Pure polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation and application thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a complete set of pure polylactic acid (PLA) textiles for funeral cremation and its applications. This invention is the first to propose and solve the technical problem of "co-contamination of all types of textiles," a problem previously unknown to those skilled in the art. By unifying the burial garments, bedding, pillowcases, and all accessories to 100% pure PLA, the possibility of dioxins, black smoke, and mixed ash generated by burning different materials such as synthetic fibers, cotton, and silk is fundamentally eliminated. The main products of PLA combustion are carbon dioxide and water, and its combustion behavior is highly consistent with human tissue, truly achieving clean smoke and pure ashes. Through the use of solution dyeing, three-dimensional crimped hollow fibers, and anti-hydrolysis agents, this set not only meets the requirements of traditional ceremonial textures such as black and gray (main colors for funerals) and satin-like luster and softness, but also ensures storage stability for more than 12 months, perfectly combining environmental friendliness, ceremonial aspects, and practicality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of funeral textile technology, and in particular to a complete set of pure polylactic acid textiles for funeral cremation and its applications. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing societal emphasis on environmental protection and ecological civilization, the green transformation of the funeral industry has become an inevitable trend. The revised "Regulations on Funeral Management," to be implemented in 2026 and revised in 2025, explicitly advocate the use of green and environmentally friendly funeral products and promote land-saving and eco-friendly burials. During cremation, the deceased's burial clothes, shoes, socks, and coverings such as bedding, pillows, and cushions are all burned completely in the crematorium along with the body. The combustion products of these textiles are the main source of cremation smoke and impurities in the ashes, directly affecting the environmental indicators of the cremation process and the purity of the ashes.

[0003] Currently, the textile materials used in the funeral industry are diverse and mixed. Funeral garments are mostly blends of cotton, polyester (polyester fiber), nylon, and rayon, while bedding fillings are often ordinary cotton wadding or petroleum-based synthetic fibers. Even sewing thread, buttons, and other accessories are mostly traditional synthetic fibers or plastic products. Existing technologies, such as Japanese Patent JP2002172145A and Korean Patent KR1020110039857A, while disclosing the use of polylactic acid fibers in the production of funeral garments or covers, are limited to a "single component material replacement" mindset. They focus only on replacing the material of the single category of funeral garments with polylactic acid, failing to recognize that all textiles burned simultaneously with the cremated body. When materials with different chemical structures, such as polyester, cotton, silk, and viscose, are co-burned at high temperatures in a crematorium, a complex "synergistic pollution effect" occurs. For example, the combustion of chlorinated polyester produces hydrogen chloride, which promotes the formation of highly toxic dioxins. Incomplete combustion of natural fibers produces a large amount of unburned carbon particles and discolored ash. These substances not only pollute the flue gas but also mix with the ashes, forming dark brown lumps or altering the pure color of the ashes, causing emotional distress to the bereaved family. There has long been a technical bias within the industry that only the materials of the burial garments, which come into direct contact with the body, need to be considered, while neglecting that bedding, pillows, and other accessories also participate in combustion and have a significant impact on the overall pollution.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a technical solution that can fundamentally solve the synergistic pollution caused by the mixed combustion of multiple types and materials of textiles during the cremation process, so as to achieve a truly "smoke-free and ash-free" cremation process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a complete set of pure polylactic acid textiles for funeral cremation and its applications, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides a complete set of pure polylactic acid textiles for funeral cremation. The set is made of 100% polylactic acid fiber and includes a complete set of textiles that are cremated with the body. The complete set of textiles includes at least a burial garment and bedding. The complete set of textiles uses a uniform material system to solve the problem of co-contamination caused by the combustion of mixed materials.

[0007] Preferably, the outer garments of the burial shroud are made of woven fabric formed from polylactic acid filaments, and the woven fabric has a gloss of ≥80% and a drape coefficient of ≤45%.

[0008] Preferably, the bedding includes a blanket, a pillowcase, a pillow core, and a mattress pad. The bedding has a multi-layer composite structure, including a fabric layer and a filling layer.

[0009] Preferably, the fabric layer is a woven or knitted fabric woven from polylactic acid filaments or pure spun yarns; the filling layer is a three-dimensional crimped hollow polylactic acid fiber, the hollowness of the filling layer is 15%-40%, and the bulkiness is 8-12cm. 3 / g.

[0010] Preferably, all accessories in the kit are made of polylactic acid, and the accessories include at least one of sewing thread, buttons, and straps.

[0011] Preferably, the textiles in the kit are produced using solution dyeing technology, wherein the black textiles are produced by melt spinning a mixture of carbon black masterbatch and polylactic acid chips at a mass ratio of 100:1-15; and the white or gray textiles are produced by polylactic acid natural white fibers or by a blend of black and white fibers in a certain proportion.

[0012] Preferably, the polylactic acid fiber contains an anti-hydrolysis agent selected from carbodiimide compounds, and the amount added is 0.5%-2% of the mass of polylactic acid, so that the kit has a shelf life of more than 12 months under normal storage conditions.

[0013] Preferably, the environmental standards met by the combustion of the kit include: the content of dioxins in the combustion flue gas is less than 0.1 ng TEQ / m³. 3 The ash content of the combustion residue is ≤0.5%, and there is no visible difference after mixing with the ashes.

[0014] This invention also provides an application of the aforementioned polylactic acid full-category textile kit for cremation in green and eco-friendly funeral practices. The kit is cremated along with the deceased's remains, and the smoke generated during the cremation process meets national environmental emission standards. The combustion residue mixes naturally with the ashes, requiring no secondary treatment.

[0015] Preferably, when the kit is cremated with the remains, since all textiles are made of 100% polylactic acid fiber, their combustion behavior is highly consistent with that of human tissue, thus eliminating the synergistic pollution effect caused by the mixed combustion of different materials such as chemical fibers, cotton, and silk.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following beneficial technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention provides a complete set of pure polylactic acid (PLA) textiles for funeral cremation and its application, offering significant beneficial effects. This invention is the first to propose and solve the technical problem of "co-contamination of all types of textiles," a problem previously unknown to those skilled in the art. By unifying the burial garments, bedding, pillowcases, and all accessories to 100% pure PLA, the possibility of dioxins, black smoke, and ash being generated from the mixed burning of different materials such as synthetic fibers, cotton, and silk is fundamentally eliminated. The main products of PLA combustion are carbon dioxide and water, and its combustion behavior is highly consistent with that of human tissue. Measured dioxin content is less than 0.1 ng TEQ / m³. 3 Far exceeding national standards, with an ash content below 0.5% and indistinguishable from cremated remains, this kit truly achieves both clean smoke and pure cremated remains. Furthermore, through the use of liquid dyeing, three-dimensional crimped hollow fibers, and anti-hydrolysis agents, this kit not only meets the requirements of traditional ceremonial materials such as black and gray (main funeral colors) and a silk-like sheen and soft, fluffy texture, but also ensures storage stability for over 12 months, perfectly combining environmental friendliness, ceremonial aspects, and practicality. This invention overcomes the long-standing technical bias in the field that "only the burial garment needs to be replaced," providing a complete and ultimate solution for green and ecological funerals, with unparalleled environmental and social benefits. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0018] The purpose of this invention is to provide a complete set of pure polylactic acid (PLA) textiles for funeral cremation and its applications. The core of this invention lies in ensuring that all textiles cremated with the body, including burial garments, bedding, pillowcases, and even accessories such as sewing thread and buttons, are made entirely of 100% polylactic acid (PLA). This technical solution aims to fundamentally solve the problem of "co-contamination" caused by the mixed combustion of materials in existing technologies.

[0019] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0020] Example 1: Overall Solution for All Types of Pure PLA Textile Kits This embodiment provides a complete set of pure polylactic acid (PLA) textiles for funeral cremation. The set specifically includes: a complete set of traditional Chinese funeral clothing (including a top, trousers, shoes, and socks), a quilt (200cm x 180cm in example dimensions), a pillowcase (45cm x 70cm in example dimensions) with a matching pillow core, and a mattress pad (190cm x 70cm in example dimensions). As a core feature of this invention, all the above products—the fabric and filling of the funeral clothing and quilt, the pillowcase, the pillow core, and the mattress pad—are made of 100% polylactic acid fiber. More importantly, to ensure absolute uniformity of materials across all categories, all accessories used in this set, including sewing thread, buttons for fastening, and binding straps, are also entirely made of polylactic acid.

[0021] In preparing the kit of this embodiment, the various components need to be produced collaboratively. First, the polylactic acid (PLA) chips must undergo rigorous drying before use, such as vacuum drying at 90°C for 6-8 hours, reducing their moisture content to below 50 ppm to prevent thermal degradation during subsequent processing. Then, the dried PLA chips are melt-spun into fibers of different specifications to meet the needs of different components: for example, filaments for funeral garment fabrics, three-dimensional crimped hollow short fibers for bedding filling layers, and special chips for injection-molded buttons. The produced PLA filaments are woven to form funeral garment and bedding fabrics, and the three-dimensional crimped hollow PLA fibers are processed through carding, web laying, hot air or hot rolling reinforcement to produce nonwoven filling wadding. Finally, all components are sewn together using PLA sewing thread to form a complete kit. Tests under simulated cremation conditions (furnace temperature 800-1000°C) showed that the kit provided in this embodiment had a dioxin content in the flue gas below 0.1 ng TEQ / m³ after combustion. 3 The ash content of the combustion residue is ≤0.5%, and there is no visible difference between the residue and the ashes after mixing, thus achieving the intended technical effect of "clean smoke and clean ash".

[0022] Example 2: PLA machine-woven funeral garment solution This embodiment focuses on the specific implementation of the burial garment in the kit. In order to meet the traditional requirements of funeral rites for the appearance of burial garments to be "like satin with good crispness", the inventors found through screening that woven fabric made of polylactic acid filaments is an ideal choice.

[0023] In a preferred preparation scheme of this embodiment, the outer garment fabric of the burial shroud is woven from 100% polylactic acid (PLA) filaments. The preparation steps are as follows: First, PLA chips with a weight-average molecular weight of 100,000-200,000 and an optical purity ≥98% L-lactic acid are used as raw materials. For the preparation of a black burial shroud, a solution dyeing technique is employed, where carbon black masterbatch (containing 10%-30% carbon black and the remainder as PLA carrier) is thoroughly mixed with PLA chips at a mass ratio of 100:5-10. Then, the mixture is melt-blended and granulated using a twin-screw extruder at a temperature of 180-210°C to obtain black-dyed PLA chips. After drying the black chips, they are melted at 210°C, extruded through a spinneret, and wound into shape at a spinning speed of 1000 m / min to obtain black PLA filaments. Subsequently, these filaments undergo preparatory processes such as warping and threading before being woven into woven fabric on a loom, with controlled warp and weft densities, for example, 100 warp threads / inch and 50 weft threads / inch. Testing shows that the resulting PLA woven fabric achieves a luster of 85% and a drape factor of 40%, fully meeting the texture and crispness requirements of traditional silk. Finally, PLA sewing thread is used to cut and sew this fabric into traditional-style funeral garments and trousers. For inner garments or light-colored funeral garments, unbleached, off-white polylactic acid chips can be used directly, produced through the same melt spinning and weaving process.

[0024] Example 3: PLA bedding solution This embodiment focuses on the specific implementation of the bedding and pillow in the kit. To meet the functional requirements of "soft, fluffy, warm, and breathable" bedding and pillow, this invention adopts a multi-layer composite structure, including a fabric layer and a filling layer.

[0025] Specifically, the fabric layers of the blankets, pillowcases, and mattress pads can be made of PLA filament woven fabric similar to that in Example 2, or knitted fabric woven from pure PLA yarn, to provide a skin-friendly feel. The filling layer is made of hollow polylactic acid fiber with a three-dimensional crimped morphology. In this embodiment, the fineness of the filling fiber is preferably 6-15 denier (D), more preferably 8D; its hollowness is 15%-40%, preferably 25%. This hollow structure not only reduces the fiber density but also gives it excellent compression resilience and loft. Testing shows that the loft of this filling layer can reach 8-12 cm. 3 / g ensures the warmth and lightness of the bedding.

[0026] In the preparation process, the aforementioned three-dimensional crimped hollow PLA fibers are opened, mixed, and carded into a uniform fiber web using a carding machine. Then, a web-laying machine is used to cross-fold or stretch the fibers to form multi-layered wadding of the required thickness and weight. Finally, hot air penetration heating or hot rolling is used to bond the fibers together, forming a structurally stable filling wadding. This filling wadding is then inserted into duvet covers and pillowcases made of PLA fabric, and the fabric and filling layer are fixed together using quilting or intermittent hot-melt bonding to prevent fiber slippage, ultimately producing a quilt, pillow core, and mattress pad. Testing shows that the bedding prepared in this embodiment has warmth retention comparable to traditional down comforters or hollow fiber comforters, but with the environmentally friendly characteristics of being completely biodegradable and non-toxic when burned.

[0027] Example 4: Auxiliary materials and aging resistance treatment scheme To ensure the complete implementation of "uniformity of materials across all categories," this embodiment specifies the materials used for all accessories. Specifically, all sewing threads in the kit are made of twisted and combined PLA filaments to ensure sufficient strength and abrasion resistance to withstand the tension during sewing. All buttons are made of injection-grade polylactic acid chips, processed in one step through injection molding to create traditional Chinese-style frog buttons or modern button styles. All straps are also made of PLA filaments, either woven or knitted. This pure PLA nature of the accessories ensures that even these small components will not become a source of contamination during cremation.

[0028] On the other hand, considering the potential inventory and circulation cycles of funeral supplies, this invention also provides a technical solution to improve the storage stability of the kits. Since pure PLA fibers may undergo a certain degree of hydrolysis under high temperature and humidity conditions, leading to a decrease in strength, this embodiment adds an anti-hydrolysis agent during the slicing and melting stage before PLA fiber spinning. The anti-hydrolysis agent is preferably a carbodiimide compound (e.g., monomeric or polymeric carbodiimide), and its addition amount is controlled at 0.5%-2% of the mass of polylactic acid, preferably 1%. These anti-hydrolysis agents can preferentially react with the carboxyl groups at the ends of the polylactic acid molecular chains, thereby effectively inhibiting the hydrolysis process of PLA. After aging resistance treatment, the PLA fibers can be stored for more than 12 months under conventional storage conditions with a temperature not exceeding 30°C and a relative humidity not exceeding 65%, and the fiber strength retention rate can still reach more than 85%, fully meeting the actual circulation and storage needs of funeral supplies.

[0029] Example of effect A comprehensive performance evaluation was conducted on the pure polylactic acid (PLA) textile kits prepared in Examples 1-4 above. First, a combustion simulation test was performed. All components of the kits, along with simulated human (or animal) tissue, were placed in a high-temperature furnace and heated to 800-1000℃ according to a standard combustion procedure. The results showed that the amount of smoke produced during the entire combustion process was extremely small, with almost no visible black smoke, and a very faint odor, lacking the pungent smell characteristic of traditional synthetic fiber combustion. Professional instrument testing revealed that the dioxin content in the smoke was below 0.1 ng TEQ / m³. 3 Emissions of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are also far below the limits set by GB13801-2015 "Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Crematoriums". After combustion, there are almost no additional residues in the furnace except for ashes. The only trace amounts of ash are fine powder, grayish-white in color, and cannot be distinguished from the ashes by color or texture after natural mixing. There are also no black hard lumps or tar-like residues commonly found after the burning of traditional textiles.

[0030] In summary, the present invention, through the above embodiments, demonstrates that the pure polylactic acid (PLA) full-category textile kit for funeral cremation provided by it achieves, for the first time, the unification of all materials from burial garments to bedding and accessories. This kit not only meets or even surpasses traditional funeral textiles in terms of appearance, texture, fluffiness, warmth, and other ceremonial and functional indicators, but more importantly, it fundamentally solves the long-standing problem of co-polluting in the funeral industry, achieving harmlessness, reduction, and cleanliness in the cremation process. It fully aligns with the national policy of promoting green and ecological funeral practices, possessing extremely high practical value and broad prospects for promotion.

[0031] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0032] It should be noted that the components mentioned in the above embodiments are all general standard parts or components known to those skilled in the art. Their structures and principles can be learned by those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods.

[0033] This invention has illustrated its principles and implementation methods using specific examples. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely illustrative of the method and its core ideas; furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the principles of this invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Claims

1. A complete set of pure polylactic acid textiles for funeral cremation, characterized in that, The kit is made of 100% polylactic acid fiber and contains a full range of textiles that are cremated with the body, including at least burial garments and bedding; wherein the full range of textiles adopts a uniform material system to solve the problem of co-contamination caused by the combustion of mixed materials.

2. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer garments of the burial shroud are made of woven fabric formed from polylactic acid filaments, and the luster of the woven fabric is ≥80% and the drape factor is ≤45%.

3. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bedding set includes a blanket, pillowcase, pillow core, and mattress pad. The bedding set has a multi-layer composite structure, including a fabric layer and a filling layer.

4. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The fabric layer is a woven or knitted fabric woven from polylactic acid filaments or pure spun yarns; the filling layer is a three-dimensional crimped hollow polylactic acid fiber, with a hollowness of 15%-40% and a loft of 8-12 cm. 3 / g.

5. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, All accessories in the kit are made of polylactic acid, including at least one of sewing thread, buttons, and straps.

6. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The textiles in the kit are produced using solution dyeing technology. The black textiles are made by melt spinning a mixture of carbon black masterbatch and polylactic acid chips at a mass ratio of 100:1-15. The white or gray textiles are made of natural white polylactic acid fibers or by blending black and white fibers in a certain proportion.

7. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The polylactic acid fiber contains an anti-hydrolysis agent selected from carbodiimide compounds, and the amount added is 0.5%-2% of the mass of polylactic acid, so that the kit has a shelf life of more than 12 months under normal storage conditions.

8. The polylactic acid full-category textile kit for funeral cremation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The environmental standards met by the combustion of the kit include: the content of dioxins in the combustion flue gas is less than 0.1 ng TEQ / m³. 3 The ash content of the combustion residue is ≤0.5%, and there is no visible difference after mixing with the ashes.

9. The application of a complete range of polylactic acid textile kits for cremation as described in any one of claims 1-8 in green and eco-friendly funeral practices, characterized in that... The kit is cremated along with the deceased's remains. The smoke generated during the cremation process meets national environmental emission standards, and the combustion residue mixes naturally with the ashes, requiring no secondary treatment.

10. The application of the pure polylactic acid full-category textile kit for cremation as described in claim 9 in green and eco-friendly funeral practices, characterized in that... When the kit is cremated with the remains, because all textiles are made of 100% polylactic acid fiber, their burning behavior is highly consistent with that of human tissue, thus eliminating the synergistic pollution effect caused by the mixed burning of different materials such as chemical fibers, cotton, and silk.