Pet excrement treatment material, method of producing same, and pet excrement treatment system using pet excrement treatment material

Abstract

To provide a pet excrement treatment material having improved water resistance and deodorizing properties compared with conventional ones.SOLUTION: A pet excrement treatment material is composed of a molded body containing a ground material derived from a plant. The molded body has been semi-carbonized. The L* value in a L*a*b* color system is 19 or more and 37 or less. The C* value in a L*C*h color system is 2 or more and 22 or less. The proportion of the volatile content of the excrement treatment material for pets on a water-free and ash-free basis as measured in accordance with the JIS M 8812 is preferably 72 mass% or more and 85 mass% or less with respect to the excrement treatment material for pets. It is preferable that a passing rate of a sieve having a wire size of 2 mm and a mesh size of 3 mm×15 mm is 5% or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an excrement treatment material for pets, a method for manufacturing the same, and a pet excrement treatment system using the excrement treatment material for pets.

Background Art

[0002] Various techniques have been proposed to facilitate the treatment of excrement of pets such as dogs and cats. For example, in Patent Document 1, a wood-based water-repellent pellet obtained by roasting and drying a woody raw material is proposed. According to this wood-based water-repellent pellet, it is described in the same document that water resistance is improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is difficult to say that the wood-based water-repellent pellet described in Patent Document 1 has progressed too much in carbonization and exhibits sufficient deodorizing properties. That is, although one of the purposes of the excrement treatment material is to deodorize pet feces and urine, the wood-based water-repellent pellet described in the same document has room for improvement in terms of deodorizing properties. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an excrement treatment material for pets having improved water resistance and deodorizing properties compared to the conventional ones.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention relates to an excrement treatment material for pets. In one embodiment, it is preferably composed of a molded body containing a pulverized product of a plant-derived material. In one embodiment, it is preferable that the molded body is semi-carbonized. In one embodiment, L *a * b * The L value in the color system * is preferably 19 or more and 37 or less.

[0006] The present invention also relates to an excrement treatment material for pets. In one embodiment, it preferably comprises a molded body containing a pulverized product of a plant-derived material. In one embodiment, it is preferable that the molded body is semi-carbonized. In one embodiment, L * C * The C value in the h color system * is preferably 2 or more and 22 or less.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material for pets. In one embodiment, it is preferable to semi-carbonize a molded body of a pulverized product of a plant-derived material.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a pet excrement treatment system including the pet excrement treatment material and a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there are provided an excrement treatment material for pets, a method for manufacturing the same, and a pet excrement treatment system using the excrement treatment material for pets, which have improved water resistance and deodorizing properties compared to the prior art.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The pet excrement treatment material in this embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "excrement treatment material") includes, as one of its constituent components, a pulverized product of a plant-derived material (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "pulverized product"), and is composed of a semi-carbonized product of a molded body containing the pulverized product (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "semi-carbonized product").

[0012] The pulverized product is derived from woody and herbaceous plants. Therefore, the pulverized product contains cellulose as one of its constituent components. In this embodiment, by using woody and herbaceous plant-derived materials, the masking of odors caused by the aromas inherent in the materials themselves and the deodorizing effect due to the adsorption of odor components to the materials are manifested, and the manufacturing cost of the excrement treatment material can be suppressed. Furthermore, by making the material into a pulverized product, the surface area of the excrement treatment material increases, and the deodorizing effect is more effectively manifested.

[0013] Examples of the pulverized product include wood powder (pulverized product of wood or bark), seed oil residue, cereal husk pulverized product, and herb pulverized product. From the viewpoint of improving the water resistance and deodorizing property of the excrement treatment material, the pulverized product preferably mainly contains wood powder derived from coniferous trees such as the Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, or Taxodiaceae families (hereinafter, also referred to as "coniferous tree-derived wood powder"). Specifically, as the content relative to the total amount of the pulverized product, it is preferable to use 60% by mass or more of coniferous tree-derived wood powder and 40% by mass or less of wood powder derived from broad-leaved trees such as the Fagaceae, Ulmaceae, or Betulaceae families (hereinafter, also referred to as "broad-leaved tree-derived wood powder"). More preferably, 75% by mass or more of coniferous tree-derived wood powder and 25% by mass or less of broad-leaved tree-derived wood powder are used. Even more preferably, 90% by mass or more of coniferous tree-derived wood powder and 10% by mass or less of broad-leaved tree-derived wood powder are used.

[0014] Incidentally, as described above, conventional excrement treatment materials can obtain deodorizing properties, for example, by containing plant-derived materials. On the other hand, since such materials have a hydrophilic structure, there has been a problem that when the content of the material is excessively increased in an attempt to improve the deodorizing property, the water resistance of the excrement treatment material decreases. As a result of intensive studies by the present inventor on improving this point, it has been found that in an excrement treatment material, by semi-carbonizing a molded body containing pulverized matter, the water resistance of the excrement treatment material can be improved more than before while maintaining the deodorizing property of the pulverized matter.

[0015] In this specification, "semi-carbonization" with respect to wood means a state in which it has been carbonized but not completely. It is generally known that the progress of wood carbonization follows an S-shaped carbonization curve (Hiroshi Sano, Takako Honjo, "Principles and Utility of Biomass Semi-Carbonization", Journal of the High Temperature Society, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2011, p. 43-49). The semi-carbonization region includes three regions that vary greatly in chemical and physical properties. These three regions are divided into the shoulder part of the S-shaped curve, the vicinity of the midpoint of the S-shaped curve, and the exit of the S-shaped curve (the part where the rapid mass reduction ends and enters a gentle decreasing straight line), and are classified as semi-carbonized products I, II, and III, respectively. The semi-carbonized molded body used in the present invention includes semi-carbonized products I, II, and III. Thus, the semi-carbonized pulverized matter is one that has been subjected to a treatment such that it becomes in a semi-carbonized state. That is, the excrement treatment material of the present embodiment can be specified by its treatment method. The reason for this is that in the present embodiment, there is a situation where it is impossible to directly specify the excrement treatment material by its structure or properties at the time of filing, or it is not approximately practical. A method for confirming whether it is carbonized or not will be described in the examples below.

[0016] As described above, it has been found by the present invention that the semi-carbonized product of the molded body has improved water resistance compared to the molded body before the semi-carbonization treatment. Therefore, by forming the excrement treatment material from the semi-carbonized molded body, it becomes possible to improve the water resistance of the excrement treatment material more than before. On the other hand, it has also been found by the present invention that the deodorizing effect derived from the plant-derived material tends to decrease as the carbonization of the material progresses. Since the semi-carbonized product is not completely carbonized as described above, the deodorizing effect caused by the plant-derived material can be fully utilized. For such reasons, the excrement treatment material of the present invention can achieve both water resistance and deodorizing properties. The semi-carbonized product can be obtained, for example, by the production method described later.

[0017] From the viewpoint of improving water resistance and deodorizing properties more than before, it is preferable that the molded body of the excrement treatment material of the present invention is semi-carbonized to a predetermined degree. On the other hand, it is not easy to measure the content of the semi-carbonized product in the excrement treatment material as a product. The reason is that even if the mass reduction and volatile content of the molded body due to the semi-carbonization treatment are small, the water resistance of the semi-carbonized molded body may be greatly improved, and it is extremely difficult to obtain the correlation between the degree of carbonization and the mass and volatile content of the molded body. On the other hand, as a result of the inventor's study, it has been found that the semi-carbonized molded body remarkably shows a tendency of "the surface color becomes darker or duller". The excrement treatment material of the present invention is preferably obtained by roasting the molded body, and in that case, the degree of carbonization is different between the surface and the inside of the molded body. Particularly with respect to the water resistance of the excrement treatment material, it is considered that the degree of carbonization of the surface layer portion of the molded body greatly affects it. Therefore, in the excrement treatment material of the present invention, L * a * b * In the L * value or L * C * The degree of carbonization is defined by the C * value in the h color system. The details of these values are as described later.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the excrement treatment material is composed of a molded body in which the degree of progress of carbonization is adjusted. Specifically, from the viewpoint of improving the water resistance and deodorizing property of the excrement treatment material compared with the prior art, it is preferable that the molded body contains a pulverized material in which carbonization has progressed to a predetermined degree or more. Further, from the viewpoint of increasing the lightness of the background color of the excrement treatment material, giving a clean feeling to the user of the excrement treatment material, and making it easy to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, it is preferable that the molded body contains a pulverized material in which the degree of carbonization has not progressed excessively. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving the strength of the excrement treatment material, suppressing the generation of fine powder during the use of the excrement treatment material, and keeping the interior clean, it is also preferable.

[0019] Specifically, from the viewpoint of defining the content of the semi-carbonized pulverized material and determining the degree of progress of carbonization of the pulverized material, the excrement treatment material has an L * a * b * lightness L in the color space * preferably within a predetermined range. From the viewpoint of increasing the lightness of the background color of the excrement treatment material to give a clean feeling to the user and making it easy to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, and from the viewpoint of improving the deodorizing property of the excrement treatment material compared with the prior art, L * a * b * the L value in the L * a * b * b * preferably 19 or more, more preferably 23 or more, and even more preferably 29 or more. Also, from the viewpoint of water resistance, the L * a * L * value is preferably 37 or less, more preferably 35 or less, and even more preferably 33 or less. L * The method for measuring the L value will be described in the examples described later.

[0020] The excrement treatment material has a chromaticity a in the L * a * b * color space *is preferably within a predetermined range. From the viewpoints of increasing the chromaticity in the red direction of the background color of the excrement treatment material to give users a sense of cleanliness, making it easier to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, and improving the deodorizing property of the excrement treatment material compared to the prior art, L * a * b * the a value in the color system * is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 3 or more, and even more preferably 5 or more. From the viewpoint of water resistance, L * a * b * the a value in the color system * is preferably 11 or less, more preferably 10 or less, and even more preferably 9 or less. a * The method for measuring the value will be described in the examples described later.

[0021] The excrement treatment material is L * a * b * the chromaticity b in the color space * is preferably within a predetermined range. From the viewpoints of increasing the chromaticity in the yellow direction of the background color of the excrement treatment material to give users a sense of cleanliness, making it easier to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, and improving the deodorizing property compared to the prior art, L * a * b * the b value in the color system * is preferably 0 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and even more preferably 10 or more. From the viewpoint of water resistance, L * a * b * the b value in the color system * is preferably 25 or less, more preferably 23 or less, and even more preferably 20 or less. b * The method for measuring the value will be described in the examples described later.

[0022] Also, from the viewpoints of defining the content of the semi-carbonized pulverized material and discriminating the degree of progress of the carbonization of the pulverized material, the excrement treatment material is L* C * Chroma C in the color space * is also preferably within a predetermined range. From the viewpoints of enhancing the chroma of the base color of the excrement treatment material to give a clean feeling to the user, making it easier to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, and improving the deodorizing property more than before, L * C * C in the LCh color system * value is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and even more preferably 10 or more. Also, from the viewpoint of water resistance, L * C * C in the LCh color system * value is preferably 22 or less, more preferably 21 or less, and even more preferably 20 or less. C * The method for measuring the C value will be described in the examples described later.

[0023] The degree of progress of carbonization of the molded body containing the pulverized material can also be determined by the ratio of the volatile matter on a moisture- and ash-free basis (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "volatile matter") of the excrement treatment material measured in accordance with JIS M 8812. In other words, it is also preferable that the ratio of the volatile matter of the excrement treatment material is within a predetermined range. Specifically, from the viewpoints of improving the water resistance and deodorizing property of the excrement treatment material more than before, the ratio of the volatile matter is preferably 72% by mass or more, more preferably 76% by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more with respect to the excrement treatment material. Also, from the viewpoints of enhancing the lightness of the base color of the excrement treatment material to give a clean feeling to the user, making it easier to distinguish feces from the excrement treatment material, and improving the strength of the excrement treatment material to suppress the generation of fine powder, the ratio of the volatile matter is preferably 85% by mass or less, more preferably 84% by mass or less, and even more preferably 83% by mass or less with respect to the excrement treatment material. The method for measuring the ratio of the volatile matter will be described in the examples described later.

[0024] The excrement treatment material can contain a synthetic resin in addition to the semi-carbonized product of the pulverized material as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. The synthetic resin can be used, for example, for the purpose of making it easier to maintain the excrement treatment material in a desired shape, enhancing the productivity of the excrement treatment material, or improving the water resistance of the excrement treatment material. As the synthetic resin, for example, a thermoplastic resin can be used. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate; vinyl resins such as polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene; acrylic resins such as polyacrylic acid and polymethyl methacrylate; ethylene-propylene copolymers; polyvinyl acetate; ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; polyvinyl alcohol, etc. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0025] In the excrement treatment material of the present invention, it may not contain a synthetic resin, or the content of the synthetic resin may be small. Since the excrement treatment material contains the semi-carbonized product of the pulverized material, as described above, the water resistance can be improved more than before. Therefore, even when the excrement treatment material does not contain a synthetic resin and / or the content of the synthetic resin in the excrement treatment material is small, the semi-carbonized product can play a role in improving the water resistance instead of the synthetic resin. In this specification, "not containing a synthetic resin" means that the excrement treatment material of the present invention is not intentionally made to contain a synthetic resin, but it is allowed that the synthetic resin is unavoidably mixed in the manufacturing process of the excrement treatment material. Specifically, even when the excrement treatment material does not contain a synthetic resin and / or the content of the synthetic resin in the excrement treatment material is small, the content is preferably 6% by mass or less, more preferably 4% by mass or less, still more preferably 2% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass with respect to the excrement treatment material.

[0026] In addition, as long as the effects of the present invention can be achieved, the excrement treatment material may contain other components such as antibacterial agents and coloring agents, in addition to the above-described components, as necessary. Examples of the antibacterial agent include sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, didecylmethylammonium, benzalkonium chloride, polyphenols, silver, copper, and the like. The content of the other components is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less in total.

[0027] It is also preferable that the excrement treatment material of the present invention satisfies a predetermined particle size distribution. The particle size distribution of the excrement treatment material can be determined, for example, by using a single or a plurality of sieves and based on the ratio of the excrement treatment material passing through and / or not passing through a predetermined nominal size of the sieve. There is no particular limitation on the nominal size of the sieve used in the present embodiment, but from the viewpoint of convenience in selecting the excrement treatment material, it is preferable to use a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm.

[0028] From the viewpoints of improving the strength, suppressing the generation of fine powder during use, and keeping the interior clean, the passing rate when using a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm and vibrating with a vibrating sieve machine (manufactured by Varder Scientific Co., Ltd., AS200 Basic) with a vibration width of 1.5 mm, a vibration frequency of 3000 times / minute, and a vibration time of 1 minute is preferably 5% or less, more preferably 3% or less, and even more preferably 1% or less, expressed as the average value of 5 measurement values. The smaller the passing rate of the sieve, the more preferable it is, but if the lower limit value is 0.2%, the intended effects can be sufficiently achieved. The "passing rate of the sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm" refers to the mass ratio (%) of the excrement treatment material sieved out by the sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm.

[0029] The passing rate of the sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm can be calculated based on the following formula (1). (Mass of the excrement treatment material that has passed through a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm) / (Mass of the excrement treatment material before passing through a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 3 mm × 15 mm) × 100 (1)

[0030] The excrement treatment material of the present invention is preferably porous. In other words, it is preferable that the specific gravity of the excrement treatment material is within a predetermined range. Specifically, from the viewpoint of improving the deodorizing property more than before, the specific gravity of the excrement treatment material is preferably 1.10 or less, more preferably 1.07 or less, and still more preferably 1.05 or less. Further, from the viewpoint of improving the strength of the excrement treatment material and suppressing the generation of fine powder, the specific gravity of the excrement treatment material is preferably 0.90 or more, more preferably 0.94 or more, and still more preferably 0.98 or more. The specific gravity can be obtained from the volume of the pellet obtained by putting about 10 g of pellets weighed to two decimal places into a 100 ml graduated cylinder containing about 50 ml of water measured to one decimal place, removing bubbles within 30 seconds, and measuring the rise in the water surface due to the pellets to one decimal place, and the weighed value of the pellets.

[0031] Next, a preferred manufacturing method of the excrement treatment material will be described below. First, a pulverized product of the above-mentioned plant-derived material before semi-carbonization treatment and, if necessary, the above-mentioned synthetic resin and other components are prepared. When using a synthetic resin and other components, these two components and the pulverized product are sufficiently mixed at the above-mentioned predetermined ratio to prepare a mixture (mixing step).

[0032] Examples of the shape of the pulverized product include powdery, granular, needle-like, plate-like, or an aggregate thereof, etc. In this manufacturing method, the raw materials having the same kind of shape can be used. Alternatively, the raw materials having different shapes can also be used in combination. From the viewpoint of reducing the equipment load during the production of the excrement treatment material and enhancing the handleability, the shape of the pulverized product is preferably powdery.

[0033] Preferably, the average particle size of the crushed material is within a predetermined range. This can also reduce the equipment load during the production of the excrement treatment material while enhancing the handleability. From this perspective, the average particle size of the crushed material is preferably 0.01 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.07 mm or more. From the same perspective, the average particle size of the crushed material is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less, and even more preferably 2 mm or less.

[0034] The average particle size of the crushed material can be measured by the following method, for example, using a multi-stage sieve shaker. Specifically, sieves (manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd.) with nominal mesh openings of 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1 mm, 2.36 mm, and 3.35 mm are placed in this order on a multi-stage sieve shaker (AS200 Basic, manufactured by VERDER Scientific Co., Ltd.). 50 g of the crushed material is put into the sieve with a mesh opening of 3.35 mm located at the topmost stage and shaken. The shaking amplitude is 1.5 mm, the vibration frequency is 3000 times / minute, and the sieving time is 2 minutes to measure the particle size distribution of the crushed material. Then, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the class values between each mesh opening by the ratio is calculated to obtain the average particle size of the crushed material. In the particle size distribution and average particle size of the crushed material measured in this way, it is preferable that the proportion of the crushed material with an average particle size of 1 mm or more and less than 2.36 mm is the largest, and it is even more preferable from the perspective of improving the deodorizing effect that this proportion occupies 40% or more of the total on a mass basis. In order to obtain such a particle size distribution, the crushed material may be further crushed or further sieved to remove the larger-diameter crushed material.

[0035] When using a synthetic resin and other components, the synthetic resin may be mixed as a solid such as powder or granules, or may be mixed in a molten state of the resin in advance. In addition, other components other than the synthetic resin can be mixed as a solid such as powder or granules. The mixing order of each raw material in the mixing process is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a batch mixing of each raw material, or may be a mixing by sequential addition. When using the synthetic resin as a solid, its particle size is preferably about 0.01 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less from the viewpoint of being able to be uniformly mixed with other constituent components. In any mixing method, it is preferable that the synthetic resin is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than its melting point during mixing.

[0036] The mixing step can be carried out using a mixer such as a paddle mixer. Specifically, for example, when using a ribbon paddle mixer (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.) as the mixer, its rotation speed is preferably 50 rpm or more, more preferably 80 rpm or more, and preferably 150 rpm or less, more preferably 120 rpm or less, and it can be mixed for 3 minutes or more and 10 minutes or less. When heating is carried out, the heating temperature can be a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the synthetic resin described above, and is preferably 60°C or more and 160°C or less. By mixing in this way, the constituent components can be uniformly mixed, and as a result, it is possible to easily exhibit the desired water resistance and deodorizing performance in the obtained excrement treatment material.

[0037] Next, the prepared pulverized material is formed into a predetermined shape to obtain a molded body (forming step). Forming can be carried out using a molding machine such as a pelletizer. Specifically, an F-5 type molding machine (manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd.) etc. can be used. By using such a molding machine, the pulverized material can be consolidated inside the molding machine, and as a result, a molded body having a shape-retaining property such that it does not easily disintegrate even when in contact with a liquid such as urine and being porous can be obtained. Even when the mixture is adjusted in the mixing step, a molded body can be obtained by molding the mixture into a predetermined shape. In the forming step, the pressure applied during consolidation is preferably 9.8 MPa or more, more preferably 29.4 MPa or more, and preferably 196 MPa or less, more preferably 177 MPa or less, from the viewpoint of facilitating granulation molding of the obtained molded body into a desired shape and enhancing the shape-retaining property after production.

[0038] The content of the crushed material in the formed body is preferably within a predetermined range. Specifically, from the viewpoint of enhancing the persistence of the deodorizing effect of the excrement treatment material, which is the object to be manufactured, and efficiently expressing the aroma peculiar to plant-derived materials, the formed body preferably contains more than 70% by mass of the crushed material, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and still more preferably 85% by mass or more.

[0039] The dimensions of the formed body can be appropriately changed according to the pore diameter of the extrusion port in the molding machine. For example, it is preferably granulated into a pellet shape with a diameter of about 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less and a height of about 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. That is, in the process described later, the excrement treatment material obtained from the formed body is preferably manufactured as a columnar pellet with a height larger than the diameter.

[0040] Once the formed body is obtained, the formed body is semi-carbonized to obtain an excrement treatment material. There is no particular limitation on the treatment method as long as the crushed material in the formed body is semi-carbonized. From the viewpoint of enhancing the productivity of the excrement treatment material, it is preferable to heat the formed body. When heating the formed body, as the atmosphere, it is preferably an inert gas atmosphere such as a nitrogen atmosphere. Alternatively, it is also preferable to perform heating in a sealed container with oxygen blocked. In either case, from the viewpoint of preventing the crushed material in the formed body from being completely carbonized, it is preferable to heat the formed body in a low-oxygen atmosphere. Such heating can be performed using, for example, an electric furnace.

[0041] The heating temperature of the formed body is, for example, L * value and C * From the viewpoint of making the value within the aforementioned range, it is preferably 150°C or higher, more preferably 200°C or higher, and still more preferably 220°C or higher. From the same viewpoint, the heating temperature is preferably 400°C or lower, more preferably 350°C or lower, and still more preferably 300°C or lower. The heating time of the formed body is, for example, L * value and C *From the perspective of keeping the value within the aforementioned range, it is preferably 1 minute or more, more preferably 5 minutes or more, and even more preferably 10 minutes or more. From the same perspective, the heating time is preferably 1440 minutes or less, more preferably 720 minutes or less, and even more preferably 360 minutes or less.

[0042] By manufacturing the excrement treatment material by the above method, the pulverized material can be semi-carbonized to obtain an excrement treatment material with improved water resistance and deodorizing properties compared to the conventional ones. The excrement treatment material is preferably accommodated, for example, in a storage bag having a predetermined size. This facilitates the handling of the excrement treatment material and makes it easier to supply it to the excrement treatment system for pets described later.

[0043] Next, a pet excrement treatment system using the excrement treatment material (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "excrement treatment system") will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0044] The excrement treatment system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 preferably includes the aforementioned excrement treatment material 20 and a porous member 30 for laying the excrement treatment material 20. From the perspective of handleability, the excrement treatment system 10 preferably includes an absorber 40 for absorbing urine. From the same perspective, the excrement treatment system 10 has a container 50 below these, and the container 50 preferably has a tray 52 capable of accommodating the absorber 40.

[0045] The porous member 30 has a shallow-bottomed tray shape and has a bamboo-shaped porous part 31 at its bottom. The porous part 31 is composed of a plurality of wire rods extending parallel to each other. There are gaps between the wire rods such that the excrement treatment material 20 does not fall. Further, the porous member 30 is configured to be detachable from the container 50.

[0046] The absorber 40 is a sheet-like structure capable of absorbing liquids such as urine. The absorber 40 can be, for example, (1) a mixture obtained by mixing an antibacterial agent, and at least one of a binder, a crosslinking agent, and water with a base material mainly composed of plant fibers or pulp, and then formed into a sheet; (2) a slurry obtained by mixing clay minerals (such as kaolin, bentonite, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, etc.) pulverized to a predetermined particle size, water, and a binder, pouring the slurry into a mold of a predetermined shape, drying at a predetermined temperature until a predetermined moisture content is reached, and then demolding; or (3) a mixture of pulp and a water-absorbing polymer wrapped with a sheet such as a non-woven fabric to form a sheet. In particular, it is preferable to use the absorber 40 composed of the constituent materials of (1) from the viewpoints of improving urine absorbency and facilitating handling.

[0047] The container 50 has a bottomed shape with an open top and has a volume capable of accommodating the bottom of the porous member 30 and the absorber 40. A substantially rectangular notch 51 is formed on one side surface of the container 50, and the tray 52 can be inserted into and removed from the container 50 through the notch 51. The tray 52 is a thin plate having a rectangular shape in plan view and can be accommodated in the container 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the absorber 40 for absorbing and holding excreted liquids such as urine is accommodated in the tray 52.

[0048] In the usage state of the excrement treatment system, as shown in FIG. 3, in the excrement treatment system 10, the porous member 30 is disposed on the absorber 40, and the excrement treatment material 20 is laid on the porous member 30. Specifically, in the accommodation state shown in the figure, the container 50 is vertically partitioned by the bottom of the porous member 30. The upper layer portion of the container 50 has the excrement treatment material 20 laid on the porous member 30, and the lower layer portion of the container 50 has the absorber 40 laid in the tray 52. From the viewpoint of effectively absorbing urine, the absorber 40 preferably has a size substantially matching the area where the porous portions 31 of the porous member 30 are disposed.

[0049] When the excrement treatment material of the present embodiment is used in the excrement treatment system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, urine excreted from a pet passes through between the excrement treatment materials 20 and is quickly absorbed by the absorber 40 laid under the porous member 30. The odor components of the urine will be deodorized by the excrement treatment material 20 and the absorber 40 that have come into contact with the urine. In addition, the feces excreted from the pet remain on the excrement treatment material 20 or are mixed with the excrement treatment material 20, and the odor components generated from the feces are adsorbed by the excrement treatment material 20, achieving a deodorizing effect. The excrement treatment material 20 has high water resistance and does not expand or disintegrate even when in contact with urine, so the excrement treatment material can be used for a long time, reducing the trouble of replacement. Also, even when the excrement treatment material is used for a long time, it will not disintegrate when being replaced or when the pet walks on it, making it excellent in handleability.

[0050] According to the excrement treatment material having the above configuration and the excrement treatment system using the excrement treatment material, it is possible to effectively deodorize the odor of excrement such as urine and feces of pets. These are particularly useful as excrement treatment materials for cats, but can also be used to treat excrement of other pets, such as small animals like dogs.

[0051] As described above, the present invention has been described based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the shape of the excrement treatment material was described as being cylindrical, but its shape is not particularly limited and can be polygonal columnar shapes such as triangular columnar, quadrangular columnar, or elliptical columnar. The shape of the excrement treatment material can be appropriately changed by changing the shape of the extrusion port in the molding machine.

Example

[0052] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such examples. Unless otherwise specified, “%” means “mass%”.

[0053] 〔Example 1〕 A commercially available molded product of a pulverized material derived from plants (wood white pellets, Shin-Ai Co., Ltd., having a cylindrical shape with a bottom diameter of 5.8 mm to 6.2 mm and a height of 3 mm to 50 mm) was prepared. This molded product was heated. The heating was carried out in a sealed electric furnace (gas replacement muffle furnace HPM-1G manufactured by AS ONE Corporation). Approximately 100 g of the molded product weighed to the first decimal place was placed in a magnetic flat dish (manufactured by AS ONE Corporation (diameter 120 mm, height 34 mm)), placed in the electric furnace, and heat-treated. The heating temperature refers to a constant temperature set in the electric furnace during the heat treatment, which was 230°C in this example. The heating time refers to the time from when the electric furnace containing the molded product reached a constant set temperature until it was maintained at the set temperature, which was 60 minutes in this example. After the passage of the heating time, the heating was terminated and it was allowed to cool at room temperature. The time for the electric furnace to reach a constant set temperature from room temperature was within 10 minutes (the same applies to all examples and comparative examples described below). In this way, the target excrement treatment material was obtained. Also, the mass after heat treatment (and after cooling at room temperature) with respect to the mass before heat treatment was defined as the mass ratio (after heat treatment / before heat treatment).

[0054] [Examples 2 to 4] In Example 1, the heating temperature and heating time of the molded product were changed to the conditions shown in Table 1. Otherwise, in the same manner as in Example 1, the target excrement treatment material was obtained.

[0055] [Comparative Example 1] In Example 1, the molded product was not heated. Otherwise, in the same manner as in Example 1, the target excrement treatment material was obtained.

[0056] [Comparative Examples 2 to 9] In Example 1, the heating temperature and heating time of the molded product were changed to the conditions shown in Table 1. Otherwise, in the same manner as in Example 1, the target excrement treatment material was obtained.

[0057] [Evaluation] For the excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples and comparative examples, according to the following method, it was confirmed whether the pulverized material was semi-carbonized. As a result, it was found that the pulverized material was semi-carbonized in the excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples. For the excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples and comparative examples, according to the following method, L * value, a * value and b * value were measured, and C * value was calculated. In addition, the ratio of the mass after heat treatment (after standing at room temperature) to the mass before heat treatment (mass after heat treatment / mass before heat treatment) was measured. In addition, according to the following method, the proportion of volatile matter and the flexural strength were measured. In addition, according to the above-mentioned method, the passing rate and specific gravity of a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and a mesh size of 3 mm × 15 mm were measured. In addition, according to the following method, the water absorption rate was calculated and the water resistance was evaluated. According to the following method, the deodorizing property was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0058] 〔Confirmation that the pulverized material was semi-carbonized〕 A sample prepared by pulverizing wood pellets was measured for its infrared spectrum using an infrared spectrophotometer. About 1500 cm -1 ~1700 cm -1 Measurement was carried out mainly in the wavelength range. In the case of semi-carbonized wood pellets, it is characteristic that a peak derived from the C=C stretching vibration of the aromatic ring generated by carbonization appears near 1600 cm -1 . Therefore, by comparing the IR spectra of untreated wood pellets and semi-carbonized wood pellets, the presence or absence of a peak near 1600 cm -1 was used as the criterion for judging semi-carbonization.

[0059] 〔L * value, a * value and b * value, and C * value〕 The excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples and comparative examples were filled to the brim in a stainless steel petri dish (manufactured by AS ONE Corporation) having a bottom diameter of 90 mm and a height of 20 mm. Using a color difference meter (Color Reader CR-13, manufactured by Konica Minolta Japan, Inc.), L * value, a * value, and b * value were measured. The measurement was performed at 10 arbitrary points, and the obtained values were arithmetically averaged. These values were taken as the L * value, a * value, and b * value. C * value was calculated from the a * value and b * value based on the following formula (2). C * ={(a * ) 2 +(b * ) 2} 1 / 2 (2)

[0060] 〔Ratio of volatile matter〕 In this specification, the ratio of volatile matter refers to the ratio of volatile matter in the sum of the air-dried moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon of the obtained excrement treatment material. That is, the ratio of volatile matter is calculated by the following formula. Ratio of volatile matter (%) = Volatile matter (%) / (Volatile matter (%) + Fixed carbon (%)) × 100 Note that MC Evatec Co., Ltd. measured the ratios (%) of air-dried moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon by the following method. The air-dried moisture was determined according to JIS M 8812 5. The ash was determined according to JIS M 8812 6. The volatile matter was determined according to JIS M 8812 7. The fixed carbon was determined according to JIS M 8812 8.

[0061] 〔Bending strength〕 The bending strength was measured by a three-point bending test. A manual lever type force gauge stand (manufactured by Nidec Drive Technology Co., Ltd., model number FGS-50L) was used for the three-point bending test. A 10-mm-wide aluminum channel was sandwiched between two cutter blades, and further clamped and fixed with a vice for a tabletop ball mill manufactured by TONG YUE. One excrement treatment material was placed between the two cutter blades so as to add up the space between them. The rear end of an extension rod with a 70° V-shaped adapter attached to its tip was attached to a digital force gauge FGPX-20 manufactured by Nidec Drive Technology. This digital force gauge was fixed to a stand FGS-50L manufactured by Nidec Drive Technology. Under this state, a load was applied to the central part of the excrement treatment material by the V-shaped adapter. The bending strength was obtained from the load when the excrement treatment material broke using the following formula. The bending strength was measured for 50 excrement treatment materials, and their average value was obtained. Bending strength (N / mm 2 ) = maximum bending moment (Nmm) / section modulus (mm 3 ) Maximum bending moment (Nmm) = maximum load (N) when the excrement treatment material breaks * distance between fulcrums (= 10 mm) / 4 Section modulus (mm 3 ) = pi * diameter (= 6 mm) 3 / 32

[0062] 〔Water absorption〕 For the pet excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples and comparative examples, the water absorption was calculated by the following method. First, 70 g of the pet excrement treatment material to be measured was placed in a mesh sieve. The mesh sieve used was made of stainless steel, with an inner diameter of 100 mm × height of 45 mm, wire diameter of 1.12 mm, and mesh opening of 2.8 mm, manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd. Next, the pet excrement treatment material placed in the mesh sieve was put into a water bath (EW-100RD, manufactured by AS ONE Corporation) with the water temperature set at 25°C and immersed for 20 minutes. Then, the mass of the pet excrement treatment material after immersion was measured, and the water absorption (%) was calculated from the following calculation formula (3). The results are shown in Table 1. Note that the pet excrement treatment material obtained in Comparative Example 1 disintegrated into a suspension after immersion, and the water absorption could not be calculated. Water absorption rate (%) = 100 × {(mass of the pet excrement treatment material after immersion [g]) - (mass of the pet excrement treatment material before immersion [g])} / (mass of the pet excrement treatment material before immersion [g]) (3)

[0063] 〔Deodorizing property〕 20 g of the excrement treatment materials obtained in the examples and comparative examples were placed in a 1-liter beaker. Then, 0.1 g of cat feces was spread on one side of a piece of filter paper (diameter 55 mm, manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha, Ltd.), and the beaker was filled so that the side of the filter paper on which the cat feces was spread faced the excrement treatment material. Thereafter, the beaker was sealed with wrapping film and left for 30 minutes, and the resulting sample was used as an evaluation sample. Regarding the odor of each evaluation sample, 10 professional monitors were asked to evaluate it according to the following evaluation criteria. The arithmetic mean value of the evaluation scores of the 10 professional monitors was taken as the evaluation score of each evaluation sample. Samples with an average evaluation score of 3 or less were evaluated as having a high deodorizing effect.

[0064] 〔Evaluation criteria〕 0: No odor. 1: There is an odor, but it is not known what the odor is from. 2: The odor of feces can be slightly perceived. 3: The odor of feces can be easily perceived. 4: The odor of feces can be strongly perceived and is unpleasant. 5: The odor of feces can be very strongly perceived and is unpleasant.

[0065]

Table 1

[0066] As is clear from the results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the pet excrement treatment materials obtained in each example had improved water resistance and deodorizing property compared to the pet excrement treatment materials obtained in each comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

[0067] 10 Pet excrement treatment system 20 Pet excrement treatment material 30 Porous member 40 Absorbent 50 Container 51 Notch 52 Tray

Claims

1. It consists of a molded body containing a pulverized product of a plant-derived material, and the molded body has been semi-carbonized. L ＊ a ＊ b ＊ L in the color system ＊ The excrement treatment material for pets, wherein the value is 19 or more and 37 or less.

2. It consists of a molded body containing a pulverized product of a plant-derived material, and the molded body has been semi-carbonized. L ＊ C ＊ C in the h color system ＊ A pet excrement treatment material in which the value is 2 or more and 22 or less.

3. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio of the volatile matter on an ash-free and moisture-free basis of the pet excrement treatment material measured in accordance with JIS M 8812 is 72% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less.

4. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the average of the passing rates through a sieve with a wire diameter of 2 mm and an opening size of 3 mm × 15 mm for 5 times is 5% or less.

5. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, which is contained in a storage bag.

6. A method for producing a pet excrement treatment material, which comprises semi-carbonizing a molded body of a pulverized product of a plant-derived material.

7. A pet excrement treatment system comprising the pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2 and a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material.

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