Multifunctional simulated plant organ, multifunctional simulated plant and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application relates to a multifunctional simulated plant organ, a multifunctional simulated plant and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method of the multifunctional simulated plant organ comprises the following steps: preparing multifunctional PET material, and processing the multifunctional PET material into the multifunctional simulated plant organ. The manufacturing method provided by the application can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the simulated plant organ or the simulated plant, improve the simulation degree and durability of the simulated plant organ or the simulated plant, and the simulated plant organ or the simulated plant manufactured through the method is more environmentally friendly and safe, and has multiple practical performances.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of simulated plant technology, specifically to a multifunctional simulated plant organ, a multifunctional simulated plant, and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Artificial plants are replicas of natural plants, designed and manufactured using highly realistic materials. Due to their advantages such as being unaffected by natural conditions like sunlight, air, and water, and requiring no maintenance, artificial plants have seen rapid application and development in today's society. However, with increasing specific needs and continuous industry development, traditional artificial plants made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can no longer meet these demands. For example, some artificial plants may require long-term placement in high-temperature environments, but currently, PVC artificial plants are prone to deformation and discoloration when exposed to heat, and may even cause fires, leading to safety issues. Furthermore, the poor environmental friendliness, high cost, and insufficient realism of PVC materials remain unresolved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a multifunctional simulated plant organ or multifunctional simulated plant and its manufacturing method. On the one hand, this would improve the realism of the simulated plant, reduce costs, and make it more environmentally friendly and safe. On the other hand, it would enable it to have a variety of practical functions to meet more specific needs or achieve applications in more scenarios.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for manufacturing a multifunctional simulated plant organ, comprising the following steps: preparing a multifunctional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material; and processing the multifunctional PET material into a multifunctional simulated plant organ.

[0005] In one embodiment, the multifunctional PET material includes multifunctional PET, multifunctional biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET), multifunctional PET filaments, or combinations thereof.

[0006] In one embodiment, preparing a multifunctional PET material includes: preparing PET pellets; adding one or more additives to the PET pellets to prepare multifunctional PET pellets; and processing the multifunctional PET pellets into a multifunctional PET material.

[0007] In one embodiment, one or more additives are selected from: colorants, light stabilizers, antistatic agents, flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, matting agents, brightening agents, foaming agents, color-changing agents, antibacterial agents, and combinations thereof.

[0008] In one embodiment, the multifunctional simulated plant organs include simulated roots, simulated stems, simulated leaves, simulated flowers, simulated fruits, and simulated seeds.

[0009] In a second aspect, this application provides a multifunctional simulated plant organ made using the method described in the first aspect.

[0010] In a third aspect, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a multifunctional simulated plant, characterized by comprising the following steps: manufacturing multifunctional simulated plant organs according to the method described in the first aspect; and assembling the multifunctional simulated plant organs into a multifunctional simulated plant.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, this application also provides a multifunctional simulated plant made using the method described in the third aspect.

[0012] In a fifth aspect, this application also provides a multifunctional PET material for making the aforementioned multifunctional simulated plant organs or multifunctional simulated plants.

[0013] In one embodiment, the multifunctional PET material includes multifunctional PET, multifunctional biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET), multifunctional PET filaments, or combinations thereof.

[0014] The method for manufacturing multifunctional simulated plant organs or multifunctional simulated plants described in this application involves preparing multifunctional PET material and processing it into simulated plant organs or simulated plants. While ensuring the realism of the simulated plants, it can efficiently produce products with various desired functions. Furthermore, since the PET material used in this method is more environmentally friendly than the materials used in traditional simulated plants, and does not release harmful substances during subsequent use, the simulated plants prepared by this method are also more environmentally friendly and safer. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for fabricating a multifunctional simulated plant organ according to one embodiment of this application is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart illustrating the preparation of multifunctional PET material in a method for manufacturing multifunctional simulated plant organs according to one embodiment of this application is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 It shows according to Figure 2 The diagrams shown illustrate some of the multifunctional PET materials prepared by the process shown. The top diagram is BOPET, and the bottom diagram is PET fiber drawing.

[0018] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a multifunctional artificial plant according to one embodiment of this application is shown; and

[0019] Figure 5A finished product of a multifunctional simulated plant (middle) made according to some embodiments of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the application. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of this application more thorough and complete.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0022] The term "artificial plant" as used in this article refers to decorative products designed and made using highly realistic materials that mimic the shape of plants.

[0023] The term "simulated plant organs" used in this article refers to the simulated roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of simulated plants, etc. These are semi-finished products of simulated plants. In addition, these simulated plant organs can be combined or assembled as needed, which is also a type of semi-finished product of simulated plants.

[0024] The term "artificial plant component" as used in this article refers to auxiliary components involved in the production of artificial plants, including but not limited to supports, fillers, fasteners, additives, adhesives, etc.

[0025] The term "PET" refers to the compound polyethylene terephthalate, which can be prepared or purchased directly. PET obtained through recycling is referred to herein as "recycled PET (rPET)". The term "polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material" as used herein refers to various forms of materials or substrates derived from PET, including PET, BOPET, PET fibers, etc.

[0026] The term "biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET)" as used herein refers to a high-quality film made from polyester resin. BOPET as described herein can be produced using any method known to those skilled in the art; for example, in China, it is mainly produced using the following process: PET drying—heating and melting—extrusion casting—longitudinal stretching of the thick sheet—transverse stretching—winding—slitting and packaging—further processing. BOPET itself can have a glossy finish, exhibiting a reflective effect similar to that of real leaves under light.

[0027] As used herein, the term "PET filament" refers to the process of PET into filaments using a machine. PET filaments as described herein can be produced using any method known to those skilled in the art.

[0028] As used in this document, the term "multifunctional" refers to a PET material that possesses multiple different functions or properties through a certain method, such as color development, light stabilization, antistatic properties, flame retardancy, UV resistance, oxidation resistance, matte finish, brightening effect, foaming, color changing, and antibacterial properties. Therefore, multifunctional PET material refers to a PET material that possesses multiple different functions or properties, such as those mentioned above. In this document, unless otherwise stated, references to PET material and its contents generally refer to multifunctional PET material.

[0029] As used herein, the term "embossing" refers to the process of changing the thickness of a material under the action of a mold to press out patterns or lettering on the surface of the material. In some embodiments of this application, embossing may optionally be performed on PET material to form an uneven texture on its surface.

[0030] The term "PET pellets" used in this article refers to PET raw materials, and their form is not limited, but preferably in the form of pellets, granules, flakes or fragments.

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and some embodiments, further illustrates this application. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the method for fabricating multifunctional simulated plant organs may include:

[0033] S10: Preparation of multifunctional PET materials; and

[0034] S20: Process the multifunctional PET material into multifunctional simulated plant organs.

[0035] In S10, multifunctional PET materials can be designed and selected according to the requirements of simulated plant organs. The multifunctionality can be selected as color development, light stability, antistatic, flame retardant, UV resistance, antioxidation, matte finish, brightening, antibacterial, etc., and combinations thereof. The specific implementation methods are detailed below.

[0036] In some embodiments, the multifunctional PET material may include multifunctional PET, multifunctional biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET), multifunctional PET filaments, or combinations thereof. The specific form of PET material selected depends on the requirements of the final product. In some embodiments, only one form of PET may be selected; in other embodiments, more than one PET material may be selected and combined to prepare multifunctional simulated plant organs. In some embodiments, BOPET may be selected to make simulated tree trunks, and PET filaments may be selected to make simulated leaves.

[0037] In some implementations, PET can be purchased directly. In other implementations, PET can be prepared, for example, by recycling PET plastic products and processing them back into PET; the resulting PET is called recycled PET (rPET).

[0038] In some implementations, the raw materials for BOPET and PET fiber drawing can be directly purchased PET or rPET.

[0039] In some implementations, the method for producing PET material can use methods and tools commonly used in the art, such as using a twin-stretcher to produce BOPET and a wire drawing machine to produce PET fibers.

[0040] In S20, processing the multifunctional PET material into multifunctional simulated plant organs may include using common methods known in the art to process the multifunctional PET material into simulated plant organs, including but not limited to cutting, winding, assembling, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the multifunctional PET material may be cut into the desired shape to assemble into simulated plant organs. Cutting may be performed using methods known in the art, including but not limited to manual cutting, machine cutting, etc.

[0041] As is known in the art, simulated plant organs can include simulated roots, simulated stems, simulated leaves, simulated flowers, simulated fruits, and simulated seeds. In this application, multifunctional PET material can be optionally processed into one or more of the following simulated roots, simulated stems, simulated leaves, simulated flowers, simulated fruits, and simulated seeds, depending on design requirements. For example, if the required simulated plant organ is a simulated leaf, the cut multifunctional PET material, such as BOPET, can be further assembled with other required simulated plant components, such as leaf veins, to form a simulated leaf. If the required simulated plant organ is a pine needle, simulated pine needles can be obtained by directly cutting and drawing PET fibers. The simulated plant organs thus produced have high tensile strength and are not easily damaged. Optionally, the leaf shape can be, for example, strip-shaped, elliptical, heart-shaped, needle-shaped, palmate, etc., or combinations thereof.

[0042] In some embodiments, the multifunctional material is processed into a simulated plant organ, that is, the multifunctional PET material is processed into separate roots, stems, leaves, etc. However, sometimes, depending on the design requirements and processing flow, in some embodiments, the simulated plant organ processed from the multifunctional PET material in S20 may also be a single piece. For example, when the multifunctional PET material is BOPET, interconnected leaves and stems can be produced on the same piece of BOPET, that is, the cutting is designed so that the cut BOPET can be assembled into a stem with leaves after certain processing, such as a branch with leaves. This can reduce processing steps and save costs, and reduce defects in the simulated plant. In some embodiments, in order to increase the thickness of the leaves and make the finished tree look more lush and beautiful, two or more pieces of BOPET can be placed in a parallel operating position using, for example, a stretching machine, and simultaneously cut separately, then wound onto two wires, and then the two wound branches are wrapped together to form a single, more lush branch. In this article, the method of integrating multiple BOPET sheets together is referred to as the "multi-winding" mode, while the method of fabricating a single BOPET sheet into a tree branch is referred to as the "single-winding" mode. In some embodiments, the fabricated tree branch can be single-winding or multi-winding, such as double-winding, triple-winding, etc., as needed. In some embodiments, the thickness of the fabricated single BOPET sheet can be from 10μm to 200μm, for example, 50μm, 70μm, or 100μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the single BOPET sheet can be, for example, above 65μm, which makes the simulated tree with the above-mentioned "double-winding" mode not only lush and beautiful, but also closer to a real tree.

[0043] In some implementations, when the multifunctional PET material is PET filament, the length and diameter of the PET filament can be adjusted as needed to better meet various requirements.

[0044] This method for manufacturing simulated plant organs involves processing multifunctional PET material into multifunctional simulated plant organs. On the one hand, it can efficiently simulate various plant organs, ensuring the realism of the simulated plants while being more environmentally friendly and safer. On the other hand, and more importantly, by replacing traditional PVC or PET with multifunctional PET material, the resulting simulated plants can possess multiple functions, enabling their wide application in various scenarios.

[0045] In other embodiments, after preparing the multifunctional PET material, the process may further include embossing the multifunctional PET material to form an uneven texture on its surface. In some embodiments, tools such as embossing molds and embossing rollers can be used to apply pressure to the surface of the multifunctional PET material, causing plastic deformation and resulting in textures or patterns. These textures and patterns also alter the way light is reflected and scattered. Specifically, the uneven surface structure formed by embossing causes diffuse reflection of light on the surface of the multifunctional PET material, reducing the proportion of specular reflection and thus lowering the gloss. Therefore, embossings of different depths and sizes can be embossed as needed to obtain simulated plant organs with different gloss levels and embossed sizes, simulating plant organs at different growth stages to further improve the realism of the simulated plants and enhance their visual appeal. For example, an uneven texture can be formed on the surface of the multifunctional PET material by embossing with an embossing roller. The shape of the embossing can be designed as needed, including but not limited to circles, squares, rectangles, quadrilaterals, triangles, ellipses, stripes, and combinations thereof. Multifunctional PET materials can be partially or fully embossed, depending on the design requirements. For example, the embossed portion can be further processed into simulated leaves, while the unembossed portion can be processed into simulated stems. For instance, by attaching simulated leaves of varying gloss levels to the simulated stems according to plant growth patterns, the realism of the simulated plant can be effectively improved. Different gloss levels can be assigned to different plant organs as needed; that is, different plant organs can have different gloss levels. For example, the gloss level of simulated leaves can be brighter than that of simulated stems to more closely resemble that of a real plant.

[0046] In some embodiments, the step of embossing the multifunctional PET material may be omitted. That is, in some embodiments, for example, the overall gloss of the simulated leaf may not be altered by forming embossing on the surface of the simulated leaf, and this application does not limit this.

[0047] See Figure 2 In some embodiments, step S10, preparing the multifunctional PET material, may include the following steps:

[0048] S11: Prepare PET granules;

[0049] S12: Adding one or more additives to PET pellets to prepare multifunctional PET pellets; and

[0050] S13: Process multifunctional PET granules into multifunctional PET materials.

[0051] In step S11, PET from various sources can be selected, such as PET that can be prepared or purchased directly. For PET preparation, any method known in the art can be used, such as chemical methods, physical methods, etc. In some embodiments, recycled PET, i.e., rPET, can be obtained using a recycling method. Recycled PET products can be processed to obtain PET pellets. The processing can be carried out using methods well-known in the art, as long as PET pellets can be obtained. For example, recycled PET plastic products (e.g., plastic water bottles) can be crushed to obtain PET pellets. Specifically, after recycling used PET plastic water bottles, they are crushed into PET pellets using, for example, a crusher. In this application, the recycling rate of PET plastic products can reach 100%, meaning that the crushed PET pellets can be used entirely as raw materials without adding or supplementing other substances as the main raw materials. This process meets GRS standard certification requirements. PET plastic water bottles are used in large quantities, have wide sources, are renewable, and the PET used in their bottles has high purity, reducing purification costs and making them more environmentally friendly. In an alternative embodiment, PET pellets can also be purchased directly, which is not limited in this application.

[0052] In S12, one or more additives are added to the PET granules to prepare multifunctional PET granules, i.e., secondary granulation is performed. Specifically, in some embodiments, one or more additives can be mixed with PET granules in different proportions to produce multifunctional PET granules. Then, in S13, multifunctional PET granules are used to prepare multifunctional PET materials.

[0053] The additives that can be used include, but are not limited to, colorants, light stabilizers, antistatic agents, flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, matting agents, brightening agents, foaming agents, color-changing agents, and antibacterial agents, as well as combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art can adjust the type, content, and combination of the above additives according to actual needs. Normally, additives commonly used in the art are applicable to this invention. In some embodiments, the amount of each additive added can be 1wt%-25wt% of the entire composition (i.e., the combination of additives and PET pellets), for example, 1wt%-20wt%, 1wt%-15wt%, 1wt%-10wt%, 1wt%-5wt%, or 1wt%-3wt%. Normally, the above-mentioned additives commonly used in the art are applicable to this invention.

[0054] For example, in some embodiments, color powder can be added to PET granules to produce PET materials with the color of that color powder, such as green, yellow, brown, or white, and to give the PET material a glossy effect with high gloss. By directly preparing PET materials by adding color powder to PET granules, subsequent cutting can be performed without additional coloring, thereby obtaining simulated plant organs and finished simulated plants. This can significantly reduce production costs and improve production efficiency. Furthermore, simulated plants produced in this way already exhibit the corresponding color, such as green, red, or brown, eliminating concerns about color fading and ensuring high durability. The color powder concentration can be adjusted according to actual needs. In actual production, when it is necessary to produce simulated plants or simulated plant organs with brighter colors and higher color saturation, the color powder concentration can be increased to make the surface color of the resulting PET material brighter and more saturated. For example, by changing the color powder concentration, simulated leaves with different brightness and color saturation can be produced to simulate leaves of different species and at different growth stages. Furthermore, these artificial leaves can be fixed to the artificial tree trunk according to the growth pattern of trees, which can further improve the realism of the artificial tree.

[0055] In other embodiments, flame retardants can be added to PET granules to give the PET material a flame-retardant effect, thereby making the simulated plant organs made from this PET material flame-retardant. In some embodiments, halogen-free flame retardants are used. According to their composition, flame retardants can be divided into two main categories: halogenated flame retardants and halogen-free flame retardants. Because halogenated flame retardants release large amounts of smoke and harmful gases when exposed to fire, they pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. Due to concerns about human health and environmental protection, halogen-free flame retardants have attracted increasing attention due to their advantages such as high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and safety. Halogen-free flame retardants are mainly classified into phosphorus-based flame retardants (e.g., ammonium polyphosphate, red phosphorus, and melamine salts; phosphate-based, phosphazene, and phosphaphenanthrene compounds), nitrogen-based flame retardants (e.g., melamine and its derivatives, dicyandiamide and its derivatives, etc.), silicon-based flame retardants (e.g., silicone), inorganic metal flame retardants (e.g., magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, hydrotalcite, etc.), and bio-based flame retardants (e.g., vegetable oils with different phosphorus groups introduced into the main chain). The type and content of halogen-free flame retardants can be selected according to needs. Under normal circumstances, commonly used halogen-free flame retardant additives in this field are applicable to this invention.

[0056] In some embodiments, a matting agent can be added to PET granules to produce a matte PET material. The addition of the matting agent gives the PET material a matte surface with low gloss. The matting agent includes fully matte and semi-matte agents. The matteness of a fully matte agent is, for example, between 5 GU and 15 GU, while that of a semi-matte agent is, for example, between 15 GU and 30 GU. Fully matte and / or semi-matte agents can be selected according to actual needs. The matting agent provides a matte or low-gloss effect, changing the gloss of the PET material surface to obtain the desired gloss level. Printing a transparent matting agent can make the color and gloss of the PET material closer to that of real plants, improving the realism of the simulated plants produced by this method. Some matting agents can be, for example, epoxy resin matting agents, ND-110 matting agents, L-1030 / 1031 matting agents, metallic soaps, waxes, etc.

[0057] In some implementations, UV stabilizers can be added to PET pellets to produce PET materials with UV-resistant properties. The addition of UV stabilizers enables the resulting PET material to resist ultraviolet light, preventing or delaying discoloration. Common UV stabilizers include inorganic UV stabilizers, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide; and organic UV stabilizers, such as UV absorber UV-531 and UV-resistant finishing agent HTUV100.

[0058] In some implementations, antistatic agents can be added to PET granules to produce PET materials with antistatic properties. The addition of antistatic agents prevents static electricity buildup, reducing the discomfort when artificial plants come into contact with the human body, and also avoids safety hazards, such as the potential for explosions caused by static sparks igniting flammable materials. Commonly used antistatic agents include cationic, anionic, and nonionic antistatic agents. Cationic antistatic agents are typically long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium, phosphorus, or phosphonium salts, with chlorides as the balancing ion; anionic antistatic agents are typically alkali metal salts of alkyl sulfonic acids, phosphoric acids, or dithiocarbamates; nonionic antistatic agents typically include ethoxylated aliphatic alkylamines, ethoxylated alkyl acid amines such as ethoxylactone, and glyceryl monostearate (GMS).

[0059] In some implementations, antimicrobial agents can be added to PET granules to produce PET materials with antimicrobial effects. This prevents bacterial growth, making products safer and more durable. Antimicrobial agents are generally classified into inorganic, organic, and natural antimicrobial agents. Common inorganic antimicrobial agents include metallic antimicrobial agents such as silver, copper, and zinc. Common organic antimicrobial agents include vanillin or ethyl vanillin compounds, acylanilines, imidazoles, thiazoles, isothiazolone derivatives, quaternary ammonium salts, bisulfones, and phenols. Common natural antimicrobial agents are mainly derived from natural plant extracts, such as chitin, mustard, castor oil, and wasabi.

[0060] In other embodiments, multiple additives can be used simultaneously. For example, using colorant and matting agent, the resulting PET material can exhibit the color of the colorant, such as green, yellow, brown, white, etc., while having a matte finish and low gloss. As another example, colorant, matting agent, flame retardant, UV protectant, antistatic agent, and antibacterial agent can be used simultaneously, giving the resulting PET material color, matte finish, flame retardancy, UV protection, antistatic properties, and antibacterial properties, thereby enabling the simulated plant organs and plants made from it to possess corresponding functions. Depending on the desired design, any additives or combinations thereof can be added, where appropriate, to achieve the desired functionality.

[0061] Regarding step S13, depending on the type of multifunctional PET material required, any commonly used method known in the art can be used to process the multifunctional PET granules into the multifunctional PET material. For example, when the PET material is BOPET, the functional PET granules can be melted to obtain polyester resin blocks, and then the polyester resin blocks can be dried, melted, extruded, cast, and stretched to produce BOPET. As another example, when the PET material is PET filament, the functional PET granules can be melted to obtain polyester resin blocks, and then the polyester resin blocks can be dried, melted, extruded, and stretched to produce PET filament.

[0062] Since PET granules are refined and polymerized from petroleum, they contain antimony. Although antimony compounds have flame-retardant properties, antimony is toxic and can damage human organs, even inducing cancer. In some embodiments, the PET granules used in this application to produce PET materials have had antimony replaced with titanium through a chemical method. Titanium has low toxicity to the human body, thus making the produced simulated plants safer.

[0063] The above implementation methods can be combined in any way without mutual exclusion.

[0064] The aforementioned method for manufacturing simulated plant organs involves preparing multifunctional PET materials, which in turn produce multifunctional simulated plant organs. On one hand, simulated plant organs made from multifunctional PET materials exhibit stronger tensile and impact resistance, as well as higher durability. Furthermore, by adding various additives to the PET granules, the performance of the PET material can be further improved. For example, adding colorants, matting agents, halogen-free flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antistatic agents, and antibacterial agents allows the simulated plants made from multifunctional PET materials to possess corresponding properties, enabling applications in a wider range of scenarios. On the other hand, the multifunctional PET material is molded in a single process, reducing secondary processing, lowering the utilization rate of materials and personnel resources, improving production efficiency, and reducing production costs.

[0065] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0066] This application also provides a simulated plant organ, which is manufactured using the above-described method. The simulated plant organ provided according to the embodiments of this application has stronger tensile and impact resistance, as well as high durability and resistance to damage. Furthermore, by adding various additives to PET granules, the performance of the PET material can be further improved. For example, adding colorants, matting agents, halogen-free flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antistatic agents, and antibacterial agents allows the simulated plant organ made from multifunctional PET material to possess corresponding properties, enabling its application in a wider range of scenarios.

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, this application also provides a method for producing a multifunctional artificial plant, which may include the following steps:

[0068] S10: Preparation of multifunctional PET materials;

[0069] S20: Processing multifunctional PET materials into multifunctional simulated plant organs; and

[0070] S30: Assemble multifunctional simulated plant organs into multifunctional simulated plants.

[0071] The relevant content in S10 and S20 is the same as the above content, and will not be repeated here.

[0072] In S30, multifunctional simulated plant organs can be assembled into a multifunctional simulated plant, i.e., a finished multifunctional simulated plant, by any suitable means. Simulated plant components can be used to better complete the assembly, including but not limited to supports, fillers, fasteners, additives, etc. Supports and fillers can be any object used to support and fill the plant organs, such as internal materials for the simulated plant stem, and can include foam, plastic, metal, fiber, etc. Fasteners are used to better secure the plant organs, such as connecting simulated leaves and simulated stems together, and can include plastic, metal, fiber, etc. Additives can be any suitable aids added to achieve a certain function or effect, including but not limited to adhesives, fragrances, glitter, etc.

[0073] For example, in making a simulated pine tree, BOPET can be cut into strips and fixed around a strip of filler to form a simulated stem, i.e., branches. Then, PET filaments can be drawn and cut into needle-like leaves, such as pine needles, and then fixed into clusters using a fixing device such as wire. Multiple clusters of pine needles are then attached to the branches to form branches with pine needles. Suitable materials are then used as the main trunk and base, and finally, they are assembled together to form a finished simulated pine tree.

[0074] Similarly, this method shares the same advantages as the methods described above. Simulated plant organs made from multifunctional PET materials exhibit stronger tensile and impact resistance, as well as higher durability. Furthermore, by adding various additives to PET granules, the performance of PET materials can be further improved. For example, adding colorants, matting agents, halogen-free flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antistatic agents, and antibacterial agents can give multifunctional simulated plants made from multifunctional PET materials corresponding properties, enabling their application in more scenarios. On the other hand, multifunctional PET materials are molded in one step, reducing secondary processing, lowering the utilization rate of materials and personnel resources, improving production efficiency, and reducing production costs.

[0075] In addition, this application also provides a multifunctional artificial plant, which is used Figure 4 It was made using the method shown.

[0076] Simulated plants made from multifunctional PET materials have stronger tensile and impact resistance, as well as high durability. Furthermore, by adding various additives to PET granules, the performance of PET materials can be further improved. For example, adding colorants, matting agents, halogen-free flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antistatic agents, and antibacterial agents can give simulated plants made from multifunctional PET materials corresponding properties, enabling their application in more scenarios.

[0077] Furthermore, this application also provides a multifunctional PET material for fabricating the aforementioned multifunctional simulated plant organs or multifunctional simulated plants. In some embodiments, the multifunctional PET material may contain one or more additives selected from the following: colorants, light stabilizers, antistatic agents, flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, matting agents, brightening agents, foaming agents, color-changing agents, and antibacterial agents. In some embodiments, the multifunctional PET material includes multifunctional PET, multifunctional BOPET, multifunctional PET fibers, or combinations thereof.

[0078] Example

[0079] To more clearly describe and understand the methods and products of this application, the following uses a simulated pine tree as an example of a simulated plant to further illustrate and describe the details of this application.

[0080] The materials and instruments involved in this embodiment are all common materials and instruments in the field, and the materials can be prepared by oneself or purchased from the market.

[0081] Example 1: Preparation of multifunctional PET materials

[0082] Example 1.1: Preparation of PET granules

[0083] Transparent PET plastic water bottles are recycled, cleaned, and then crushed using a crusher to produce PET granules. In this embodiment, the recycling rate of PET plastic products can reach 100%, meaning that the crushed PET granules can be used entirely as raw materials without the need to add or supplement other substances as main raw materials. This process meets GRS standard certification requirements.

[0084] Example 1.2: Secondary granulation of PET

[0085] In this embodiment, two colors of PET granules, green and brown, were prepared. Using the PET granules prepared in Example 1.1, the PET granules, color powder (green or brown), halogen-free flame retardant, semi-matte agent, UV stabilizer, antistatic agent, and antibacterial agent were mixed together using a granulator. After being stirred at a certain temperature for a certain time to achieve uniform mixing (the stirring time and temperature need to be adjusted as needed), green or brown multifunctional PET granules were obtained respectively.

[0086] Example 1.3: Preparation of multifunctional BOPET

[0087] The brown multifunctional PET granules prepared in Example 1.2 were placed in a large hopper for drying, then extruded into sheets using an extruder. The sheets were then stretched longitudinally and laterally, subsequently wound, slit, and packaged for further processing to obtain a brown multifunctional BOPET. This multifunctional BOPET possesses color-developing, flame-retardant, matte, UV-resistant, antistatic, and antibacterial properties.

[0088] Example 1.4: Preparation of multifunctional PET fibers

[0089] The green multifunctional PET granules prepared in Example 1.2 were placed in a large hopper for drying, then extruded using an extruder, and finally drawn into fibers using a fiber drawing machine to obtain a green multifunctional PET fiber. This multifunctional PET fiber has the functions of color development, flame retardancy, matte finish, UV resistance, antistatic properties, and antibacterial properties.

[0090] Example 2: Multifunctional BOPET and multifunctional PET fibers were processed into multifunctional simulated plant organs.

[0091] The multifunctional BOPET obtained in Example 1.3 is cut using a stretching machine. The specific cutting method and size can be adjusted as needed. In this example, it is cut into strips of different lengths and widths. After cutting, the BOPET is wrapped and fixed to the stem filler, such as wire, using a stretching machine to form simulated stems of different lengths and widths.

[0092] The multifunctional PET filaments obtained in Example 1.4 are cut using a cutting machine. The specific cutting method and dimensions can be adjusted as needed. In this example, the filaments are cut into pine needles of different lengths, and then the pine needles are wound and fixed onto the simulated stem with BOPET attached using a filament-pulling machine. This yields a branch section with pine needles.

[0093] The operations for the two materials mentioned above can be carried out separately, or they can be carried out simultaneously by configuring the stretching machine.

[0094] Example 3: Assembly of Multifunctional Simulated Plants

[0095] Based on design requirements and taking into account the actual shape and characteristics of trees, the multiple branches obtained in Example 2 were assembled together. For example... Figure 5 The image shown in the center is an example of an assembled simulated pine tree, which could be used as a Christmas tree, for example. Sample 1 (BOPET portion) and Sample 2 (PET filament portion) of the finished tree were selected for subsequent performance testing.

[0096] Comparative Example 1: Simulated trees made from BOPET without additives and PET fibers

[0097] The same method was used to remanufacture the simulated pine tree of Example 3, except that no colorant, flame retardant, UV stabilizer, matting agent, antistatic agent, or antibacterial agent was added during the preparation of BOPET and PET filaments. The BOPET portion of Comparative Example 1 was selected as Sample 3, and the PET filament portion as Sample 4, for subsequent performance testing.

[0098] Example 4: Performance Testing

[0099] The above-mentioned samples of the simulation trees obtained in Example 3 and Comparative Example 1 were subjected to various performance tests. Each sample was tested in three parallel tests. The test standards or test conditions and results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0100] Test environment: Indoor temperature 25±5℃; relative humidity 50%+ / -20%; illumination: 500-1000Lux;

[0101] Visual inspection conditions: The inspector should have good eyesight and the eyes should be 30-40cm away from the sample during the inspection;

[0102] Visual inspection time: 8-15 seconds for the appearance inspection of each sample.

[0103] Table 1

[0104]

[0105]

[0106] As can be seen from the table above, artificial trees with various additives have a variety of excellent properties, such as matte finish, good flame retardancy, excellent UV aging resistance, high and low temperature resistance, strong adhesion, good elasticity, good folding performance, and antistatic properties. These excellent properties can make this multifunctional artificial plant more widely used in various fields.

[0107] Therefore, it can be seen that the simulated plant organs or simulated plants produced by the method of this application not only overcome the problems of traditional PVC materials such as lack of fidelity, discoloration, deformation, lack of environmental protection, and lack of antibacterial properties by using multifunctional PET materials, but also endow simulated plant organs or simulated plants with multifunctionality, such as UV resistance, matte finish, flame retardancy, antistatic properties, and antibacterial properties, so that they can better meet people's special needs and be more widely used in various applications.

[0108] 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.

[0109] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementations of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a multifunctional simulated plant organ, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Preparation of multifunctional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials; and The multifunctional PET material is processed into multifunctional simulated plant organs.

2. The method for manufacturing multifunctional simulated plant organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multifunctional PET material includes multifunctional PET, multifunctional biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET), multifunctional PET filaments, or combinations thereof.

3. The method for fabricating multifunctional simulated plant organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation of multifunctional PET materials includes: Prepare PET granules; One or more additives are added to the PET pellets to prepare multifunctional PET pellets; and The multifunctional PET granules are processed into the multifunctional PET material.

4. The method for manufacturing multifunctional simulated plant organs according to claim 3, characterized in that, The one or more additives mentioned are selected from: colorants, light stabilizers, antistatic agents, flame retardants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, matting agents, brightening agents, foaming agents, color-changing agents, antibacterial agents, and combinations thereof.

5. The method for fabricating multifunctional simulated plant organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multifunctional simulated plant organs include simulated roots, simulated stems, simulated leaves, simulated flowers, simulated fruits, and simulated seeds.

6. A multifunctional simulated plant organ, characterized in that, The multifunctional simulated plant organ is manufactured using the method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for producing a multifunctional simulated plant, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is used to produce multifunctional simulated plant organs; as well as The multifunctional simulated plant organs are assembled into the multifunctional simulated plant.

8. A multifunctional simulated plant, characterized in that, The multifunctional artificial plant is made using the method described in claim 7.

9. A multifunctional PET material for manufacturing the multifunctional simulated plant organ according to claim 6 or the multifunctional simulated plant according to claim 8.

10. The multifunctional PET material according to claim 9, characterized in that, The multifunctional PET material includes multifunctional PET, multifunctional biaxially oriented polyester film (BOPET), multifunctional PET filaments, or combinations thereof.

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