DEG C, and extruding and bonding to obtain a blank; and 5, size grinding, washing and bleaching, lettering, waxing, sterilizing and packaging are carried out, and the synthetic cork is obtained. The synthetic cork produced by the invention meets the quality requirements of GB / T23778-2009, and the leakproofness and rebound resilience of the synthetic cork are further improved through the expanding agent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to synthetic cork. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork. Background Technology

[0002] For a long time, cork has been recognized as the best choice for wine bottle stoppers. It solves the problem of wine storage with its good impermeability, flexibility and stability. The tiny holes on the cork allow the wine to "breathe" and undergo the aging process. Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak. Bottle stoppers made of cork are natural stoppers, and bottle stoppers made of a mixture of cork particles and adhesives are synthetic stoppers. Since there are gaps between the cork particles and the adhesive, inversion is prone to leakage, and excessive oxygen exchange can easily cause the wine to deteriorate. How to improve the sealing performance of wine by improving the process of synthetic stoppers is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention provides a method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork stoppers. The synthetic cork stoppers produced by the method meet the quality requirements of GB / T23778-2009. The sealing property and resilience of the synthetic cork stoppers are further improved by using a swelling agent.

[0004] In order to achieve these purposes and other advantages according to the present invention, a method for improving the sealing property and resilience of a synthetic cork stopper is provided, comprising:

[0005] Step 1: Clean and moisten the cork particles to keep their moisture content at 8% to 10%;

[0006] Step 2: Evenly mix 90% of cork particles and 10% of adhesive according to the weight ratio and stir for 20 to 30 minutes;

[0007] Step 3: Add expansion agent, the amount of expansion agent added is 1 / 10 of the adhesive, and stir for 10 to 15 minutes;

[0008] Step 4: Pump the mixed materials to the extruder, set the extrusion pressure to 0.25-0.30 MPa, set the extrusion temperature to 120-150°C, extrude and bond, and obtain a blank;

[0009] Step 5: size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilization and packaging to obtain synthetic cork.

[0010] Preferably, the adhesive comprises: polyurethane, natural rubber latex.

[0011] Preferably, the expansion agent includes: food grade polyacrylamide and liquid paraffin.

[0012] Preferably, in step one, the wetting process is specifically as follows: drain the washed cork granules, place them in a closed environment, spread them out so that the thickness does not exceed 1 cm, heat the air with a hot air blower to make the room temperature reach 40 - 45°C, set the humidity range to 55% - 60% with a dehumidifier, dehumidify for 1 - 2 h until the moisture content of the cork granules is detected to be lower than 5%, and then set the humidity range to 65% - 70% with a humidifier and humidify for 1 - 2 h until the moisture content of the cork granules is maintained at 8% - 10%.

[0013] Preferably, in step five, the water washing and bleaching process is specifically as follows: add disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate to a 5% hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution at an addition amount of 50 g / L, stir for 10 - 15 min to obtain a bleaching solution, brush the surface of the polished cork stopper with the bleaching solution until it is wet and does not drip water, and transfer it to an environment of 60 - 70°C and keep it for 40 - 60 min.

[0014] The synthetic cork stopper prepared by the described method.

[0015] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0016] First, in the present invention, the introduction of the swelling agent can fully fill the gaps between the cork granules and the binder, improve the bonding performance of each component, and thus improve the sealing performance and resilience performance of the synthetic cork stopper.

[0017] Second, in the present invention, first improve the dehumidification effect of the cork granules to dry them internally to avoid the growth of harmful microorganisms, and then ensure that the humidity of the cork granules is maintained within an appropriate range by humidification, while avoiding insufficient elasticity after compression and causing wine leakage.

[0018] Third, in the present invention, in the step of bleaching the synthetic cork stopper, when bleaching with hydrogen peroxide solution, the addition of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate makes the bleaching agent decompose slowly, and the residual amount of hydrogen peroxide after bleaching is low, which is beneficial to human health.

[0019] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be partially reflected by the following description and partially understood by those skilled in the art through the research and practice of the present invention. Detailed implementation mode

[0020] The following further describes the present invention in detail with reference to examples, so that those skilled in the art can implement it according to the description in the specification.

[0021] It should be understood that the terms such as "having", "comprising" and "including" used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or their combinations.

[0022] It should be noted that the experimental methods described in the following implementation examples are all conventional methods unless otherwise specified, and the reagents and materials can be obtained from commercial channels unless otherwise specified.

[0023] <Example 1>

[0024] Step 1: Clean and moisten the cork granules to keep the moisture content at 8% - 10%.

[0025] Step 2: Mix 90% cork granules with 10% binder evenly by weight. The binder includes polyurethane and natural rubber latex, and stir for 30 min.

[0026] Step 3: Add an expander. The expander includes food-grade polyacrylamide and liquid paraffin. The addition amount of the expander is 1 / 10 of the binder, and stir for 15 min.

[0027] Step 4: Pump the above evenly mixed material to an extrusion rod machine, set the extrusion pressure at 0.25 - 0.30 MPa and the extrusion temperature at 120 - 150 °C, and perform extrusion bonding to obtain a blank.

[0028] Step 5: Perform size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilization, and packaging to obtain a synthetic cork stopper.

[0029] <Example 2>

[0030] Step 1: Clean and moisten the cork granules to keep the moisture content at 8% - 10%.

[0031] Step 2: Mix 90% cork granules with 10% binder evenly by weight. The binder includes polyurethane and natural rubber latex, and stir for 30 min.

[0032] Step 3: Add an expander. The expander includes food-grade polyacrylamide and liquid paraffin. The addition amount of the expander is 1 / 10 of the binder, and stir for 15 min.

[0033] Step 4: Pump the above evenly mixed material to an extrusion rod machine, set the extrusion pressure at 0.25 - 0.30 MPa and the extrusion temperature at 120 - 150 °C, and perform extrusion bonding to obtain a blank.

[0034] Step 5: Perform size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilization, and packaging to obtain a synthetic cork stopper.

[0035] <Example 3>

[0036] The preparation method is the same as that of Example 2, except that in Step 1, the wetting process is as follows: Drain the washed cork granules, place them in a closed environment, spread them out so that the thickness does not exceed 1 cm, heat the air with a hot air blower to make the room temperature reach 40 - 45°C, set the humidity range to 55% - 60% with a dehumidifier, dehumidify for 1 h until the moisture content of the cork granules is detected to be less than 5%, and then set the humidity range to 65% - 70% with a humidifier and humidify for 2 h until the moisture content of the cork granules is maintained at 8% - 10%.

[0037] <Example 4>

[0038] The preparation method is the same as that of Example 2, except that in Step 5, the water washing and bleaching process is as follows: Add disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate to an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution with a concentration of 5% in an amount of 50 g / L, stir for 15 min to obtain a bleaching solution, brush the surface of the polished cork stopper with the bleaching solution until it is wet and does not drip water, and transfer it to an environment of 60 - 70°C and maintain for 60 min.

[0039] <Comparative Example 1>

[0040] In Step 1, the cork granules are cleaned and wetted to keep the moisture content at 8% - 10%.

[0041] In Step 2, 90% cork granules are mixed evenly with 10% binder according to the weight ratio. The binder includes: polyurethane and natural rubber latex, and stir for 30 min.

[0042] In Step 3, the above-mentioned evenly mixed material is pumped to an extrusion rod machine, the extrusion pressure is set at 0.25 - 0.30 MPa, the extrusion temperature is set at 120 - 150°C, and extrusion bonding is carried out to obtain a blank.

[0043] In Step 4, size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilization, and packaging are carried out to obtain the synthetic cork stopper.

[0044] <Comparative Example 2>

[0045] In Step 1, the cork granules are cleaned and wetted to keep the moisture content at 8% - 10%.

[0046] In Step 2, 90% cork granules are mixed evenly with 10% binder according to the weight ratio. The binder includes: polyurethane and natural rubber latex, and stir for 30 min.

[0047] In Step 3, liquid paraffin is added, and the addition amount of liquid paraffin is 1 / 10 of the binder, and stir for 15 min.

[0048] In Step 4, the above-mentioned evenly mixed material is pumped to an extrusion rod machine, the extrusion pressure is set at 0.25 - 0.30 MPa, the extrusion temperature is set at 120 - 150°C, and extrusion bonding is carried out to obtain a blank.

[0049] Step 5: Size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilizing, and packaging to obtain the synthetic cork stopper.

[0050] <Research and Test on Sealing Performance>

[0051] According to the sealing performance regulations of GB / T23778-2009, 10 synthetic cork stoppers were selected for each test group. The synthetic cork stoppers were pressed into a standard column similar to the bottleneck of the wine bottle using a corking device. After standing for a period of time, 5 mL of colored solution was injected, and a cork stopper sealing tester was used for the test. A pressure of 0.2 MPa was selected for pressurization, and the pressure was maintained for 3 h. The leakage of the solution was observed. The penetration lengths (mm) of different synthetic cork stoppers are shown in Table 1.

[0052] Table 1

[0053] Group Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 1 3 3 3 5 5 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 5 4 4 5 5 4 7 6 5 3 3 3 5 5 6 3 2 3 5 4 7 4 3 3 6 5 8 2 2 3 4 4 9 4 3 4 5 5 10 3 3 3 6 5

[0054] Under the test conditions of pressurization at 0.2 MPa and pressure maintenance for 3 h for each test group, there was no leakage phenomenon. However, the penetration lengths of the synthetic cork stoppers in each group were different, indicating differences in sealing performance. The penetration lengths of Examples 2-4 were lower than those of Comparative Examples 1-2. This shows that the introduction of the swelling agent can fully fill the gaps between the cork particles and the binder, improve the bonding performance of each component, and thus improve the sealing performance of the synthetic cork stopper. Comparative Document 1 did not add a swelling agent and had slightly poor sealing performance. Comparative Document 2 only added liquid paraffin, which could only play a bonding role. This may be because of the synergistic effect of food-grade polyacrylamide and liquid paraffin. On the one hand, it inhibits the water absorption ability of food-grade polyacrylamide and avoids decomposition. On the other hand, it makes the absorbed water molecules combine with the quaternary ammonium ions of the polymer, disperse in the gaps to a saturated degree, and then agglomerate with the binder, thereby strengthening the bonding performance.

[0055] <Research and Test on Rebound Performance>

[0056] According to the sealing performance regulations of GB / T23778-2009, 10 synthetic cork stoppers were selected for each test group. First, the size (diameter * length) was measured, and then the diameter was compressed to 65%-70% using a corking device. After releasing the compression, the diameter of the bottle stopper was measured after 3 min, and the rebound rate was calculated. The rebound rates of different synthetic cork stoppers are shown in Table 2.

[0057] Table 2

[0058]

[0059] The resilience rates of the synthetic corks in each experimental group all meet the requirements. The resilience rates of Examples 2-4 are higher than those of Comparative Examples 1-2. This shows that the introduction of the swelling agent can fully fill the gaps and produce a swelling effect, thereby improving the resilience performance of the synthetic cork and accelerating the resilience rate. In Comparative Document 1, no swelling agent was added, and the resilience was slightly poor. In Comparative Document 2, only liquid paraffin was added, which only played a binding role. This may be due to the synergistic effect of food-grade polyacrylamide and liquid paraffin. On the one hand, it inhibits the water absorption ability of food-grade polyacrylamide to avoid decomposition. On the other hand, it enables the absorbed water molecules to combine with the quaternary ammonium ions of the polymer to form a stable structure, thereby enhancing the resilience performance.

[0060] <Research Test on the Content of Microorganisms>

[0061] According to the regulations on microorganism inspection in GB / T 23778-2009, 10 synthetic corks were selected for each test group, sterilized under high pressure together with the test supplies. Five synthetic corks were used as a group for parallel tests. Under aseptic conditions, each group of synthetic corks was immersed in physiological saline and oscillated for 30 min, then filtered through a sterile filter membrane. The filter membrane was placed in a petri dish, and agar medium was poured in. After solidification, the plate was inverted and cultured in an incubator at 35-38 °C for 48 h. At the same time, physiological saline was used as a blank control. The test results show that the results obtained for the synthetic corks in each experimental group all meet the requirements for microorganisms in GB / T 23778-2009. The total number of colonies in Example 2 ≤ 3 CFU / cork, and the total number of colonies in Example 3 ≤ 5 CFU / cork. This may be due to the control step of the moisture content of the cork granules in Step 1. There is a moisture content gradient in the cork granules, so the ability to cause water loss needs to be adjusted. The water loss and moisture content of the cork granules are related to temperature factors. In Example 3, by setting appropriate environmental temperature and humidity, the humidity of the cork granules is changed. First, the dehumidification effect of the cork granules is improved to make them dry inside to avoid the growth of harmful microorganisms. Then, by humidifying, the humidity of the cork granules is ensured to be maintained within an appropriate range, and at the same time, the lack of elasticity after compression is avoided to prevent wine leakage.

[0062] <Research Test on Whiteness>

[0063] Whiteness is the main index to measure the degree of bleaching. In this application, the synthetic cork prepared in Example 2 was used as the standard sample, and the whiteness of the wine cork was divided into five grades: Grade 5: significantly exceeding the whiteness of the standard sample; Grade 4: slightly exceeding the whiteness of the standard sample; Grade 3: the whiteness of the standard sample; Grade 2: approaching the whiteness of the standard sample; Grade 1: basically no bleaching effect. The whiteness grade of Example 5 reached Grade 5, and the residual amount of hydrogen peroxide was less than 0.1 mg. This may be due to the step of bleaching the synthetic cork in Example 5. Hydrogen peroxide solution is a commonly used bleaching agent. The addition of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate makes the bleaching agent decompose slowly, and the residual amount of hydrogen peroxide after bleaching is low, which is beneficial to human health.

[0064] The number of devices and the processing scale described herein are used to simplify the description of the present invention. Applications, modifications, and variations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and the embodiments. It can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the equivalent scope, the present invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A method for improving the sealing and resilience of synthetic cork stoppers, characterized in that: include: Step 1: Clean and moisten the cork particles to keep their moisture content at 8% to 10%; Step 2: Mix 90% of cork particles and 10% of adhesive according to the weight ratio and stir for 20 to 30 minutes; Step 3, adding a swelling agent, the amount of the swelling agent added is 1 / 10 of the adhesive, and stirring for 10 to 15 minutes; Step 4, pumping the mixed materials to an extruder, setting the extrusion pressure to 0.25-0.30 MPa and the extrusion temperature to 120-150° C., extruding and bonding to obtain a blank; Step five: size grinding, water washing and bleaching, printing, waxing, sterilization and packaging to obtain synthetic cork.

2. The method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Adhesives include: Polyurethane, natural rubber latex.

3. The method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Bulking agents include: Food grade polyacrylamide, liquid paraffin.

4. The method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In step one, the wetting process is specifically as follows: drain the cleaned cork particles, place them in a closed environment, lay them flat so that the thickness does not exceed 1 cm, use a hot air blower to heat the air to make the room temperature reach 40-45°C, use a dehumidifier to set the humidity range to 55%-60%, dehumidify for 1-2 hours, until the moisture content of the cork particles is detected to be less than 5%, use a humidifier to set the humidity range to 65%-70%, humidify for 1-2 hours, until the moisture content of the cork particles is detected to be maintained at 8%-10%.

5. The method for improving the sealing property and resilience of synthetic cork as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In step 5, the washing and bleaching process is specifically as follows: add 50 g / L of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate to a 5% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, stir for 10 to 15 minutes to obtain a bleaching solution, apply the bleaching solution to the surface of the polished cork until it is moist and does not drip, transfer it to an environment of 60 to 70° C., and keep it for 40 to 60 minutes.

6. The synthetic cork stopper prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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