Environment-friendly cat litter capable of comprehensively utilizing copper tailings and preparation method of environment-friendly cat litter

Abstract

The invention provides environment-friendly cat litter capable of comprehensively utilizing copper tailings and a preparation method of the environment-friendly cat litter, and relates to the technical field of comprehensive utilization of solid wastes. The environment-friendly cat litter comprehensively utilizing the copper tailings comprises the following raw materials in percentage by mass: 60%-85% of the copper tailings, 5%-15% of a water absorption enhancer, 2%-10% of a forming aid, 1%-5% of a deodorant, 1%-3% of an adhesive and the balance of water, wherein the total mass of the raw materials is 100%. The cat litter is endowed with excellent water absorption, agglomeration and deodorization performance by utilizing a copper tailing solid waste resource and combining admixtures such as a water absorption reinforcing agent, a forming auxiliary agent and a deodorization agent; the prepared environment-friendly cat litter comprehensively utilizing the copper tailings is uniform in particle, moderate in strength, capable of rapidly absorbing water and caking after making contact with liquid, convenient to clean and capable of effectively adsorbing peculiar smell molecules and reducing environmental pollution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of solid waste comprehensive utilization technology, and in particular to an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Copper ore flotation process generates a large amount of tailings. The stockpiling of tailings not only occupies a lot of valuable land resources, but may also cause serious pollution to the soil, water and air environment due to the leaching of heavy metals and other harmful substances from the tailings, posing a huge threat to the ecological environment and the health of surrounding residents.

[0003] To achieve sustainable resource utilization and environmental protection, the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings has received widespread attention. Currently, the main approaches to the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings include the following: First, extracting valuable elements, such as recovering valuable metals like copper, iron, and sulfur from copper tailings through further mineral processing, thus achieving resource reuse and improving resource recovery rates; second, applying it to the building materials field, using copper tailings as raw materials to produce cement, concrete, bricks, and other building materials, partially replacing natural sand and gravel, reducing construction costs while minimizing the exploitation of natural resources; and third, using it to prepare high-value-added products such as ceramics and glass. With appropriate treatment and processing, copper tailings can become raw materials for producing ceramics, microcrystalline glass, and other materials, improving product performance and quality, while also expanding the application scope of copper tailings.

[0004] In recent years, research has also explored the application of tailings in the pet supplies industry, such as in the production of cat litter. For example, patent document CN116748148A discloses the multi-stage screening of quartz vein-type wolframite tailings, with tailings having a particle size of less than 0.15 mm used as raw materials for making cat litter. This cat litter is made by mixing and granulating tailings with a particle size of less than 0.15 mm, bentonite, and zeolite powder. Patent document CN113598071A discloses the use of zeolite concentrate and copper ion-containing solution for ion exchange to obtain copper ion antibacterial zeolite, which is then mixed with attapulgite clay and water to form pellets and dried to obtain zeolite antibacterial cat litter. The zeolite concentrate can be purified from zeolite tailings.

[0005] Currently, there are no patents related to the production of environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings as the main raw material. This method of producing cat litter using copper tailings not only provides a new way for the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings and reduces tailings storage and environmental pollution, but also reduces the raw material cost of cat litter production to a certain extent, which has good economic and environmental benefits.

[0006] In view of the above, this application is hereby submitted. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to provide an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings and its preparation method, so as to solve a series of problems such as land occupation, potential safety and environmental risks caused by tailings storage through the comprehensive utilization of tailings resources, while producing high-performance cat litter products that meet market demand.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the raw materials of which, based on a total mass of 100%, include: Copper tailings 60%-85%, water absorption enhancer 5%-15%, molding aid 2%-10%, deodorizer 1%-5%, binder 1%-3%, balance is water; The water absorption enhancer includes one or more of bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and water-absorbing polymer materials; The molding aid includes one or more of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose derivatives.

[0009] Optionally, the raw materials for the environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings, based on a total mass of 100%, include: The composition consists of 70%-80% copper tailings, 10%-15% water-absorbing enhancer, 5%-8% molding aid, 2%-5% deodorizer, 1%-3% binder, and the remainder is water.

[0010] Optionally, the raw materials for the environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings may also include functional additives, which meet at least one of the following conditions: A. The functional additives include antibacterial agents and / or antistatic agents; B. The functional additives account for 0.1%-5% of the total mass.

[0011] Optionally, the copper tailings have a particle size of less than or equal to 75 μm and a moisture content of ≤5%.

[0012] Optionally, the deodorizing agent includes one or more of activated carbon powder, zeolite powder, plant extracts, and photocatalytic materials.

[0013] Optionally, the adhesive may include carboxymethyl cellulose and / or methyl cellulose.

[0014] Optionally, the environmentally friendly cat litter produced from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings meets the following conditions:

[0015] in, P This is a comprehensive performance index for cat litter, used to quantitatively evaluate the overall performance of cat litter. P ≥0.7; a , b, c These are the weighting coefficients. a + b + c =1, a =0.4-0.6, b =0.2-0.4, c =0.1-0.3; W: Water absorption rate, expressed as a percentage, represents the water absorption performance of the cat litter; T: Clumping strength, in N, is the resistance of cat litter to breakage after clumping; D: Deodorization efficiency, expressed as a percentage, represents the cat litter's ability to remove odors.

[0016] Optionally, the particle diameter of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings is 1mm-5mm.

[0017] The second aspect of this application provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings, comprising: The raw materials are mixed to obtain a mixture, which is then granulated and dried to obtain an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings.

[0018] Optionally, the drying temperature is 60℃-80℃, and the drying time is 4h-6h. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application include: 1. The environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings provided in this application utilizes copper tailings that have been finely screened to a particle size ≤75μm, resulting in a large specific surface area. When combined with a water-absorbing enhancer, these tailings form a porous network structure. This structure serves as the main framework of the cat litter particles, providing not only mechanical strength and abrasion resistance but also significantly increasing the water absorption rate and capacity of the cat litter through capillary action. Furthermore, the rigid particles of the copper tailings interact with the forming aid, enhancing the bonding force between particles, improving agglomeration strength, and preventing particle loosening and collapse.

[0019] 2. The natural minerals (such as silicates and metal oxides) in copper tailings form a composite adsorption system with the deodorizing agent. The microporous structure of copper tailings can physically adsorb odor molecules, while activated carbon further decomposes organic matter through chemical adsorption, which greatly improves the deodorization efficiency of the prepared environmentally friendly cat litter.

[0020] 3. The environmentally friendly cat litter prepared by this application, which utilizes the rigidity of copper tailings particles, can improve the thermal stability of the particles during the drying process, so that they always maintain structural stability and avoid high-temperature deformation.

[0021] 4. By utilizing copper tailings solid waste resources and combining them with additives such as water absorption enhancers, forming aids, and deodorizing agents, cat litter is endowed with excellent water absorption, clumping, and deodorizing properties.

[0022] 5. The environmentally friendly cat litter granules prepared by this application using copper tailings are uniform and of moderate strength. They can quickly absorb water and clump together after contact with liquid, making them easy to clean. At the same time, they can effectively adsorb odor molecules and reduce environmental pollution.

[0023] 6. The method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings provided in this application is simple, has a mature process, and can be mass-produced, meeting the pet market's demand for high-quality, cost-effective cat litter. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of this application.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a photograph of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings prepared in Example 1. Figure 2 SEM image of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings prepared in Example 1; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the preparation process of environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings, as provided in Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0026] As used in this article: "Prepared from" is synonymous with "comprising". The terms "comprising", "including", "having", "containing", or any other variations thereof as used herein are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, step, method, article, or apparatus that includes the listed elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or elements inherent to such composition, step, method, article, or apparatus.

[0027] The conjunction "composed of..." excludes any unspecified elements, steps, or components. If used in a claim, this phrase makes the claim closed, excluding materials other than those described, except for associated conventional impurities. When the phrase "composed of..." appears in a clause of the body of a claim rather than immediately following it, it limits only the elements described in that clause; other elements are not excluded from the claim as a whole.

[0028] When a quantity, concentration, or other value or parameter is expressed as a range, a preferred range, or a range defined by a series of upper and lower preferred values, this should be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed by any pair of any upper or preferred value with any lower or preferred value, regardless of whether the range is disclosed individually. For example, when the range “1–5” is disclosed, the described range should be interpreted as including ranges “1–4”, “1–3”, “1–2”, “1–2 and 4–5”, “1–3 and 5”, etc. When numerical ranges are described herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include its endpoints and all integers and fractions within that range.

[0029] In these embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the portions and percentages are all by weight.

[0030] "Parts by mass" refers to the basic unit of measurement that expresses the mass ratio of multiple components. One part can represent any unit mass, such as 1g or 2.689g. If we say that component A has "a" parts by mass and component B has "b" parts by mass, it means the ratio of the mass of component A to the mass of component B is a:b. Alternatively, it can mean that the mass of component A is aK and the mass of component B is bK (where K is any number representing a multiplier). It is important to understand that, unlike parts by mass, the sum of the mass parts of all components is not limited to 100 parts.

[0031] "And / or" is used to indicate that one or both of the described situations may occur, for example, A and / or B includes (A and B) and (A or B).

[0032] It should be noted that when preparing cat litter from copper tailings, compared with other tailings (such as phosphorus tailings, coal gangue, bauxite tailings, etc.), copper tailings contain silicates, metal oxides and have a porous structure. When combined with water absorption enhancers, the water absorption rate is significantly higher. The combination of rigid particles and molding aids can achieve stronger agglomeration strength, and the microporous structure can efficiently load deodorizing agents. Other tailings, such as phosphate tailings or coal gangue, are problematic. Phosphate tailings are rich in phosphates, which can easily lead to agglomeration and hardening, requiring additional dispersants to inhibit this process. Furthermore, their natural porosity is low, with a specific surface area only 30% to 50% that of copper tailings, limiting their water absorption rate to no more than 100%. The deodorization process relies on chemical additives, increasing production costs by 15% to 20%. Coal gangue, on the other hand, contains sulfides, posing a combustion hazard. Its carbonaceous components are also prone to bacterial growth, requiring calcination at temperatures above 800°C to remove volatiles, significantly increasing energy consumption. Additionally, its particles have poor toughness and insufficient agglomeration strength, generating 2 to 3 times more dust than copper tailings-based cat litter after crushing. Neither of these can achieve the same balance of water absorption, agglomeration, and deodorization performance as copper tailings can through synergistic water absorption enhancers and molding aids.

[0033] Therefore, based on the relevant characteristics of copper tailings, this application provides, in a first aspect, an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the raw materials of which, by total mass of 100%, include: Copper tailings 60%-85%, water absorption enhancer 5%-15%, molding aid 2%-10%, deodorizer 1%-5%, binder 1%-3%, balance is water; Optionally, the raw materials for environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings, based on a total mass of 100%, can be any value between 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, or 60%-85% of copper tailings; any value between 5%, 10%, 15%, or 5%-15% of water-absorbing agents; any value between 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, or 2%-10% of molding aids; any value between 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, or 1%-5% of deodorizing agents; and any value between 1%, 2%, 3%, or 1%-3% of binders.

[0034] Preferably, the raw materials for the environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings, based on a total mass of 100%, include: The composition consists of 70%-80% copper tailings, 10%-15% water-absorbing enhancer, 5%-8% molding aid, 2%-5% deodorizer, 1%-3% binder, and the balance being water. It is important to note that the proper ratio of each raw material is crucial to the performance of the raw material product of environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings. The mixing operation must be carried out strictly in accordance with the set ratio to ensure that the raw material of environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings has good comprehensive properties such as water absorption, formability, and deodorization. The water absorption enhancer includes one or more of bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and water-absorbing polymer materials; It should be noted that the water absorption enhancer, with its excellent water absorption properties, can effectively improve the water absorption of environmentally friendly cat litter granules made from copper tailings during use, so that urine can be quickly absorbed and form clumps that are easy to clean. The molding aid includes one or more of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose derivatives.

[0035] It should be noted that the role of molding aids includes: enabling the raw materials to be better shaped after mixing, ensuring that the environmentally friendly cat litter granules made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings have appropriate strength and shape, and are not easily broken or deformed during use.

[0036] In some embodiments, the raw materials for the environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings further include functional additives, satisfying at least one of the following conditions: A. The functional additives include antibacterial agents and / or antistatic agents; For example, antibacterial agents include, but are not limited to, one or more of silver ion antibacterial agents, chitosan, tea tree oil extract, and artemisia extract; antistatic agents include, but are not limited to, one or more of glyceryl monostearate, quaternary ammonium salts, and polyethylene glycol (PEG). B. The functional additives account for 0.1%-5% of the total mass.

[0037] Optionally, the mass of the functional additive can be any value between 0.1%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or 0.1%-5% of the total mass of the raw materials for environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings.

[0038] In some embodiments, the copper tailings have a particle size of less than or equal to 75 μm and a moisture content of ≤5%.

[0039] Optionally, the particle size of the copper tailings can be any value of 1μm, 10μm, 25μm, 50μm, 75μm or less than or equal to 75μm, and the moisture content of the copper tailings can be any value of 0.1%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or less than or equal to 5%.

[0040] It is important to note that when the particle size of copper tailings is less than or equal to 75 μm, the aim is to use coarse particles (e.g., 45-75 μm) to form a skeletal structure to provide mechanical support, and fine particles (e.g., 1-45 μm) to fill the pores and construct multi-level interconnected channels, thereby synergistically improving the water absorption and clumping strength of the cat litter. Its high specific surface area characteristics can enhance the capillary effect of the water absorption enhancer and the loading density of the deodorizing agent. The optimized particle packing density can ensure porosity for rapid water retention, and can also improve the clumping compressive strength through the interlocking of coarse and fine particles. At the same time, it is suitable for the granulation process requirements, avoiding problems such as mold blockage or loosening caused by excessively large particle size or uneven distribution, and ultimately achieving a high-efficiency balance of water absorption rate, deodorization efficiency and comprehensive performance index.

[0041] In some embodiments, the deodorizing agent includes one or more of activated carbon powder, zeolite powder, plant extracts, and photocatalytic materials.

[0042] In some embodiments, plant extracts refer to natural ingredients containing deodorizing properties, including but not limited to one or more of green tea extract (rich in tea polyphenols), eucalyptus oil (containing eucalyptol), and lavender extract (containing linalool and linalyl acetate).

[0043] In some embodiments, the photocatalytic material can generate a substance with strong oxidizing properties under light conditions to oxidize and decompose odor molecules, including but not limited to one or more of nano-titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide-supported materials.

[0044] It is important to note that deodorizers can effectively absorb and decompose odors generated during the use of cat litter, keeping the air around the litter box fresh and improving the comfort of the cat-owning environment.

[0045] In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises carboxymethyl cellulose and / or methyl cellulose.

[0046] It is important to note that binders enhance the strength of the pellets. During the formation of cat litter pellets, binders help to tightly bind the raw materials together, preventing the pellets from falling apart and thus ensuring the overall quality and performance of the cat litter.

[0047] In some embodiments, the environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings meets the following conditions:

[0048] in, P This is a comprehensive performance index for cat litter, used to quantitatively evaluate the overall performance of cat litter, after normalization. P ≥0.7; Optional, P It can be any value of 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, or ≥0.7; It is important to note the overall performance index. P It has been normalized. P The theoretical upper limit for the value is 1.0; a , b , c These are the weighting coefficients. a + b + c =1, a =0.4-0.6, b =0.2-0.4, c =0.1-0.3; Optional, a It can be any value between 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, or 0.4 and 0.6. b It can be any value between 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.4-0.6. c It can be any value between 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.1 and 0.3; W : Water absorption rate, expressed as a percentage, represents the water absorption performance of cat litter; T Clump strength, measured in N, is the resistance of cat litter to breakage after clumping. D Deodorization efficiency, expressed as a percentage, represents the odor removal performance of cat litter.

[0049] It is important to note that P A high value indicates that this cat litter is a high-quality product with excellent overall performance, specifically reflected in: 1. Powerful core functions: It performs excellently in the three most basic and important functions of cat litter: water absorption, clumping, and odor control, with no obvious weaknesses; 2. Excellent user experience: Easy to clean, the clumps are firm and not easily broken, and will not scatter and cause pollution when cleaning; long-lasting freshness, effectively locking in and decomposing odors, extending the cleaning cycle of the litter box and keeping the indoor air fresh; highly absorbent, it can quickly absorb urine, keep the surface of the litter box dry, and improve the comfort of cats when using the toilet.

[0050] 3. Strong product competitiveness.

[0051] P A low value indicates that the cat litter's overall performance is substandard and has obvious defects, specifically manifested in: 1. Functional shortcomings: It is very likely that one or more key indicators (W, T, D) perform poorly. For example, it may clump very loosely (low T value) and crumble with a scoop; or its deodorizing ability may be extremely poor (low D value), and the house will smell bad soon after the cat uses it; 2. Poor user experience: Difficult to clean, the litter clumps easily break, resulting in incomplete cleaning and requiring more frequent replacement of the entire litter box, which is both troublesome and wasteful; indoor odor, unable to effectively control ammonia and fecal smells, affecting the living environment; 3. Product is defective: P A value below 0.7 indicates that the product has failed to meet the basic performance requirements of the design and is therefore considered a substandard product. In some embodiments, the particle diameter of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings is 1mm-5mm.

[0052] Optionally, the particle diameter of environmentally friendly cat litter that utilizes copper tailings can be any value between 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm or 1mm-5mm.

[0053] The second aspect of this application provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings, comprising: The raw materials are mixed to obtain a mixture, which is then granulated and dried to obtain an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings.

[0054] It is important to note that during the granulation process, it is crucial to control the equipment parameters to ensure that the produced granules are of uniform size and regular shape, in order to meet the actual needs of cat litter use.

[0055] In some embodiments, the drying temperature is 60°C-80°C and the time is 4h-6h.

[0056] Optionally, the drying temperature can be any value between 60℃, 70℃, 80℃ or 60℃-80℃, and the time can be any value between 4h, 5h, 6h or 4h-6h.

[0057] It is important to note that the drying process can further reduce the moisture content of the granules, bringing them to a suitable level of dryness, enhancing their stability and durability, and preventing problems such as mold growth during storage and use.

[0058] In some embodiments, the copper tailings are pretreated before mixing. For example, the copper tailings are screened and dried. The pretreatment step can ensure that the copper tailings powder has a uniform particle size and a suitable degree of dryness, laying the foundation for uniform mixing with other raw materials in the future.

[0059] In some embodiments, after drying, the particles are cooled and packaged to cool them before packaging, resulting in environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings. The cooling process allows the particles to return to room temperature, preventing condensation of water vapor during packaging due to excessively high temperatures, which could affect the quality and shelf life of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings.

[0060] It should be noted that the environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings provided in this application also has the following advantages: 1. It realizes the resource utilization of copper tailings, transforming copper tailings, which were originally dumped as waste, into valuable products. This reduces the land occupation and potential environmental pollution risks caused by copper tailings dumping at the source, and provides an effective way to solve the problem of mining and metallurgical solid waste dumping. Copper tailings themselves have relatively stable chemical properties and small particle size. After reasonable treatment and formula design, they can play an effective role in cat litter products, fully tapping the potential utilization value of tailings.

[0061] 2. Traditional cat litter mainly consists of natural minerals (such as bentonite and diatomaceous earth) or chemical materials. Over-exploitation of natural minerals has led to increased resource scarcity and correspondingly higher acquisition costs. The production of chemical materials often involves complex processes and high raw material costs. This invention utilizes copper tailings as the main raw material. Tailings are a by-product of the mining and metallurgical process, and their acquisition cost is relatively low, which greatly reduces the main raw material cost of cat litter production.

[0062] 3. The environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings provided in this application has excellent water absorption properties. By adding water-absorbing enhancers (such as bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and water-absorbing polymers), these materials have porous structures or special chemical groups, which can quickly absorb water from urine through physical and chemical adsorption. For example, bentonite has a layered structure, and the interlayer can hold a large amount of water; water-absorbing polymers absorb water through the interaction of hydrophilic groups on the molecular chain with water molecules, such as forming hydrogen bonds. When the cat litter comes into contact with urine, the water-absorbing enhancers can quickly absorb the water and fix it in its internal structure, thus making the cat litter exhibit good overall water absorption.

[0063] 4. The environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings provided in this application has excellent agglomeration properties. On the one hand, when the particles formed by copper tailings are mixed with other raw materials such as water-absorbing enhancers and come into contact with liquid, they will quickly aggregate into clumps due to the synergistic effect between the raw materials and the surface tension of the liquid and the mutual adsorption of the components. On the other hand, the presence of binders (such as carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose) enhances the binding force between particles, making the clumps formed have a certain strength and not easy to disperse.

[0064] 5. The environmentally friendly cat litter utilizing copper tailings provided in this application has highly efficient deodorization performance. The addition of deodorizing agents (such as activated carbon powder, zeolite powder, plant extracts, photocatalytic materials, etc.) is the key to the cat litter's highly efficient deodorization performance. Activated carbon powder has a huge specific surface area and can adsorb odor molecules through physical adsorption; zeolite powder has a unique molecular sieve structure and can selectively adsorb and exchange odor molecules; plant extracts contain some natural components with deodorizing functions and can remove odors through chemical reactions or physical adsorption; photocatalytic materials can produce substances with strong oxidizing properties under light conditions, oxidizing and decomposing odor molecules; these deodorizing agents work synergistically in the cat litter to effectively adsorb and decompose odor molecules such as ammonia generated during the use of the cat litter, keeping the air around the litter box fresh.

[0065] 6. The method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings provided in this application includes tailings screening, raw material mixing, pellet forming, drying, and packaging. These steps are common and relatively mature processes in the pet product manufacturing industry. They do not require complex special equipment or high-end technology and are easy to master and implement. This makes the production process of environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings simple and stable, which is convenient for enterprises to carry out large-scale production. It can quickly meet the large demand for cat litter in the pet market and improve production efficiency.

[0066] In summary, the environmentally friendly cat litter and its preparation method based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings provided in this application have significant beneficial effects in terms of environment, economy, product performance and production process. It can effectively solve the problem of tailings storage, realize resource recycling, and provide the pet market with high-performance, low-cost cat litter products.

[0067] The implementation schemes of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are only for illustrating this application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of this application. Unless otherwise specified in the embodiments, conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer shall apply. Reagents or instruments used without specified manufacturers are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0068] Example 1 This embodiment provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings. The actual product of this environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, SEM Figure 2 As shown, the raw materials include 67g copper tailings, 8g bentonite, 5g water-absorbing resin (sodium polyacrylate), 8g polyvinyl alcohol, 3g activated carbon powder, 2g carboxymethyl cellulose, and 7g water.

[0069] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the process of which is shown in the figure below. Figure 1 As shown, the specific steps include: 1) Tailings pretreatment: The copper tailings are screened to a particle size of <150μm and dried to a moisture content of ≤5%; 2) Mixing: Mix the screened copper tailings with other raw materials until homogeneous; 3) Granulation: The slurry is granulated into particles with a diameter of 3-4 mm using an extrusion granulation device; 4) Drying: Dry at 70℃ for 5 hours; 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0070] The environmentally friendly cat litter prepared from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings was tested for performance. The results are as follows: water absorption rate of 260%, clumping strength of 7.8N, and deodorization efficiency of 87%.

[0071] The process of preparing environmentally friendly cat litter by comprehensively utilizing copper tailings is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0072] Example 2 This embodiment provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings. The raw materials include 63g copper tailings, 10g diatomaceous earth, 10g starch, 5g water-absorbing resin (sodium polyacrylate), 5g zeolite powder, 3g methylcellulose, and 11g water.

[0073] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the specific steps of which include: 1) Tailings pretreatment: The copper tailings are screened to a particle size of <150μm and dried to a moisture content of ≤5%; 2) Mixing: Mix the screened copper tailings with other raw materials until homogeneous; 3) Granulation: The slurry is granulated into particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm using an extrusion granulation device; 4) Drying: Dry at 70℃ for 5 hours; 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0074] The environmentally friendly cat litter prepared from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings was tested for performance. The results are as follows: water absorption rate of 310%, clumping strength of 8.5 N, and deodorization efficiency of 91%. In addition, the clumping time was shortened by 2 seconds compared with Example 1.

[0075] Example 3 This embodiment provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings. The raw materials include 70g copper tailings, 11g bentonite, 2g water-absorbing resin (sodium polyacrylate), 6g starch (cassava starch), 3g activated carbon powder, 2g methylcellulose, and 6g water.

[0076] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the specific steps of which include: 1) Tailings pretreatment: The copper tailings are screened to a particle size of <150μm and dried to a moisture content of ≤5%; 2) Mixing: Mix the screened copper tailings with other raw materials until homogeneous; 3) Granulation: The slurry is granulated into particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm using an extrusion granulation device; 4) Drying: Dry at 70℃ for 5 hours; 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0077] The performance of the environmentally friendly cat litter prepared from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings was tested, and the results are as follows: water absorption rate of 210%, clumping strength of 6.8N, and deodorization efficiency of 82%.

[0078] Example 4 This embodiment provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings. The raw materials include 70g copper tailings, 6g diatomaceous earth, 6g water-absorbing resin (sodium polyacrylate), 6g carboxymethyl cellulose, 3g green tea extract (catechins), 2g eucalyptus oil, 2g methyl cellulose, and 5g water.

[0079] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the specific steps of which include: 1) Tailings pretreatment: The copper tailings are screened to a particle size of <150μm and dried to a moisture content of ≤5%; 2) Mixing: Mix the screened copper tailings with other raw materials until homogeneous; 3) Granulation: The slurry is granulated into particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm using an extrusion granulation device; 4) Drying: Dry at 65℃ for 4 hours; 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0080] The environmentally friendly cat litter prepared from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings was tested for performance. The results are as follows: water absorption rate of 270%, clumping strength of 7.8N, and deodorization efficiency of 86%.

[0081] Example 5 This embodiment provides an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings. The raw materials include 73g copper tailings, 11g bentonite, 4g carboxymethyl cellulose, 3g activated carbon powder, 0.5g silver ion antibacterial agent (silver-loaded zeolite powder), 1g glyceryl monostearate, 1.5g methyl cellulose, and 6g water.

[0082] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, the specific steps of which include: 1) Tailings pretreatment: The copper tailings are screened to a particle size of <150μm and dried to a moisture content of ≤5%; 2) Mixing: After the copper tailings after screening are mixed with bentonite, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and activated carbon powder, silver ion antibacterial agent (pre-dispersed in water) and molten glyceryl monostearate (liquefied at 60℃) are added in sequence. 3) Granulation: The slurry is granulated into particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm using an extrusion granulation device; 4) Drying: Dry at 70℃ for 4 hours; 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying and cooling, the finished product is vacuum-packed for moisture protection.

[0083] The environmentally friendly cat litter prepared from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings was tested for performance. The results are as follows: water absorption rate of 290%, clumping strength of 8.2N, deodorization efficiency of 89%, antibacterial rate (E. coli) ≥99.5%, and dust adsorption reduced by 65%.

[0084] Comparative Example 1 This comparative example provides a cat litter that differs from the example in that it uses only bentonite as the main raw material, with a specific formula of 90g bentonite and 10g water.

[0085] This comparative example also provides a method for preparing cat litter, the specific steps of which include: 1) Raw material pretreatment: Select high-quality bentonite ore, perform simple screening to remove larger impurity particles, but do not perform fine treatment such as drying to a specific moisture content as in the embodiments of this application. 2) Molding: Pretreated bentonite and water are mixed and extruded to form cat litter granules with a diameter of 3-5mm. 3) Drying: Air dry under natural ventilation until it reaches a suitable degree of dryness for storage and use; 4) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0086] The prepared cat litter was subjected to performance testing, and the results are as follows: The water absorption rate is only about 220%, which is significantly lower than 260% in Example 1 and 310% in Example 2, and slightly higher than 200% in Example 3. This is because traditional bentonite cat litter mainly relies on the water absorption of bentonite itself, and does not synergistically improve water absorption performance by adding water absorption enhancers as in this application.

[0087] The clumping strength was measured to be 5.2 N, which is relatively low compared to 7.8 N in Example 1, 8.5 N in Example 2, and 6.8 N in Example 3. Compared to the synergistic effect of the binder and other raw materials in this application, its clumping stability is slightly worse and it may be easier to disperse during the cleaning process.

[0088] The deodorization efficiency tested was only about 65%, far lower than 87% in Example 1, 91% in Example 2 and 82% in Example 3. Compared with the deodorizing agent in the environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings in this application, traditional bentonite cat litter has limited ability to adsorb and remove odors.

[0089] Comparative Example 2 This comparative example provides a cat litter that differs from the example in that it uses silica gel, a common chemical material on the market, as the main raw material. The basic mixing ratio of each raw material is as follows: 90g silica gel, 3g activated carbon powder, 0.5g food-grade iron oxide red, 0.5g hypoallergenic pet-specific fragrance (eucalyptus oil and lavender in a 3:1 mass ratio), 1g carboxymethyl cellulose, and 5g water.

[0090] This comparative example also provides a method for preparing cat litter, the specific steps of which include: 1) Raw material pretreatment: The silica gel is subjected to conventional treatments such as purity testing to ensure that its quality meets production requirements, but unlike the present invention, it does not undergo complex screening, drying to a specific moisture content and other treatments on raw materials such as tailings; 2) Molding: Specialized molding equipment is used to make cat litter granules from silicone and other added raw materials. The granule diameter is generally 2-4mm. The molding process is mainly based on the physicochemical properties of silicone, which is different from the method of this invention based on the synergistic molding of multiple raw materials. 3) Drying: Air dry under natural ventilation until it reaches a suitable degree of dryness for storage and use; 4) Packaging: Packaging the finished product.

[0091] The prepared cat litter was subjected to performance testing, and the results are as follows: Tests showed that the water absorption rate of silica gel cat litter was approximately 300%, which is higher than that of traditional bentonite cat litter, but lower than that of 310% in Example 2. The water absorption principle of silica gel is mainly based on the physical adsorption of water molecules by its porous structure, which is different from the water absorption mechanism of this application through the synergistic effect of water absorption enhancers. Therefore, there is still a gap in water absorption performance.

[0092] The clumping strength was measured to be 4.8 N, which is significantly lower than the clumping strength values ​​in Examples 1, 2, and 3. Although silica gel cat litter can form certain clumps after contact with liquid, the clumps are unstable and easily broken due to their composition and forming method, making them difficult to clean.

[0093] The deodorization efficiency tested was around 70%, which is lower than the deodorization efficiency values ​​of Examples 1, 2, and 3. Although a small amount of deodorant was added, its ability to adsorb and remove odors is limited compared to the synergistic effect of multiple deodorants in this application.

[0094] Comparative Example 3 This comparative example provides a cat litter that differs from the example in that it uses natural minerals bentonite and diatomaceous earth as the main raw materials. The specific raw material amounts are: 45g bentonite, 45g diatomaceous earth, 3g carboxymethyl cellulose, 2g activated carbon powder, and 5g water.

[0095] This comparative example also provides a method for preparing cat litter, the specific steps of which include: 1) Raw material pretreatment: Bentonite and diatomaceous earth were simply screened to remove some impurities; 2) Mixing: Thoroughly mix the pretreated bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and water until homogeneous; 3) Molding: The mixture is formed into cat litter granules by conventional methods such as extrusion, with the granule diameter set at 2-4mm; 4) Drying: Air dry under natural ventilation until it reaches a suitable degree of dryness for storage and use.

[0096] 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0097] The prepared cat litter was subjected to performance testing, and the results are as follows: Tests showed that the water absorption rate of the sand reached 250%, which is lower than 310% in Example 2 and 260% in Example 1, and slightly higher than 200% in Example 3. Although bentonite and diatomaceous earth have a certain degree of water absorption, there is still room for improvement in the water absorption performance of the environmentally friendly cat litter made from the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings in this application.

[0098] The measured agglomeration strength was 6.0 N, which is lower than 7.8 N in Example 1, 8.5 N in Example 2, and 6.8 N in Example 3. The agglomeration effect mainly depends on the properties of bentonite and diatomite themselves and their interaction after mixing. This is different from the agglomeration method of this application, which uses multiple components such as binders to work together. Therefore, there is a difference in agglomeration strength.

[0099] The deodorization efficiency tested was 75%, lower than 87% in Example 1, 91% in Example 2, and 82% in Example 3. Because it relies solely on the limited odor adsorption capacity of bentonite and diatomaceous earth themselves, without adding a variety of highly efficient deodorizing agents as described in this application, its deodorization effect is not as good as the cat litter product of this application.

[0100] Comparative Example 4 This comparative example provides a cat litter that differs from the example in that the raw materials include 50g copper tailings, 20g bentonite, 1g polyvinyl alcohol, 6g activated carbon powder, 5g carboxymethyl cellulose, and 18g water.

[0101] This comparative example also provides a method for preparing cat litter, the specific steps of which include: 1) Raw material pretreatment: Fine classification of copper tailings and simple screening of bentonite to remove some impurities; 2) Mixing: Thoroughly mix the finely graded copper tailings, bentonite that has undergone simple screening, and other raw materials with water until they are evenly mixed; 3) Molding: The mixture is formed into cat litter granules by conventional methods such as extrusion, with the granule diameter set at 2-4mm; 4) Drying: Air dry under natural ventilation until it reaches a suitable degree of dryness for storage and use.

[0102] 5) Cooling and packaging: After drying, the finished product is cooled and packaged.

[0103] The prepared cat litter was subjected to performance testing, and the results are as follows: The prepared cat litter was subjected to performance testing, and the results are as follows: Tests showed that silica gel cat litter has a water absorption rate of approximately 180%, a clumping intensity of 3.1N, and a deodorization efficiency of 58%.

[0104] The performance test results of the cat litter prepared in the above embodiments and comparative examples are shown in Table 1. Furthermore, based on the performance test results and... a ,b , c The weighting coefficients, set according to market demand, are calculated using the formula: Calculations yielded P .

[0105] Table 1 Performance Test Results Data

[0106] Results analysis: 1. The overall performance of the embodiment is significantly better than that of the comparative example, as detailed below: (1) P Value comparison As can be seen from Table 1 above, all embodiments P The value satisfies ≥0.75, while in the comparative examples, only Comparative Example 2 (silica gel-based) and Comparative Example 3 (bentonite + diatomite-based) meet the requirement under specific weights. P It satisfies ≥0.7, but its value is still much lower than that of the examples (such as Example 2). P =0.97).

[0107] (2) Performance gap Water absorption rate: The water absorption rate of Example 2 was 310%, while that of Comparative Example 2 was 300%. The water absorption rate of Example 2 was 3.3% higher than that of Comparative Example 2. The clumping strength of Example 2 was 8.5 N, while that of Comparative Example 2 was 4.8 N. The deodorization efficiency of Example 2 was 91%, while that of Comparative Example 2 was 70%. The clumping strength and deodorization efficiency of Example 2 showed significant advantages over those of Comparative Example 2.

[0108] Agglomeration strength: The agglomeration strength of Example 5 was 8.2 N, compared with 6.0 N of Comparative Example 3. The agglomeration strength of Example 5 was 36.7% higher than that of Comparative Example 3, which reflects the synergistic effect between copper tailings and binder.

[0109] 2. The robustness of the technical solution is verified by dynamically adjusting the weighting coefficients. The specific analysis is as follows: (1) Water absorption rate weight ( a ) Example 2: When the water absorption rate weight is maximized, that is... a =0.6, the overall performance index of cat litter is P =0.97, compared to the value of Comparative Example 2 under the same weights ( a =0.6, P =0.79), Example 2 P The value was 22.8% higher than that of control sample 2, indicating that the water absorption performance advantage of copper tailings synergistic with water-absorbing resin is irreplaceable.

[0110] (2) Clustering strength weight ( b ): Example 5: When the cluster strength weight is increased, i.e. b =0.35, the overall performance index of cat litter is P =0.93, compared to the value of Comparative Example 3 under the same weights ( b =0.4, P =0.75), Example 5 P The value was 24% higher than that of Comparative Example 3, which illustrates the necessity of the synergistic effect of the binder (methylcellulose) and molding aid (carboxymethylcellulose) for the agglomeration strength.

[0111] (3) Deodorization efficiency weight ( c ): Example 4: When the deodorization weight increases, i.e. c =0.25, the overall performance index of cat litter is P =0.88, compared to the value of Comparative Example 3 under the same weights ( c =0.2, P =0.75), Example 4 P The value was 17.3% higher than that of control sample 3, indicating that the composite deodorization system (activated carbon + plant extract) has a synergistic effect on odor removal.

[0112] 3. The root causes of the performance defects of the comparative model are shown in Table 2.

[0113] Table 2 Analysis of the causes of performance defects in comparative models

[0114] The test results above show that the overall performance of the embodiment is significantly better than that of the comparative example, and the core data verifies the superiority of the technical solution: Embodiment 2 maximizes the water absorption rate weight. P The value reached 0.97, compared to comparison ratio 2 ( P =0.79) is 22.8% higher, highlighting the irreplaceable synergistic effect of copper tailings and water-absorbing resin; Example 5 demonstrates the synergistic effect of binder and molding aid, P The value increased to 0.93, and the contribution ratio of clumping strength was 3 ( P =0.75) higher than 24%; Example 4 uses a composite deodorization system of activated carbon and plant extracts. P The value reached 0.88, compared to control sample 3 ( P =0.75) Improvement of 17.3%. All Examples P The values ​​are all ≥0.75 and the fluctuation is ≤2%, proving the technical stability of the copper tailings ratio of 60%-80% and the balanced proportion of functional additives. However, the comparative examples suffer from imbalanced proportions or functional deficiencies (such as Comparative Example 4). P =0.53) The overall performance deteriorates, which in turn proves the necessity of the proportional range limited by this application.

[0115] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0116] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, in the foregoing claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this application and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings, characterized in that, Its raw materials, calculated on a 100% basis by total mass, include: Copper tailings 60%-85%, water absorption enhancer 5%-15%, molding aid 2%-10%, deodorizer 1%-5%, binder 1%-3%, balance is water; The water absorption enhancer includes one or more of bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and water-absorbing polymer materials; The molding aid includes one or more of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose derivatives.

2. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, Its raw materials, calculated on a 100% basis by total mass, include: The composition consists of 70%-80% copper tailings, 10%-15% water-absorbing enhancer, 5%-8% molding aid, 2%-5% deodorizer, 1%-3% binder, and the remainder is water.

3. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The raw materials also include functional additives that meet at least one of the following conditions: A. The functional additives include antibacterial agents and / or antistatic agents; B. The functional additives account for 0.1%-5% of the total mass.

4. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The copper tailings have a particle size of less than or equal to 75 μm and a moisture content of ≤5%.

5. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deodorizing agent includes one or more of activated carbon powder, zeolite powder, plant extracts, and photocatalytic materials.

6. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesive includes carboxymethyl cellulose and / or methyl cellulose.

7. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The following conditions must be met: in, P This is a comprehensive performance index for cat litter, used to quantitatively evaluate the overall performance of cat litter. P ≥0.7; a , b , c These are the weighting coefficients. a + b + c =1, a =0.4-0.6, b =0.2-0.4, c =0.1-0.3; W : Water absorption rate, expressed as a percentage, represents the water absorption performance of cat litter; T Clump strength, measured in N, is the resistance of cat litter to breakage after clumping. D Deodorization efficiency, expressed as a percentage, represents the odor removal performance of cat litter.

8. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on the comprehensive utilization of copper tailings according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The environmentally friendly cat litter made from copper tailings has a particle diameter of 1mm-5mm.

9. A method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, include: The raw materials are mixed to obtain a mixture, which is then granulated and dried to obtain an environmentally friendly cat litter that comprehensively utilizes copper tailings.

10. The method for preparing environmentally friendly cat litter using copper tailings according to claim 9, characterized in that, The drying temperature is 60℃-80℃, and the time is 4h-6h.

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