Absorbent and biodegradable material

Abstract

The absorbent material may include glucomannan, as well as biodegradable and / or non-biodegradable additives / substrates. The biodegradable additives may be corn, walnut shells, newspapers, grass, wood chips, x-DDG, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 388,227, filed on July 11, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments described herein generally relate to absorbent materials, and more specifically, to absorbent and biodegradable materials designed to absorb substances in solid, liquid, gas, or mixed - phase states.

Background Art

[0003] Many products require absorbent materials. Such products include cat litter, diapers, hospital coagulants, etc. The most popular and effective absorbent material is sodium polyacrylate, which is not biodegradable. Another commonly used material is clay, which needs to be mined. These materials are filling up landfills.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to provide absorbent and biodegradable materials that can absorb substances in all phases without continuously filling up landfills.

[0005] Conventional clay - based cat litters are typically made of smectite granules, usually swelling clays such as smectite or bentonite clay, and often contain other components such as calcium carbonate, silica, fragrances or odorants, and odor control agents. So far, many attempts have been made to produce lightweight clay - based cat litters with a bulk density of less than 40 pounds per cubic foot, but these attempts have had limited success. In many cases, the performance of the cat litter is adversely affected or the weight reduction is not very significant.

[0006] Many attempts to manufacture lightweight clay-based cat litter by adding lightweight components are limited by the fact that in such cat litter, at least 70% of expandable clay (usually bentonite) is required to exhibit sufficient performance as cat litter.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure include an absorbent material. The material can include glucomannan and biodegradable and / or non-biodegradable additives. The biodegradable additives may be, for example, corn, walnut shells, newspapers, grass, wood chips, etc. The material can further include non-biodegradable additives.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment, the absorbent material includes 1 to 99 wt% of glucomannan and biodegradable and / or non-biodegradable additives. The material can include 5 to 25 wt% of glucomannan and 75 to 95 wt% of additives. The material may include at least 6 wt% or 6 to 12 wt% of glucomannan.

[0009] In some embodiments, the biodegradable additives are selected from corn cobs, walnut shells, newspapers, grass, wood chips, Himalayan cedar, corn pulp, and x-DDG.

[0010] The amount of glucomannan can be selected to absorb any of water, oil, gas, blood, body fluids, urine, hazardous waste, harmful substances, moisture in the air, other volatile substances in the air, and excrement. In this context, the amount of glucomannan can be further selected according to a specific use including any of hospital-grade coagulants, cat litter, diaper materials, buried cables, above-ground storage tanks, toilets, oil spill treatment, rodent bedding, poultry / livestock bedding, zoo applications, agricultural applications, and compost toilets for recreational vehicles.

[0011] The biodegradable additive may contain at least one of a fragrance, an odor reducing agent, and an ammonia neutralizing agent.

[0012] In another exemplary embodiment, the fluid absorption composition includes an organic or inorganic substrate and 1 to 99% by weight of glucomannan. This composition may be suitable for use as cat litter.

[0013] In yet another exemplary embodiment, the method of manufacturing a fluid absorption composition includes a mixing step of mixing an organic or inorganic substrate with 1 to 99% by weight of glucomannan. The substrate may include one of clay, walnut shell, wheat, and x-DDG, and the mixing step includes the step of mixing the substrate with at least 6% by weight of glucomannan. The mixing step can be carried out by at least one of stirring, shaking, blending, and coating.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] These and other aspects and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] In the following detailed description, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the present invention are described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and that the present invention is applicable to any of several applications.

[0017] The compositions of the present disclosure can be used as absorbent materials and can include the elements described below. This list of possible components is intended for illustration only and is not intended to limit the compositions of the present application to only these elements. Those skilled in the art relevant to the present disclosure will understand that there are equivalent elements that can be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the composition.

[0018] The various elements of the compositions of the described embodiments may be associated in the described exemplary ways. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements, and the following examples are presented only as examples for illustration.

[0019] As an example, in some embodiments, an absorbent and biodegradable material including glucomannan and a substrate or additive is included, and the substrate / additive is also biodegradable and may include, for example, corn (core), walnut shell, newspaper, grass, wood chips, Himalayan cedar, corn pulp, etc. The additive can further include an inorganic material such as sodium polyacrylate. In some embodiments, the material can further include a non-biodegradable additive. In yet another embodiment, the additive can further include a fragrance, an odor reducer, an ammonia neutralizer, etc. Another exemplary substrate / additive is DDG (dry distillers grains) or x-DDG. DDG is the residue remaining after using corn kernels for ethanol production, and x-DDG is DDG that has been treated with one or more solvents to extract the remaining potentially useful natural compounds after being used for ethanol production. In embodiments, the material can be designed to absorb solid, liquid, gas, or mixed-phase substances.

[0020] Additives can be added to the material for various purposes specific to the use of the material. For example, additives can be added for purposes such as non - adhesion, aggregation, neutralization of odors, being able to flow into public sewers or septic tanks, composting, or as fertilizers.

[0021] In an embodiment, the material may contain about 1 to about 99% by weight of glucomannan. More specifically, in certain embodiments, it may contain about 75 to about 95% by weight of additives and about 5 to about 25% by weight of glucomannan.

[0022] Glucomannan is made from konjac in plants, is biodegradable, and can absorb up to 50 times its weight. For example, when used in cat litter, 10 g of glucomannan can absorb 1.5 oz of liquid. In contrast, for existing clay cat litter, 100 g of clay is required to absorb 1.5 oz of liquid. Thus, glucomannan is a more effective absorbent than clay and, unlike clay, has biodegradability. This is supported by the data in the following examples.

[0023] Example 1 (Walnut shells and glucomannan) To show the improvement over existing organic cat litter, the absorption characteristics of the composition were tested. First, 100% organic walnut shells were tested. 44 g / 1.55 oz of water, simulating the urination of one cat, was poured onto the walnut shells, and the aggregation behavior was observed. Specifically, the weight (g) of walnut shells required to remove 44 g of water was recorded. Next, compositions with different ratios of walnut shells and glucomannan were created. Specifically, compositions containing 90% walnut shells and 10% glucomannan, 75% walnut shells and 25% glucomannan, 50% walnut shells and 50% glucomannan, and 100% glucomannan.

[0024] It was observed that with 100% walnut shells, the aggregation was very poor, and 63 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. The walnut shells also adhered to the container. Also, with 100% glucomannan, only 7 g of glucomannan was required to remove 44 g of water to form a complete mass, and it was observed that this mass could be easily removed from the container as a single unit without adhering to the side of the container. When the composition contained 10% glucomannan and 90% walnut shells, 35 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. Also in this case, the material was easily removed as a single complete mass without adhering to the container, and the water did not penetrate more than a few millimeters into the material. The data is shown in Figure 2 and presented in Table 1 below.

[0025]

Table 1

[0026] Thus, by adding glucomannan to the material, the amount of walnut shells can be significantly reduced, thereby reducing the overall weight of the material while forming a complete mass and keeping the container containing the material clean. In fact, a mixture of 90% walnut shells and 10% glucomannan was almost twice as effective as when using only walnut shells.

[0027] Example 2 (Clay and Glucomannan) The absorption characteristics of the composition were tested. First, 100% clay was tested. The same amount of 44 g / 1.55 oz of water simulating the urination of one cat was poured onto the clay, and the aggregation behavior was observed. Specifically, the weight (g) of clay required to remove 44 g of water was recorded. Next, compositions with different ratios of clay and glucomannan were prepared. Specifically, compositions containing 90% clay and 10% glucomannan, 75% clay and 25% glucomannan, and 100% glucomannan.

[0028] In the case of 100% clay, it was observed that the aggregation was very poor and 116 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. Also, in the case of 100% glucomannan, only 7 g of glucomannan was required to remove 44 g of water to form a complete mass, and it was observed that this mass could be easily removed from the container as a whole without adhering to the side of the container. When the composition contained 10% glucomannan and 90% clay, 41 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. The data is shown in Figure 1 and Table 2 below.

[0029]

Table 2

[0030] By adding glucomannan to the material, the amount of clay can be significantly reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the entire material while forming a complete mass and keeping the container containing the material clean. In fact, a mixture of 90% clay and 10% glucomannan was more than twice as effective as the case of clay alone.

[0031] Continuing, as shown in Figure 1, the test results indicate that the lower the weight percentage, the significantly greater the effect of glucomannan. That is, from the test results shown in Figure 1, it is considered that the optimal composition contains 6 - 12 wt% of glucomannan mixed with clay. In the case of 6%, 70 g of clay is required to absorb 44 g of water, and the clay is saved by 42%. When 12% glucomannan is added to the composition, 38 g of clay is required to absorb 44 g of water, and the clay is saved by 68%.

[0032] More advantageous results were observed when glucomannan was used in the range of 6 - 12 wt%. For example, it was observed that the resulting mass was smaller, flatter, and closer to the surface, so it could be easily removed. Furthermore, since the cat's urine does not reach the bottom of the cat toilet, it is possible to prevent extra dirt that needs to be cleaned. The mass can also be easily put into individual compost for treatment or washed away.

[0033] Example 3 (Wheat and Glucomannan) The absorption characteristics of the composition were tested. First, 100% wheat was tested. The same amount of 44 g / 1.55 oz of water that simulated the urination of one cat was poured onto the wheat, and the aggregation behavior was observed. Specifically, the weight (g) of wheat required to remove 44 g of water was recorded. Next, compositions with different ratios of wheat and glucomannan were created. Specifically, they were compositions containing 90% wheat and 10% glucomannan, 75% wheat and 25% glucomannan, 50% wheat and 50% glucomannan, and 100% glucomannan.

[0034] In the case of 100% wheat, it was observed that the aggregation was very poor and 80 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. Also, in the case of 100% glucomannan, only 7 g of glucomannan was required to remove 44 g of water to form a complete lump, and it was observed that this lump could be easily taken out of the container as a whole without adhering to the side of the container. When the composition contained 10% glucomannan and 90% wheat, 52 g of the material was required to remove 44 g of water. The data are shown in Figure 3 and Table 3 below.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] By adding glucomannan to the material, the amount of wheat can be significantly reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the entire material while forming a complete lump and keeping the container containing the material clean. In fact, the mixture of 75% wheat and 25% glucomannan had more than twice the effect compared to the case of wheat alone.

[0037] Figures 4 and 5 show the test results using cat urine instead of water. The results are almost the same as those of the test using water. Figure 4 records the cat urine for 8 days and compares it with the weight of the clay used to absorb urination with the 100% clay composition. Two cats urinated an average of 3.75 times a day, and the result shows that 83.3 g of 100% clay is required to absorb the urination of one cat. Figure 5 shows the amount of clay and 6.6% glucomannan used to process the urine lumps of 8 cats. In the composition containing 6.6% glucomannan, 49 g of clay is required to absorb one urination of a cat, and about 41% of the clay is saved.

[0038] Glucomannan may be in the form of a powder that can be mixed or blended with a selected material (such as the above-mentioned clay, walnut shell, wheat, etc.).

[0039] Glucomannan dissolves in water and in some embodiments, a glucomannan "spray" can be produced and sprayed directly onto existing cat litter products. The treated cat litter has been found to provide better absorbency and use less clay or other cat litter substrates for effective lump formation.

[0040] In another exemplary use, a fabric material infused with glucomannan can be added to the bottom of a cat toilet to prevent the cat urine on the existing cat litter from reaching the bottom of the cat toilet.

[0041] To manufacture the materials of the present disclosure, glucomannan is mixed with additives at a rate that can vary depending on the additives used and the end use of the materials. The composition includes a substrate (e.g., clay, corn, wheat, etc.) and can be formed into pellets or powder. In some embodiments, glucomannan can be mixed before or after the pellets are manufactured. The pellets can be manufactured using known pellet manufacturing machinery. The product can be packaged such that the customer can mix the product with an existing absorbent (e.g., cat litter) themselves. Glucomannan can also be put into solution and then coated onto the substrate.

[0042] To obtain the described material compositions, any known manufacturing method can be utilized. Exemplary methods are described in U.S. Patent No. 11457605, U.S. Patent No. 9266089, Spanish Patent of Invention No. 2808666 (translation from an EP registered patent), Chinese Patent No. 109329078, Chinese Patent No. 104837337, and U.S. Patent No. 10470433, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] Regarding density and mesh size, exemplary suitable parameters are described in International Publication No. 1998054956, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0044] The material can be used, for example, to absorb water, oil, gas, blood, body fluids, urine, hazardous waste, harmful substances, moisture in the air, other volatile substances in the air, excrement, etc. And the absorbent material can be used in various applications including hospital-grade coagulants, cat litter, diaper materials, buried cables, above-ground storage tanks, toilets, oil spill treatment, rodent bedding, chicken / livestock bedding, zoo applications, agricultural applications, compost toilets in camper vans and RVs.

[0045] In the case of diapers and toilets, the material can serve to absorb urine and excrement and reduce odors. In the case of cat litter, the material can be used to absorb urine and excrement in a cat toilet or the like, attract cats to the cat toilet, and help reduce odors. Regarding hospital waste coagulants, the material may be a powder that can change liquid medical waste into a gel-like substance and reduce odors. When used in buried cables and above-ground storage tanks, the material can absorb unwanted liquids. In some embodiments, the material can be designed to be added to existing absorbents such as cat litter and can also be designed to be used alone as an absorbent.

[0046] The present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

**Claim 1** An organic or inorganic substrate, and 1 to 99% by weight of glucomannan, comprising a fluid-absorbing composition. **Claim 2** The composition according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises one of clay, walnut shell, wheat, and x-DDG. **Claim 3** The composition according to claim 1, comprising 5 to 25% by weight of glucomannan and 75 to 95% by weight of the substrate. **Claim 4** The composition according to claim 3, for use in cat litter. **Claim 5** The composition according to claim 1, comprising at least 6% by weight of glucomannan. **Claim 6** The composition according to claim 5, comprising 6 to 12% by weight of glucomannan. **Claim 7** The composition according to claim 6, for use in cat litter. **Claim 8** A method for producing a fluid-absorbing composition, comprising a mixing step of mixing an organic or inorganic substrate with 1 to 99% by weight of glucomannan. **Claim 9** The method according to claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises one of clay, walnut shell, wheat, and x-DDG, and the mixing step comprises mixing the substrate with at least 6% by weight of glucomannan. **Claim 10** The method according to claim 9, wherein the mixing step comprises at least one of stirring, shaking, blending, and coating. **Claim 11** The method according to claim 8, wherein the mixing step comprises at least one of stirring, shaking, blending, and coating.

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