A type of antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses an antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method, relating to the field of cat litter preparation technology. The finished cat litter (96-144g) contains the following internal components: 60-90g straw powder, 10-15g yew leaves, 22.94-34.41g guar gum, 2.29-3.44g starch, 0.8-1.2g calcium propionate, with the remainder being water. Cat litter made using straw cores is rich in cellulose and has strong water absorption. The raw materials are natural products, possessing a natural plant fragrance, good deodorizing properties, and low price. Compared to other cat litters, straw core cat litter has strong water solubility and can be directly flushed. The addition of yew leaves can prevent common cat diseases, primarily targeting major zoonotic fungi in cats, such as Microsporum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Furthermore, this cat litter is directly flushable, has high water solubility, supports biodegradation, and reduces the probability of cats developing diseases.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number CN202310763150.7, entitled "Antibacterial, Dust-Free and Environmentally Friendly Straw Cat Litter and Its Preparation Method", and the parent application was filed on June 27, 2023. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of cat litter preparation technology, specifically to an antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, with the improvement of pet ownership concepts and the increase in income levels in my country, people are willing to spend more time and money on pet care, thus the cat litter market has continued to expand. Influenced by factors such as the rise of the internet, the variety of cat litter products has gradually increased. With the development of the cat litter industry and the improvement of consumption levels, various brands are also developing the entire industry chain to provide different levels of products for cats of different ages and breeds. The main characteristic of cat litter is its strong absorbency. Actual research shows that some existing cat litters on the market, such as bentonite cat litter, produce a lot of dust; tofu cat litter tends to stick to the bottom and is difficult to clean; and silica gel cat litter has poor absorbency. Cat litter is strongly linked to pet disease rates. Specifically, dusty cat litter can easily cause urinary tract diseases and respiratory diseases in pets; unsanitary or toxic cat litter can cause gastrointestinal discomfort after animals lick it; and cat litter that is difficult to clean can easily breed bacteria with long-term use, causing skin diseases and inflammation in pets.

[0004] Various types of cat litter currently available on the market and their characteristics: Tofu cat litter is prone to insect infestation in summer or humid environments, and the use of edible materials leads to resource waste; pine cat litter is susceptible to moisture and its smell is unpleasant to some cats; activated charcoal cat litter produces significant dust, and the production process of activated charcoal is not environmentally friendly; silica gel cat litter requires finding a suitable place to bury it, which is relatively troublesome to dispose of, and it is produced by the reaction of sodium silicate and sulfuric acid, which is a complex process; the production process of paper cat litter wastes resources; bentonite cat litter produces a lot of dust, which can easily cause respiratory diseases in cats, and it cannot be flushed; moreover, some cat litters use montmorillonite as the main raw material, and the acquisition of raw materials damages the environment to some extent. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method. This solves the problems mentioned in the background art, such as existing cat litter being prone to moisture absorption, having an odor that is unpleasant to some cats, producing significant dust that can easily cause respiratory diseases in cats, and having poor environmental friendliness and complex production processes in the activated carbon production process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for preparing antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter, characterized in that it includes: Step 1: Select raw materials, remove leaves and hairy roots from the straw, rinse with clean water, wipe the surface of the straw with a clean towel and let it dry, cut the dried straw into 30mm long jointless segments, and remove the stem skin to obtain straw core. Step 2: Raw material processing. The yew leaves are placed in an oven at 110℃ for drying. After blanching, the oven temperature should be immediately reduced and maintained at 70-80℃ until the yew leaves are dried to a constant weight. During the drying process, avoid overheating and scorching the yew leaves. The drying time for the yew leaves is 12-24 hours. Step 3: Mixing. Add straw powder, yew leaf powder, starch, edible guar gum, and calcium propionate to 10-15g of water. Place in a sealed container and stir thoroughly for 5-10 minutes. The finished cat litter (96-144g) contains the following components: 60-90g straw powder, 10-15g yew leaves, 22.94-34.41g guar gum, 2.29-3.44g starch, 0.8-1.2g calcium propionate, and the remainder is water. Step 4: Granulation. The well-mixed mixture is directly fed into a pellet mill via a conveying device for granulation. The well-mixed mixture is pressed into cylindrical particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm and a length of 10-15 mm by the pellet mill. The cylindrical particles are heated to 60-80℃ in a nitrogen atmosphere and held for 35-55 min. Then, the temperature is raised to 100-110℃ and held for 30-35 min. The particles are then placed in a dust-free environment to cool naturally to room temperature. After the temperature drops to room temperature, the particles are crushed and then sieved through a screen. The particle diameter is controlled to be 2-4 mm to obtain a semi-finished product. Step 5: Sterilization. The resulting granules are sterilized in a sterilizer for 5 minutes at a temperature of 70°C. Step Six: Cooling. After the sterilized granules have cooled naturally, the straw cat litter product is obtained. Step 7: Testing. Soak the obtained cat litter in water, adding water to cover the litter clumps, test the water solubility, and calculate the dissolution time.

[0007] Preferably, step two further includes crushing the yew leaves by putting them into a crusher and crushing them for 5-10 minutes, and then sieving them to obtain powder with a particle size of 100-150 mesh.

[0008] Preferably, the yew leaves used in step two can also be eucalyptus leaves from Guangdong that contain chemical components that have antioxidant properties against Staphylococcus aureus.

[0009] Preferably, the sterilizer in step five is a microwave drying and sterilization device. The microwave drying and sterilization device heats the cat litter particles both inside and out simultaneously, and the cat litter particles roll evenly inside the drum of the microwave drying and sterilization device to ensure that the inside of the cat litter is fully and evenly heated and sterilized.

[0010] Preferably, in step six, the sterilized cat litter granules are evenly spread out in a dust-free environment and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for preparing antibacterial, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter.

[0012] This invention provides an antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method. It has the following beneficial effects: This invention relates to an antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method. The cat litter, made from straw cores, is rich in cellulose and has strong water absorption. The raw materials are natural products, possessing a natural plant fragrance, good deodorizing properties, and are inexpensive. Compared to other cat litters, the straw core litter has strong water solubility and can be directly flushed. The addition of yew leaves can help prevent common cat diseases, primarily targeting major zoonotic fungi that cause feline diseases, such as Microsporum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The litter is produced using readily available raw materials such as straw and corn cobs from farmers. While ensuring quality, we aim to give consumers peace of mind when buying and using our cat litter. The extract from yew leaves in the litter has antibacterial properties, primarily targeting major zoonotic fungi that cause feline diseases, such as Microsporum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The cellulose extracted from the straw core has highly efficient water absorption. This approach promotes agricultural development while maintaining product quality, and also reduces environmental pollution from burning straw, achieving multiple benefits and diversified development. Furthermore, the cat litter is flushable, highly water-soluble, and biodegradable, reducing the likelihood of cats developing diseases. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0015] Example 1: A type of antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method are disclosed. The internal composition of 96g of the finished cat litter is as follows: 60g of straw powder, 10g of yew leaves, 22.94g of guar gum, 2.29g of starch, 0.8g of calcium propionate, and the remainder is water.

[0016] The steps include the following: Step 1: Select raw materials and peel the straw, using only the core part of the straw; Step 2: Raw material processing. The yew leaves are placed in an oven to dry at a temperature of 110℃. Step 3: Mixing. Add straw powder, yew leaf powder, starch, edible guar gum and calcium propionate to 1g of water, place in a sealed container and stir thoroughly for 5 minutes. Step 4: Granulation. The mixed mixture is directly fed into a pellet mill for granulation via a conveying device. Step 5: Sterilization. The resulting granules are sterilized in a sterilizer for 5 minutes at a temperature of 70°C. Step Six: Cooling. After the sterilized granules have cooled naturally, the straw cat litter product is obtained. Step 7: Testing. Soak the obtained cat litter in water, adding water to cover the litter clumps, test the water solubility, and calculate the dissolution time.

[0017] Step two also includes crushing the yew leaves. The yew leaves are put into a crusher and crushed for 5 minutes. After crushing, they are sieved, and the particle size of the sieved powder is 100 mesh.

[0018] In step one, the leaves and hairy roots of the straw are removed, and the straw is rinsed with clean water. After rinsing, the straw is wiped clean with a clean towel and dried. The dried straw is then cut into 30mm long, jointless segments, and the stem skin is removed to obtain the straw core.

[0019] In step two, the yew leaves are blanched in an oven at 110°C for 15 minutes. After blanching, the temperature of the oven should be immediately reduced and maintained at 70°C until the yew leaves are dried to a constant weight. During the drying process, avoid overheating and scorching the yew leaves. The drying time for the yew leaves is 12 hours.

[0020] In step four, the well-stirred mixture is pressed into cylindrical particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm and a length of 10 mm using a granulator. The cylindrical particles are then heated to 60°C under a nitrogen atmosphere and held for 35 minutes. The temperature is then increased to 100°C and held for 30 minutes. The particles are then placed in a dust-free environment to cool naturally to room temperature. After the temperature drops to room temperature, the particles are crushed and then sieved through a screen. The particle diameter is controlled to be within 2 mm to obtain a semi-finished product.

[0021] In step five, the sterilization machine is a microwave drying and sterilization device. The microwave drying and sterilization device heats the cat litter particles both inside and out simultaneously, and the cat litter particles roll evenly inside the drum of the microwave drying and sterilization device to ensure that the inside of the cat litter is fully and evenly heated and sterilized.

[0022] In step six, the sterilized cat litter granules are spread out evenly in a dust-free environment and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature.

[0023] The yew leaves used in step two can also be eucalyptus leaves from Guangdong, which contain chemical components that have antioxidant properties against Staphylococcus aureus.

[0024] Example 2: A type of antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method are disclosed. The finished cat litter (96-144g) contains the following internal components: 90g straw powder, 15g yew leaves, 34.41g guar gum, 3.44g starch, 1.2g calcium propionate, and the remainder is water.

[0025] The steps include the following: Step 1: Select raw materials and peel the straw, using only the core part of the straw; Step 2: Raw material processing. The yew leaves are placed in an oven to dry at a temperature of 110℃. Step 3: Mixing. Add straw powder, yew leaf powder, starch, edible guar gum and calcium propionate to 1g of water, place in a sealed container and stir thoroughly for 10 minutes. Step 4: Granulation. The mixed mixture is directly fed into a pellet mill for granulation via a conveying device. Step 5: Sterilization. The resulting granules are sterilized in a sterilizer for 5 minutes at a temperature of 70°C. Step Six: Cooling. After the sterilized granules have cooled naturally, the straw cat litter product is obtained. Step 7: Testing. Soak the obtained cat litter in water, adding water to cover the litter clumps, test the water solubility, and calculate the dissolution time.

[0026] Step two also includes crushing the yew leaves. The yew leaves are put into a crusher and crushed for 10 minutes. After crushing, they are sieved. The particle size of the sieved powder is 150 mesh.

[0027] In step one, the leaves and hairy roots of the straw are removed, and the straw is rinsed with clean water. After rinsing, the straw is wiped clean with a clean towel and dried. The dried straw is then cut into 30mm long, jointless segments, and the stem skin is removed to obtain the straw core.

[0028] In step two, the yew leaves are blanched in an oven at 110°C for 20 minutes. After blanching, the temperature of the oven should be immediately reduced and maintained at 80°C until the yew leaves are dried to a constant weight. During the drying process, avoid overheating and scorching the yew leaves. The drying time for the yew leaves is 24 hours.

[0029] In step four, the well-stirred mixture is pressed into cylindrical particles with a diameter of 2-3 mm and a length of 15 mm using a granulator. The cylindrical particles are then heated to 80°C under a nitrogen atmosphere and held for 55 minutes. The temperature is then increased to 110°C and held for 35 minutes. The particles are then placed in a dust-free environment to cool naturally to room temperature. After the temperature drops to room temperature, the particles are crushed and then sieved through a screen. The particle diameter is controlled to be 4 mm to obtain a semi-finished product.

[0030] In step five, the sterilization machine is a microwave drying and sterilization device. The microwave drying and sterilization device heats the cat litter particles both inside and out simultaneously, and the cat litter particles roll evenly inside the drum of the microwave drying and sterilization device to ensure that the inside of the cat litter is fully and evenly heated and sterilized.

[0031] In step six, the sterilized cat litter granules are spread out evenly in a dust-free environment and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature.

[0032] The yew leaves used in step two can also be eucalyptus leaves from Guangdong, which contain chemical components that have antioxidant properties against Staphylococcus aureus.

[0033] Example 3: A type of antibacterial, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter and its preparation method are disclosed. The finished cat litter (96-144g) contains the following internal components: 70g straw powder, 12g yew leaves, 25g guar gum, 2.5g starch, 1g calcium propionate, and the remainder is water.

[0034] The steps include the following: Step 1: Select raw materials and peel the straw, using only the core part of the straw; Step 2: Raw material processing. The yew leaves are placed in an oven to dry at a temperature of 110℃. Step 3: Mixing. Add straw powder, yew leaf powder, starch, edible guar gum and calcium propionate to 1g of water, place in a sealed container and stir thoroughly for 8 minutes. Step 4: Granulation. The mixed mixture is directly fed into a pellet mill for granulation via a conveying device. Step 5: Sterilization. The resulting granules are sterilized in a sterilizer for 5 minutes at a temperature of 70°C. Step Six: Cooling. After the sterilized granules have cooled naturally, the straw cat litter product is obtained. Step 7: Testing. Soak the obtained cat litter in water, adding water to cover the litter clumps, test the water solubility, and calculate the dissolution time.

[0035] Step two also includes crushing the yew leaves. The yew leaves are put into a crusher and crushed for 8 minutes. After crushing, they are sieved, and the particle size of the sieved powder is 120 mesh.

[0036] In step one, the leaves and hairy roots of the straw are removed, and the straw is rinsed with clean water. After rinsing, the straw is wiped clean with a clean towel and dried. The dried straw is then cut into 30mm long, jointless segments, and the stem skin is removed to obtain the straw core.

[0037] In step two, the yew leaves are blanched in an oven at 110°C for 18 minutes. After blanching, the temperature of the oven should be immediately reduced and maintained at 75°C until the yew leaves are dried to a constant weight. During the drying process, avoid overheating and scorching the yew leaves. The drying time for the yew leaves is 15 hours.

[0038] In step four, the well-stirred mixture is pressed into cylindrical particles with a diameter of 7.5 mm and a length of 12 mm using a granulator. The cylindrical particles are then heated to 70°C under a nitrogen atmosphere and held for 40 minutes. The temperature is then increased to 105°C and held for 32 minutes. The particles are then placed in a dust-free environment to cool naturally to room temperature. After the temperature drops to room temperature, the particles are crushed and then sieved through a screen. The particle diameter is controlled to be within 3 mm to obtain a semi-finished product.

[0039] In step five, the sterilization machine is a microwave drying and sterilization device. The microwave drying and sterilization device heats the cat litter particles both inside and out simultaneously, and the cat litter particles roll evenly inside the drum of the microwave drying and sterilization device to ensure that the inside of the cat litter is fully and evenly heated and sterilized.

[0040] In step six, the sterilized cat litter granules are spread out evenly in a dust-free environment and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature.

[0041] The yew leaves used in step two can also be eucalyptus leaves from Guangdong, which contain chemical components that have antioxidant properties against Staphylococcus aureus.

[0042] This cat litter, made from straw cores, is rich in cellulose and has strong absorbency. The raw materials are natural products, giving it a pleasant plant fragrance and good odor control, and it's also inexpensive. Compared to other cat litters, this straw core litter dissolves easily and can be flushed directly. The addition of yew leaves helps prevent common cat diseases and specifically targets major zoonotic fungi that cause feline diseases, such as Microsporum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. By utilizing readily available raw materials like straw and corn cobs from farmers, the litter is produced in-house, ensuring quality and giving consumers peace of mind. The yew leaf extract in the cat litter contains... This cat litter has antibacterial properties, primarily targeting major zoonotic fungi that cause diseases in cats, such as Microsporum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The cellulose extracted from the straw core has highly efficient water absorption, which not only promotes agricultural development while meeting product quality requirements, but also reduces environmental pollution caused by burning straw, achieving multiple benefits and diversified development. Furthermore, this cat litter can be flushed directly, has high water solubility, supports biodegradation, and reduces the probability of cats getting sick. It solves the problems of existing cat litter being prone to moisture absorption, having an odor that some cats dislike, producing significant dust that can easily cause respiratory diseases in cats, and having a poor environmental protection process and complex manufacturing process for activated carbon.

[0043] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a bacteriostatic, dust-free, and environmentally friendly straw cat litter, characterized by comprising the following steps: The preparation method comprises the following steps: ​ Step 1: selecting raw materials, removing leaves and roots from the straw, and washing the straw with clean water. After washing, the straw is wiped dry with a clean towel and dried in the air. The dried straw is cut into 30mm long sections without nodes, and the epidermis of the stem is removed to obtain the straw core; Step 2: treating the raw materials. The yew leaves are dried in an oven at a temperature of 110℃ for 15-20min. After the yew leaves are treated, the temperature of the oven is immediately reduced and maintained at 70-80℃ until the yew leaves are dried to a constant weight. The drying process avoids high temperature to prevent the yew leaves from being burnt. The drying time of the yew leaves is 12-24h; Step 3: mixing. The straw powder, yew leaf powder, starch, edible guar gum and calcium propionate are added with 10-15g of water, and then fully stirred and mixed in a sealed container for 5-10min. The content of the internal components of the finished product cat litter 96-144g is as follows: straw powder 60-90g, yew leaves 10-15g, guar gum 22.94-34.41g, starch 2.29-3.44g, calcium propionate 0.8-1.2g, and the rest is water; Step 4: granulating. The mixed material after stirring is directly sent to a granulator for granulation. The mixed material after stirring is pressed into cylindrical particles with a diameter of 2-3mm and a length of 10-15mm by the granulator. The cylindrical particles are heated to 60-80℃ in a nitrogen atmosphere and kept for 35-55min, and then the temperature is increased to 100-110℃ and kept for 30-35min. The particles are naturally cooled to room temperature in a dust-free environment. After the temperature is reduced to room temperature, the particles are broken and sieved through a screen, and the particle diameter is controlled to be 2-4mm, thereby obtaining a semi-finished product; Step 5: sterilizing. The prepared particles are sterilized by a sterilizer for 5min at a sterilization temperature of 70℃; Step 6: cooling. After the sterilized particles are naturally cooled, the straw cat litter product is obtained; Step 7: detecting. The obtained cat litter is soaked in water, and the water added exceeds the cat litter group. The water dissolving effect is detected, and the dissolving time is calculated.

2. The preparation method of the bacteriostatic, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 2, the yew leaves are also crushed. The yew leaves are put into a crusher and crushed for 5-10min. After crushing, the powder is sieved, and the particle size of the sieved powder is 100-150mesh.

3. The preparation method of the bacteriostatic, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 2, the yew leaves can also be Guangdong eucalyptus leaves containing chemical components with Staphylococcus aureus antioxidant activity.

4. The preparation method of the bacteriostatic, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 5, the sterilizer is a microwave drying and sterilizing equipment. The microwave drying and sterilizing equipment is used to heat the cat litter particles from inside and outside at the same time, and the cat litter particles are uniformly rolled in the drum of the microwave drying and sterilizing equipment to fully and uniformly heat and sterilize the cat litter inside.

5. The preparation method of the bacteriostatic, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 6, the sterilized cat litter particles are evenly laid out in a dust-free environment and naturally cooled to room temperature.

6. The bacteriostatic, dust-free and environmentally friendly straw cat litter prepared by the preparation method of any one of claims 1-5.

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