Method for recycling coffee grounds

Abstract

To provide a method for recycling coffee grounds.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a method for recycling coffee grounds and a recycled coffee grounds product. The recovery of the wet coffee grounds used by adding hot water can effectively recycle the coffee grounds through the coffee grounds recycling method of the present invention, i.e., the pre-drying step S101, the grinding and sieving step S102, the mixing step S103, the forming step S104, the drying step S105, and the finished product packaging step S106, thereby effectively improving the stability in the production process and satisfying the standard conditions of the raw materials for mass production.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates mainly to the technical field of coffee grounds recycling treatment, and more particularly to a coffee grounds recycling treatment method. [Background technology]

[0002] With growing environmental awareness, the circular economy has become a direction of ongoing efforts around the world. Continued overexploitation of environmental resources will ultimately lead to resource depletion and global warming. Resource recycling has become one of the most environmentally friendly ways to reduce resource waste. Rice straw, corn stalks, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, bamboo sticks, and coconut shells are commonly used in the market. These waste materials are rich in natural plant fibers. After recycling and processing, they can be made into everyday items such as tableware, straws, charcoal (briquettes), fertilizer, fabrics, and footwear, depending on their fiber characteristics. This effectively reduces plastic waste and promotes the development of a circular economy.

[0003] Among these, coffee beans, when carbonized, become porous, so they can not only be used as fuel, but their porous properties can also be used for moisture absorption, deodorization, water purification, and other purposes, adding value to the charcoal and increasing its economic effectiveness.Processing wood into charcoal requires separate kilns and distillation facilities, which incurs huge costs in terms of manpower, material resources, time, and the environment, preventing the benefits of a circular economy from being achieved.

[0004] Coffee has become an essential part of most people's lives. Coffee cherries are sorted, roasted, and processed into coffee beans, which are then ground to create a fragrant coffee drink. However, the coffee grounds left over from the process of adding hot water to coffee can easily become moldy if not handled properly over a long period of time. If the coffee grounds are tightly sealed, they can be stored for 10 to 14 days. If they are not recycled properly, they will end up being disposed of as garbage, which only increases the cost and resource consumption of coffee grounds. Regarding this issue, British startup Bio-bean states that buried coffee grounds generate approximately 6.8 tons of greenhouse gases per ton of coffee grounds.

[0005] While efficient recovery of carbonized coffee grounds eliminates the need for carbonization procedures such as kiln firing and dry distillation, recycling coffee grounds requires complex preparatory work. Currently, in the market, crucial steps such as fermentation, decomposition, and lactic acid removal are not carried out after drying the coffee grounds, which makes the product prone to moisture, mold, and odor, resulting in waste during processing. This is costly and may not achieve the purpose of recycling. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a main object of the present invention is to provide a coffee grounds recycling method that can effectively improve the quality of recycled coffee grounds products and increase the economic value of the coffee grounds products.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a recycled coffee grounds product produced by the coffee grounds recycling processing method, in order to achieve the objectives of effectively reducing plastics, promoting the development of a circular economy, and improving the stability of mass production. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a coffee grounds recycling method in which recovered coffee grounds are recycled through the following steps to produce high-quality processed raw materials.

[0009] In the preliminary drying process (S101), the moisture in the coffee grounds is removed by sunlight. The ambient temperature is 30-35°C, the relative humidity is 40-80%, and the drying time is 2-3 days, 10-12 hours per day. To ensure complete fermentation, the grounds must be stirred every 30-60 minutes. This allows the collected coffee grounds to ferment and mature.

[0010] In the grinding and sieving process (S102), the coffee grounds that have undergone the preliminary drying process (S101) are re-adjusted to a uniform particle size by grinding or polishing, since the particle size of the coffee grounds that have undergone the preliminary drying process (S101) is not uniform.The ground coffee grounds are then sieved using a sieving method, with a particle size of 100 to 1000 mesh being sieved into coarse and fine meshes.

[0011] In the mixing step (S103), the coffee grounds that have been crushed and sieved in the crushing and sieving step (S102) are mixed with adhesive resin, flavorings, and water, and thoroughly mixed into the plastic raw material.

[0012] In the molding step (S104), the raw materials mixed in the mixing step (S103) are molded by a molding method to mold recycled raw materials.

[0013] In the drying step (S104), the molded recycled material is exposed to sunlight at 30 to 35°C for 8 hours a day for 2 days to be solidified and molded.

[0014] High-quality processed raw materials are those that are of excellent quality and contain no substances or impurities other than coffee grounds, adhesive resins, flavorings, and water.

[0015] In the crushing and sieving step (S102) of the present invention, the sieving size can be changed according to the requirements for surface smoothness of the final product.

[0016] Preferably, in the preliminary drying step (S101), the material is dried by adding external energy to gas, electric heat, or waste heat, and is aged for 2 to 3 days under conditions where the relative humidity in the environment is 20%.

[0017] The pre-drying step (S101) of the present invention can be performed by sunlight or other heating methods. In the pre-drying step (S101), the coffee grounds are mainly fermented and decomposed to remove the lactic acid odor.

[0018] Preferably, in the mixing step (S103), the mass ratio of the ground and sieved coffee grounds to the adhesive resin is 2:1 to 3:1, the mass ratio of the flavoring to the ground and sieved coffee grounds is 1:0.1 to 1:3.9, and the mass ratio of the total powder amount to water after mixing the sieved coffee grounds, adhesive resin, and flavoring is 1:1.

[0019] The flavoring agent used in the mixing step is preferably a natural plant-based flavoring agent.

[0020] In the mixing step (S103) of the present invention, the amount of water is finely adjusted depending on the ratio of coffee grounds, adhesive resin, and flavoring, and depending on the degree of difficulty in processing the product, thereby reducing the defective rate in processing and molding.

[0021] Preferably, the molding step (S104) is carried out by injection molding, extrusion molding, compression molding, or other suitable molding method.

[0022] Preferably, the drying step (S105) is performed by using gas or electric heat and external energy, and the heating conditions for the external energy are 40 to 60°C and 4 to 8 hours.

[0023] The drying step (S105) of the present invention can be carried out by sunlight or mechanical heating.

[0024] It is preferable to further include a step of packaging the finished recycled coffee grounds product (S106), in which the ambient temperature after packaging is 25°C and the relative humidity is 5% or less.

[0025] The present invention provides a coffee grounds recycled product produced by the coffee grounds recycling processing method, which can be a mosquito coil, a worship incense stick, an insecticide, incense, a deodorizer, a fertilizer, a biomass fuel rod, or coffee charcoal.

[0026] Preferably, the fragrance of the mosquito coil or insecticide is a mosquito repellent fragrance.

[0027] The fragrance of the deodorant or incense is preferably a natural botanical fragrance.

[0028] The advantages of the present invention include the following:

[0029] The coffee grounds recycling process provided by the present invention, after the steps of pre-drying, crushing and sieving, mixing, molding, drying, and packaging of the finished product (S101-S106), produces high-quality recycled coffee grounds that are resistant to mold and bring high economic benefits. These can be processed into mosquito coils, incense, deodorants, etc., or dry distilled at various temperatures to produce products such as coffee charcoal. These improvements address product flaws such as cracking, poor smoothness, susceptibility to moisture, mold, and odor, effectively reducing plastics, achieving the goal of promoting the development of a circular economy, and improving mass production stability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the steps of the coffee grounds recycling method of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Coffee undergoes a basic carbonization process during the roasting process, resulting in the same porous properties as charcoal, which is made by carbonizing wood. Like charcoal, coffee grounds have the properties of absorbing moisture and deodorizing. They can also be used to repel mosquitoes and ants, as fertilizer, and to remove dirt. Because coffee grounds contain a certain amount of moisture after being brewed with hot water, they are prone to mold and fermentation. Therefore, if they are to be recycled, they must be pretreated before they can be used immediately. This invention involves collecting, fermenting, drying, and sieving coffee grounds, and then combining the recycled coffee grounds with the properties of other raw materials to produce products such as incense, mosquito coils, pilgrim's incense, deodorizers, moisture-absorbing tablets, and fertilizer.

[0032] Based on the concept of promoting a circular economy, the main source of coffee grounds used in the present invention is, but is not limited to, coffee grounds collected from beverage or food processing plants or stores, which are recycled and reused, and it is not excluded that the raw material for coffee grounds can be obtained from other sources.

[0033] In the coffee grounds recycling and reuse processing method of the present invention, the collected coffee grounds are subjected to the processes of pre-drying, crushing and sieving, mixing, molding, drying, and packaging of the finished product. The recycled coffee grounds are then processed using the coffee grounds recycling processing method of the present invention, which effectively improves the quality of recycled coffee grounds products and increases the economic value of the coffee grounds products.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1, after the coffee grounds are collected, the coffee grounds recycling and reuse process of the present invention involves the following steps, including pre-drying, crushing and sieving, mixing, molding, drying, and packaging the finished product.

[0035] (Step 1. Pre-drying step S101) Because the coffee grounds contain a lot of moisture after being poured with hot water, if the excess moisture is not removed in the preliminary drying step S101, the recycled coffee grounds can cause mold to grow in the product, the excess moisture can cause the product to soften, or an unpleasant odor can be generated. Therefore, to avoid these drawbacks, the recycled coffee grounds must first be subjected to the preliminary drying step S101.

[0036] The pre-drying process (S101) can be performed using the sunshine method. The ambient temperature is approximately 30-35°C, the relative humidity is approximately 40-80%, and the drying time is approximately 2-3 days. It is performed under these conditions for 10-12 hours per day. Pre-drying primarily involves fermenting and decomposing the coffee grounds to remove lactic acid. The fermentation and aging period lasts 2-3 days, and the sunshine fermentation and aging process requires approximately 30-60 minutes of stirring per cycle. The coffee grounds undergo a temperature change of approximately 30-40°C during the fermentation and aging process. After the fermentation and aging period, i.e., the fourth day of the pre-drying process, the coffee grounds are fermented and aged. The fermented and aged coffee grounds have a light coffee and earthy aroma and a soft, breathable texture. This helps improve the flavor and combustion stability of the final product and also effectively improves production stability.

[0037] In the preliminary drying step S101, other heating methods such as gas or electric heating can also be used for drying. Using external energy (gas or electric heating) increases the drying speed. However, coffee grounds dried using external energy do not undergo the fermentation and aging processes, so moisture is generated after drying, and mold develops locally. For this reason, they must be aged for 2 to 3 days under conditions of 20% relative humidity in the environment.

[0038] (Step 2: Crushing and sieving step S102) The size and density of the particles obtained from coffee grounds vary. Therefore, when directly processed into products, the particle size becomes uneven, and if the degree of bonding is low, the surface of the product is prone to cracks. Furthermore, if the particle size of the coffee grounds is too coarse, the smoothness is reduced, resulting in a poor appearance of the finished product.

[0039] Since the particle size of the coffee grounds before the preliminary drying step S101 is not uniform, a crushing or grinding method is used to readjust the particle size of the coffee grounds before the preliminary drying step S101 to make the particle size uniform. The crushed coffee grounds are then sieved to select coffee grounds with particles of 100 to 1000 mesh.

[0040] When using coffee grounds to produce high-quality recycled coffee ground products such as mosquito coils, incense, deodorizers, and coffee charcoal, the recycled coffee grounds must be crushed to a uniform particle size, and then sieved to separate the fine coffee grounds. This allows them to be used in products with special appearances, such as deodorizers and incense, and effectively improves the surface quality of the products. Sieved coarse-mesh coffee grounds can be used in products with no cosmetic issues, such as mosquito coils and coffee charcoal. The so-called fine mesh is approximately 400-1000 mesh, and the coarse mesh is approximately 100-300 mesh.

[0041] (Step 3. Mixing step S103) In the mixing step S103, the sieved coffee grounds and adhesive resin are thoroughly mixed in a ratio of 2:1 to 3:1. A small amount of water is added during mixing to achieve a 1:1 ratio of water to total powder. For final products made from coffee grounds, appropriate flavorings can be added during the mixing process of the coffee grounds and adhesive resin. The flavorings are mixed depending on the intended use of the final product. For example, mosquito repellent incense coils can contain mosquito repellent flavorings such as lemongrass, rosemary, and pyrethrum. Deodorizers and incense can contain appropriate natural plant flavorings such as mint, sandalwood, and cypress, or appropriate medicinal plants. The flavorings and coffee grounds are prepared in a ratio of 1:0.1 to 1:3.9 and thoroughly mixed into the plastic raw material.

[0042] (Process 4. Molding process S104) In the molding step S104, the mixed plastic mixture is processed into a recycled material for mosquito coils, incense, deodorants, worship sticks, biomass fuel rods, or coffee charcoal using an appropriate molding method such as injection molding, extrusion molding, or compression molding.

[0043] (Step 5. Drying step S105) The molded recycled materials can be dried and molded by applying sunlight or gas or electric heat and external energy, and can be dried and solidified by sunlight at a temperature of 30-35°C for 8 hours per day for 2 days. Using the external energy drying method, the formed recycled materials can be dried and solidified in about 4-8 hours at a temperature of 40-60°C.

[0044] (Process 6. Packaging process for finished products S106) The dried and molded finished products are sorted, wrapped, packed and shipped. Coffee grounds recycled processed products can be stored for long periods at an ambient temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 5% or less. Coffee grounds powder must be vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of 5%.

[0045] Through improved recycling processes and strict temperature, humidity and time controls, the efficiency of coffee grounds recycling can be improved, making the raw material suitable for mass production.

[0046] As can be seen from the above, only after the collected coffee grounds are treated by the coffee grounds recycling method of the present invention can high-quality recycled coffee grounds products be produced, and defects in the products such as cracks, loss of smoothness, and susceptibility to stains can be improved, preventing the generation of moisture, mold, and odors, improving the stability of coffee grounds product production, and achieving the purpose of recycling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] S101: Pre-drying process. S102: Crushing and sieving process. S103: Mixing process. S104: Molding process. S105: Drying process. S106: Packaging process for finished products.

Claims

1. A coffee grounds recycling processing method for producing high-quality processed raw materials from collected and recovered coffee grounds, comprising: a preliminary drying step (S101) in which the collected coffee grounds are fermented and matured by removing moisture from the grounds under conditions of an ambient temperature of 30-35°C, a relative humidity of 40-80%, a drying time of 2-3 days, and 10-12 hours of sun exposure per day, with stirring once every 30-60 minutes to ensure complete fermentation; a crushing and sieving step (S102) in which the coffee grounds that have been through the preliminary drying step (S101) are crushed or polished to prepare coffee grounds with a particle size of 100 to 1000 mesh, and then the coffee grounds are sieved into coarse particles and fine particles using a sieving means to make the particle size uniform, and then the crushed and sieved grounds are readjusted; a mixing step (S103) in which the coffee grounds crushed and sieved in the crushing and sieving step (S102) are mixed with adhesive resin, flavoring agent, and water into a plastic raw material; a molding step (S104) of molding the plastic raw materials mixed in the mixing step (S103) by a molding method to mold recycled raw materials; A drying step (S105) in which the recycled raw material formed in the forming step (S104) is dried, solidified, and formed under the conditions of sunlight drying at 30 to 35°C for 2 days, 8 hours per day; A method for recycling coffee grounds, comprising:

2. 2. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, wherein in the preliminary drying step (S101), the grounds are dried using gas or electric heat, waste heat, and external energy, and after drying, the grounds are aged for 2 to 3 days under conditions of a relative humidity of 20% in that environment.

3. 2. The coffee grounds recycling method of claim 1, wherein in the mixing step (S103), the mass ratio of the crushed and sieved coffee grounds to the adhesive resin is 2:1 to 3:1, the mass ratio of the flavoring to the crushed and sieved coffee grounds is 1:0.1 to 1:3.9, and the mass ratio of the total amount of powder to water after mixing the crushed and sieved coffee grounds, the adhesive resin, and the flavoring is 1:

1.

4. 4. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, wherein the flavoring agent used in the mixing step (S103) is a natural plant flavoring agent.

5. 4. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, wherein the molding step (S104) uses injection molding, extrusion molding, or compression molding.

6. 4. A coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, wherein the drying step (S105) is carried out by using external energy such as gas or electric heating, and the heating conditions for the external energy are 40 to 60°C and 4 to 8 hours.

7. 4. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, further comprising a packaging step (S106) of the finished coffee grounds recycled product, wherein after the finished product is packaged, the ambient temperature is 25° C. and the relative humidity is 5% or less.

8. 4. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 1, wherein the recycled coffee grounds products are mosquito coils, incense for worship, insecticides, incense, deodorizers, fertilizers, biomass fuel rods, and coffee charcoal.

9. 9. The coffee grounds recycling method according to claim 8, wherein the fragrance of the mosquito coil and the insecticide is a mosquito repellent fragrance.

10. 9. The method for recycling coffee grounds according to claim 8, wherein the deodorizer and the fragrance of the incense are natural plant fragrances.

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