Human waste absorbent material for portable toilet

Abstract

To provide a human waste absorbent material for a simple toilet which reduces visual coloring due to human waste, and reduces resistance at the time of use while reducing an environmental load due to recycling of waste paper.SOLUTION: The excrement absorber of the present embodiment includes a crushed waste paper derived from crushed waste paper and a superabsorbent polymer mixed with the crushed waste paper. When the superabsorbent polymer is 10 parts by weight, the crushed waste paper is mixed in an amount of 35 to 40 parts by weight. At the same time, the crushed waste paper contains the first crushed waste paper having a length of at least one side of a plurality of sides of 10 mm or more in an amount of 85% or more of the total weight of the crushed waste paper.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present embodiment relates to a human waste absorbent material for portable toilets. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, portable toilets that can be easily used in emergencies such as disasters and traffic congestion have become popular. Such portable toilets require an absorbent material to absorb and retain human waste. Conventionally, absorbents such as those shown in Patent Document 1 have been proposed as such human waste absorbents. The absorbent material disclosed in Patent Document 1 contains plant fiber and an absorbent resin component. The plant fiber components in this absorbent material include crushed waste paper and virgin pulp. In this way, in the case of Patent Document 1, waste paper is recycled as the raw material for the absorbent material, thereby reducing the environmental burden.

[0003] However, in the case of Patent Document 1, the absorbent material does not take into consideration the user's experience when using it. As the name suggests, the human waste absorbent material used in portable toilets absorbs human waste. Human waste is generally colored, although this depends on the user's constitution and other conditions. Therefore, if the absorbent material is a white or light-colored material close to white, the absorbent material will be colored by the human waste when the portable toilet is used. As a result, there is a risk that other people will visually recognize the colored absorbent material when using the portable toilet, which results in a problem of poor usability.

[0004] In particular, when fine crushed or defibrated waste paper is used as in Patent Document 1, the absorbent material takes on a color ranging from pale gray to near white when mixed with virgin pulp, which poses a problem of increased resistance during use for visual reasons. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-222864 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a human waste absorbent material for portable toilets that reduces the visual discoloration caused by human waste and reduces resistance during use, while reducing the environmental load by recycling waste paper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The crushed waste paper of this embodiment is large in size and colored in a color derived from the waste paper used as a raw material. Therefore, when the absorbent is used in a portable toilet, the visual appeal of the color of the user's human waste is reduced by the original color of the crushed waste paper. Furthermore, the absorbent of this embodiment primarily contains large crushed waste paper, such as the first crushed waste paper. Therefore, when the user's human waste comes into contact with the absorbent, the large crushed waste paper quickly absorbs the human waste first. At this time, the crushed waste paper absorbs the human waste in a short time, such as a few seconds, because its surface area has been expanded by shredding. The human waste absorbed by the crushed waste paper then slowly transfers to the superabsorbent polymer. The superabsorbent polymer expands as it absorbs the human waste and becomes colored by the human waste. At this time, because the superabsorbent polymer and crushed waste paper are mixed together, the colored superabsorbent polymer blends in with the crushed waste paper, reducing its visual appeal. Therefore, while reducing the environmental impact by recycling waste paper, visual discoloration due to human waste is suppressed and resistance during use can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a first crushed material among crushed waste paper materials used in an excrement absorbent material according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a photograph showing a second crushed material among crushed waste paper materials used in an excrement absorbent material according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram showing verification results of examples and comparative examples of a human waste absorbent according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]Schematic diagram showing verification results of an example of a human waste absorbent material according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a human waste absorbent (hereinafter abbreviated as "absorbent") will be described with reference to the drawings. The absorbent material is used as a human waste absorbent for portable toilets. Portable toilets are used, for example, for portable purposes or in temporary facilities such as evacuation shelters. The absorbent material of this embodiment includes crushed waste paper and a superabsorbent resin. The crushed waste paper is derived from various paper products, such as newspapers, miscellaneous paper, wrapping paper, milk cartons, and cardboard. The crushed waste paper is generated by crushing these paper products, resulting in fragments that retain the printing and base color of the raw paper products. Although there is no specific standardized definition of the size of the crushed waste paper, it is crushed into various sizes. Depending on the type of equipment used to crush the paper products, the crushed waste paper can be generated in various sizes, ranging from blocks with sides of several tens of centimeters or more, crushed using large equipment, to finely crushed cotton-like pieces with sides of several micrometers. The finer the crushed waste paper is crushed, the greater the processing time and processing costs.

[0010] In this embodiment, the crushed waste paper material is a first crushed material and a second crushed material. The first crushed material is a paper product made from, for example, newspapers or magazines, which has been simply crushed, and as shown in Figure 1, at least one of the multiple sides of the crushed paper is 10 mm or longer.

[0011] The crushed waste paper is broken into pieces irregularly by the shredding equipment. Therefore, the pieces of the crushed waste paper do not have a specific shape. The crushed waste paper broken by the equipment becomes pieces of any shape, such as strips, bands, chips, polygonal plates, etc. Therefore, the pieces of the crushed waste paper have an irregular shape with multiple short sides, long sides, and sides of other lengths. In this embodiment, crushed waste paper pieces having at least one side length of 10 mm or more are defined as first crushed waste paper pieces. This first crushed waste paper piece has a sufficient size as shown in Figure 1. As is clear from Figure 1, it is more preferable that at least one side length of the first crushed waste paper piece is 30 mm or more. It is also preferable that at least two or more sides of the first crushed waste paper piece have lengths of 10 mm or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the average length of the longest two sides of the first crushed waste paper piece is 10 mm or more.

[0012] The second crushed material is smaller than the first crushed material. The second crushed material is generated by feeding the material into a device with a cutting blade spacing smaller than that of the first crushed material. Therefore, the second crushed material is smaller than the first crushed material, and as shown in FIG. 2, the smallest side of the multiple sides is 1 mm to 10 mm. Like the first crushed material, the second crushed material is also broken irregularly, so the pieces do not have a specific shape. In this embodiment, the second crushed material is defined as crushed material whose smallest side of the multiple sides is 1 mm to 10 mm. As shown in FIG. 2, the second crushed material has a side length of 1 mm to 10 mm, making it smaller than the first crushed material. Naturally, during the shredding process, fine fragments, which are small fragments whose smallest side length is less than 1 mm, are mixed into the crushed waste paper material. These fine fragments with a side length of less than 1 mm do not fall under either the first crushed material or the second crushed material.

[0013] A superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is a functional polymer with high water absorption and water retention capabilities. Due to its high water absorption capacity, the superabsorbent polymer can absorb and retain water from wastewater and other materials. The absorbent material of this embodiment is characterized by containing the above-mentioned crushed waste paper and this superabsorbent polymer.

[0014] The absorbent material of this embodiment is a mixture of 10 parts by weight of superabsorbent resin and 35 to 40 parts by weight of crushed waste paper. At the same time, the absorbent material of this embodiment is such that 85% or more of the total weight of the crushed waste paper is the first crushed material. The absorbent material of this embodiment may also contain second crushed material. In this case, the second crushed material accounts for 0 to 15% of the total weight of the crushed waste paper.

[0015] As described above, the absorbent material of this embodiment is a mixture of crushed waste paper, primarily composed of the first crushed material, and a superabsorbent resin. The crushed waste paper is derived from various paper products, as described above. Therefore, the crushed waste paper retains its surface condition from when it was used before being crushed, i.e., retains the ink printing. In other words, the crushed waste paper remains in a simply crushed state without being subjected to ink removal or decolorization treatment such as bleaching. Therefore, the crushed waste paper retains its irregular coloring, retaining the printing from when it was used. Furthermore, the crushed waste paper is not limited to being printed with ink, and the base paper itself may be colored, such as in newspaper. As a result, the crushed waste paper of this embodiment is mixed with the superabsorbent resin in a colored state other than white. The crushed waste paper of this embodiment has a color other than white, such as grayish coloring derived from newspaper, yellowish coloring derived from cardboard, and dark coloring derived from various printed materials such as miscellaneous paper and flyers. The color of this crushed waste paper varies depending on the type and mixing ratio of the waste paper used as raw material, but it never appears white.

[0016] As described above, the crushed waste paper material of this embodiment is colored. Therefore, when the absorbent material is used in a portable toilet, the visual appeal of the color of the user's urine is reduced by the original color of the crushed waste paper material. For example, when the absorbent material contains virgin pulp like conventional absorbents, the absorbent material has a pale color close to white, making the color of the user's urine more visually noticeable. In contrast, in the absorbent material of this embodiment, the crushed waste paper material is colored, so the visual appeal of the user's urine is reduced.

[0017] Furthermore, the absorbent material of this embodiment primarily contains large crushed waste paper, like the first crushed material. Therefore, when a user's human waste comes into contact with the absorbent material, the large crushed waste paper quickly absorbs the waste. At this time, the crushed waste paper absorbs the waste in a short time, about a few seconds, because its surface area has been expanded by shredding. The human waste absorbed by the crushed waste paper then slowly transfers to the superabsorbent polymer. The superabsorbent polymer expands as it absorbs the waste, and becomes colored due to the human waste. However, because the superabsorbent polymer and crushed waste paper are mixed together, the colored superabsorbent polymer blends in with the crushed waste paper, reducing its visual appeal.

[0018] In this way, the absorbent of this embodiment rapidly absorbs human waste using crushed waste paper, and the human waste absorbed by the crushed waste paper is transferred to the superabsorbent polymer. Therefore, the absorbency of the absorbent as a whole is ensured by the superabsorbent polymer. In other words, the absorbent of this embodiment can simultaneously achieve rapid human waste absorption using crushed waste paper and the retention of large amounts of human waste using the superabsorbent polymer. Furthermore, because the absorbent of this embodiment is derived from large pieces of crushed waste paper that are inherently colored, the color of the human waste is disguised by the crushed waste paper, reducing resistance during use.

[0019] (Example) An example of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the mixing ratio of the first crushed material and the superabsorbent polymer contained in the absorbent material and the test results. The absorbents of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 shown in FIG. 3 all contain the first crushed material as crushed waste paper material and also contain a superabsorbent polymer. As mentioned above, the crushed waste paper used was widely used crushed waste paper derived from various paper products such as newspapers, miscellaneous paper, wrapping paper, milk cartons, and cardboard. The superabsorbent polymer used was "AQUALIC CA (registered trademark)" manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. The theoretical water absorption capacity of this superabsorbent polymer, as listed in the catalog, is that it can absorb saline equivalent to 30 to 60 grams of human urine per gram.

[0020] The performance of the absorbent material, a mixture of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer, was verified through a water absorption test, a 30-second visual test, and a 3-minute visual test. The test water equivalent to human waste used in the water absorption test, 30-second visual test, and 3-minute visual test was saline (1% salt concentration) colored with 100 ppm methylene blue. Human waste is colored pale yellow to yellow, but methylene blue, which colors the water blue, was used for the test to enhance visibility.

[0021] (Water absorption test) In the "water absorption test," 500 g (500 ml) of test water, simulating the amount of human waste excreted in one excretion, was poured into an absorbent material made of a mixture of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer, and it was verified whether or not the material could absorb all of the test water. In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5, the total amount of absorbent material was 50 g, and the mixing ratio of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer was varied. The verification results were marked with "△" for cases that could absorb all of the test water, "○" for cases that could absorb all of the test water with ease, and "×" for cases that could not absorb some of the test water. Furthermore, the verification results were marked with "◎" for cases that had sufficient capacity to absorb the test water.

[0022] (30-second visual test) The "30-second visual test" involved pouring 500 g (500 ml) of test water into the absorbent material and then examining the appearance of the absorbent material 30 seconds later. In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5, the total amount of absorbent material was 50 g, and the mixing ratio of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer was varied. The test results were visually assessed to determine whether the test water remained liquid on the surface of the absorbent material after 30 seconds. The test results were evaluated as "×" if the test water remained on the surface of the absorbent material after 30 seconds, and "○" if the test water was barely visible on the surface of the absorbent material after 30 seconds. Furthermore, the test results were evaluated as "◎" if the surface of the absorbent material was sufficiently clean after 30 seconds. When users visually recognized that test water remained on the surface of the absorbent material, they perceived the absorbent material as dirty. Therefore, the "30-second visual test" used the test results as an indicator for objectively assessing the degree of dirtiness of the absorbent material.

[0023] (Visual test 3 minutes) In the "3-minute visual test," similar to the "30-second visual test" described above, 500 g (500 ml) of test water was poured into the absorbent material, and the appearance of the absorbent material was examined after 3 minutes. In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5, the total amount of absorbent material was 50 g, and the mixing ratio of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer was varied. The test results were visually determined after 3 minutes, based on whether the absorbent material solidified and the test water remained liquid on the surface of the absorbent material. The test results were evaluated as follows: "×" indicates that the absorbent material was not sufficiently solidified or that test water remained on the surface of the absorbent material after 3 minutes; "○" indicates that the absorbent material was sufficiently solidified and almost no test water was visible on the surface of the absorbent material after 3 minutes. Furthermore, the test results were evaluated as "◎" indicates that the surface of the absorbent material was sufficiently clean after 3 minutes. Users feel that the absorbent material is dirty when they visually observe that the absorbent material has not solidified sufficiently and test water remains on the surface of the absorbent material. Therefore, the "3-minute visual test" uses the verification results as an indicator to objectively judge the dirtiness of this absorbent material.

[0024] (Verification results of water absorption test) The higher the weight percentage of superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent material, the more test water the absorbent material absorbs. Therefore, the higher the weight percentage of superabsorbent polymer in the test water, the more the verification result becomes "△" or "◯". That is, as shown in Figure 3, when the total amount of absorbent material is 50g, Example 1, in which the weight of crushed waste paper is 40g and the weight of superabsorbent polymer is 10g, can absorb all of the test water. Similarly, Comparative Examples 3 to 5, in which the total amount of absorbent material is 50g and the weight of superabsorbent polymer is 10g or more, were able to absorb all of the test water with ease. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 and 2, in which the total amount of absorbent material is 50g and the weight of superabsorbent polymer is less than 10g, were unable to absorb part of the test water.

[0025] (Visual test verification results) In both the 30-second and 3-minute visual tests, the mixing ratio of crushed waste paper to superabsorbent resin in the absorbent material affects the results. As in Example 1, when the superabsorbent resin was 10 parts by weight, the absorbent material containing 40 parts by weight of crushed waste paper received an evaluation of "Good" in both the 30-second and 3-minute visual tests.

[0026] In contrast, the absorbents of Comparative Examples 3 to 5 all contain a greater amount of superabsorbent polymer than Example 1. Therefore, in Comparative Examples 3 to 5, there is a shortage of crushed waste paper to quickly absorb the test water after it is poured in. As a result, in Comparative Examples 3 to 5, the test water remains on the surface of the absorbent even 30 seconds after the test water is poured in. Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 3 to 5, due to the shortage of crushed waste paper, the absorbent is not solidified sufficiently and the test water remains on the surface of the absorbent even 3 minutes after the test water is poured in.

[0027] In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the superabsorbent polymer was insufficient to absorb the test water, as evidenced by the results of the water absorption test being "x." Therefore, the function as an absorbent material could not be achieved, and a visual test was not conducted.

[0028] (Verification of the weight ratio of first crushed material and second crushed material contained in crushed waste paper) As mentioned above, when the absorbent material contains 10 parts by weight of superabsorbent resin and about 40 parts by weight of crushed waste paper, good results were obtained in the water absorbency and visual tests. Therefore, in Figure 4, we examined the weight ratio of the first crushed material to the second crushed material in the crushed waste paper contained in the absorbent material, and the results of the water absorbency and visual tests.

[0029] In Example 1, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, all of the crushed waste paper contained in the absorbent material was the first crushed material. In Examples 2 to 6, as shown in Figure 4, the weight of the superabsorbent resin contained in the absorbent material was constant, and the crushed waste paper contained in the absorbent material was a mixture of the first crushed material and the second crushed material. Specifically, in Example 2, the first crushed material was 39 g and the second crushed material was 1 g. As a result, in Example 2, the weight ratio of the second crushed material to the total weight of the crushed waste paper was 2.5%. Similarly, in Example 3, the first crushed material was 38 g and the second crushed material was 2 g, and the weight ratio of the second crushed material was 5.0%. In Example 4, the first crushed material was 37 g and the second crushed material was 3 g, and the weight ratio of the second crushed material was 7.5%. In Example 5, the first crushed material was 36 g, the second crushed material was 4 g, and the weight ratio of the second crushed material was 10.0%. In Example 6, the first crushed material was 35 g, the second crushed material was 5 g, and the weight ratio of the second crushed material was 12.5%.

[0030] In the water absorption test, Examples 5 and 6 showed better results than Examples 1 to 4. This is thought to be because Examples 5 and 6 contain a larger amount of the more finely crushed second crushed material as crushed waste paper, which increases the surface area of ​​the crushed waste paper and enables faster absorption of test water. Similarly, Example 4, which has an intermediate mixing ratio of the second crushed material, showed improved results in the water absorption test compared to Examples 1 to 3.

[0031] On the other hand, the visual test showed good results in all of Examples 1 to 6. However, the visual test result was slightly worse in Example 6. This is thought to be because in the case of Example 6, the proportion of the second crushed material in the crushed waste paper contained in the water absorbent material increased, making it easier for the test water to remain in the crushed waste paper containing the second crushed material, and making stains on the surface more noticeable.

[0032] As described above, the absorbent of this embodiment is mixed with 35 to 40 parts by weight of crushed waste paper for every 10 parts by weight of superabsorbent polymer. This allows the crushed waste paper to rapidly absorb test water simulating human waste, and the test water absorbed by the crushed waste paper migrates over time to the superabsorbent polymer. Therefore, the absorbent of this embodiment rapidly absorbs test water without leaving any test water simulating human waste on the surface, and retains a sufficient amount of test water due to the high water absorption and moisture retention properties of the superabsorbent polymer. Furthermore, by setting the blending ratio of crushed waste paper and superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent as in this embodiment, most of the superabsorbent polymer disperses and blends into the relatively large pieces of crushed waste paper. Therefore, in this embodiment, the superabsorbent polymer is hidden by the crushed waste paper, reducing its visibility. As a result, in this embodiment, the superabsorbent polymer that has become colored by absorbing human waste is easily hidden by the crushed waste paper, making the color less visible. Therefore, the overall coloring of the absorbent material due to human waste is suppressed, and resistance during use can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, the absorbent material of this embodiment contains second crushed waste paper material in addition to the first crushed material. The second crushed material is more finely broken than the first crushed material, so it has a larger surface area and can more quickly absorb test water simulating human waste. Therefore, it is possible to promote rapid absorption of human waste while suppressing discoloration of the absorbent material.

[0034] The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. Crushed waste paper derived from crushed waste paper; A highly absorbent resin mixed with the crushed waste paper, When the superabsorbent resin is 10 parts by weight, the crushed waste paper is mixed in an amount of 35 to 40 parts by weight, and The crushed waste paper contains first crushed material, at least one of whose sides has a length of 10 mm or more, in an amount of 85% or more by total weight of the crushed waste paper. Human waste absorbent material for portable toilets.

2. The crushed waste paper further includes second crushed material that is smaller than the first crushed material and has a shortest side length of 1 mm to 10 mm among a plurality of sides, The second crushed material is 0 to 10% of the total weight of the crushed waste paper material. The excrement absorbent material for portable toilets according to claim 1.

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