Excrement treatment material and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an excrement treatment material in which the deodorant is less likely to fall off the surface of the granulated material, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Solution] The waste treatment material 1 comprises granular material 10. The granular material 10 includes granules 12 and a coating 14. The granules 12 are hydrophobic. The coating 14 contains a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an excrement treatment material and a method for producing the same.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional excrement treatment material, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. The excrement treatment material described in the same document is composed of a plurality of granular bodies having hydrophobicity (water repellency) and is laid in a toilet for pets. This pet toilet is partitioned into an upper space and a lower space by a mesh-like sheet that allows urine to pass through. The hydrophobic granular bodies are disposed in the upper space. A liquid-absorbing sheet is disposed in the lower space. When a pet urinates, the urine passes through the gaps between the hydrophobic granular bodies and reaches the lower space through the mesh-like sheet. The urine that reaches the lower space is absorbed by the liquid-absorbing sheet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Unlike water-absorbing granular bodies, hydrophobic granular bodies do not absorb urine at all or hardly absorb it. Therefore, urine tends to remain on the surface of the hydrophobic granular bodies. The urine remaining on the surface of the granular bodies causes the bad odor generated from the urine to waft around the toilet. Therefore, in order to suppress such a bad odor, a film containing a deodorant and a water-soluble adhesive may be formed on the surface of the granulated product constituting the granular body. However, in that case, when the granular body is exposed to urine, there is a problem that the deodorant falls off from the surface of the granulated product because the film is washed away by the urine.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an excrement treatment material in which the deodorant does not easily fall off the surface of the granules, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The waste treatment material according to the present invention is a waste treatment material comprising granular material, wherein the granular material comprises hydrophobic granules and a coating formed on the surface of the granules and containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers.

[0007] In this waste treatment material, a coating containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers is formed on the surface of the granules. By incorporating cellulose nanofibers together with the deodorant into the coating, the strength of the coating can be improved. As a result, even if the granules are exposed to urine, the coating is less likely to be washed away by the urine.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing an excrement treatment material comprising granular material, characterized by comprising: a granular material forming step of forming hydrophobic granules that constitute the granular material; and a coating forming step of forming a coating containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers on the surface of the granules.

[0009] In this manufacturing method, a coating containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers is formed on the surface of the granules. By incorporating cellulose nanofibers together with the deodorant into the coating, the strength of the coating can be improved. As a result, in the excrement treatment material after manufacturing, even if the granules are exposed to urine, the coating is less likely to be washed away by the urine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, an excrement treatment material in which the deodorant is less likely to fall off the surface of the granules, and a method for manufacturing the same are realized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the waste treatment material according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the excrement treatment material according to the present invention. The excrement treatment material 1 is used for treating excrement (mainly urine). The excrement treatment material 1 may be an animal excrement treatment material used for treating the excrement of animals such as cats and dogs, or it may be a human excrement treatment material used for treating human excrement. The excrement treatment material 1 comprises granular material 10 for treating excrement. The excrement treatment material 1 is used, for example, in a system toilet that comprises a box-shaped main body for receiving excreted urine and a partition that divides the internal space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space. The partition has through holes for urine to pass through. In this case, the excrement treatment material 1 is used in a state in which a plurality of granular material 10 are laid directly on the partition.

[0014] The granular material 10 is granular in shape. Examples of such granular shapes include spheres, cylinders, or ellipsoids. The particle size of the granular material 10 is, for example, 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Here, the particle size of the granular material 10 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granular material 10.

[0015] The granular material 10 is hydrophobic. That is, the granular material 10 does not absorb any liquids such as urine, or absorbs very little of them. For the granular material 10 to be hydrophobic, the liquid permeability measured by the following test must be 60% or more. First, place 50g of the granular material 10 (sample) into a sieve with an inner diameter of 10cm and a mesh size of 1mm. Place an empty beaker below the sieve. Then, using a syringe with an outer cylinder inner diameter of 3cm and a tip inner diameter of 4mm (Terumo 60ml syringe), dropwise add 30ml of water to the sample over 10 seconds. After standing for 1 minute, measure the amount of water in the beaker. The liquid permeability is calculated as the ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water added (30ml). That is, if the amount of water in the beaker is 18ml or more, the liquid permeability will be 60% or more, and therefore the granular material 10 can be said to be hydrophobic.

[0016] The granular material 10 includes granules 12 and a coating 14. The granules 12 themselves are hydrophobic. Therefore, the granular material 10 is hydrophobic even when the coating 14 is not formed on the surface of the granules 12. The granules 12 contain resin-coated paper material, a porous material, and additives. The resin-coated paper material is a material made of paper to which resin is attached. Preferably, the resin-coated paper material is paper to which the resin is inseparably attached. Here, "inseparable" means that with the technology available at the time of this application, it is difficult to completely separate the paper and the resin. Examples of resin-coated paper material include resin-coated paper, resin-laminated paper, or resin-impregnated paper. Examples of resin-coated paper include vinyl wallpaper or release paper. Preferably, the resin-coated paper material is waste material. The resin-coated paper material may be classified material (from which some of the resin has been removed by classification) or unclassified material (not classified). The porous material is preferably one that does not swell when it absorbs water. Examples of such porous materials include zeolite, diatomaceous earth, silica gel, or activated carbon.

[0017] Resin-coated paper material and porous material are the two main materials of the granules 12. Here, the two main materials refer to the materials that make up the granules 12 and have the top two weight percentages of the granules 12. The main material of the granules 12 may be either the resin-coated paper material or the porous material, or both. Here, the main material of the granules 12 refers to the material that makes up the granules 12 and has the largest weight percentage of the granules 12. The weight percentage of resin-coated paper material in the granules 12 is preferably 40% to 95%, and more preferably 50% to 70%. The weight percentage of porous material in the granules 12 is preferably 5% to 60%, and more preferably 30% to 50%. Furthermore, the total weight percentage of resin-coated paper material and porous material in the granules 12 is preferably 95% or more, and more preferably 99% or more. Examples of additives include lubricants and resin stabilizers. For example, paraffin (paraffin wax) can be used as a lubricant. For example, calcium-based stabilizers can be used as resin stabilizers. The weight percentage of additives in the granules 12 is preferably 5% or less, and more preferably 1% or less.

[0018] The granules 12 do not contain water-curable materials. Examples of water-curable materials include gypsum, cement, or water-curable resins. Furthermore, the granules 12 do not contain thermoplastic resins, except for the resins that make up the resin-adhered paper material. Examples of thermoplastic resins include EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin).

[0019] The coating 14 is formed on the surface of the granules 12. The coating 14 may cover the entire surface of the granules 12, or it may cover only a portion of the surface of the granules 12. The weight of the coating 14 is preferably 0.5% to 5% of the weight of the granules 12, and more preferably 1% to 3%.

[0020] The film 14 contains a deodorant, cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and a water-soluble adhesive. The deodorant is preferably contained in the film 14 in a state supported by the CNF. Here, the deodorant being supported by the CNF means that the deodorant is fixed to the CNF by chemical bonding or physical bonding. As the deodorant, well-known deodorants can be used, but it is preferable to use a metal having a deodorizing function. Examples of such a metal include copper, silver, zinc, or titanium. In the present embodiment, the deodorant is copper. In the present invention, "metal" is also intended to include metal ions. The deodorant may be contained not only in the film 14 but also in the granulated product 12 as an additive. In that case, the deodorant contained in the granulated product 12 may be the same as or different from the deodorant contained in the film 14. As the water-soluble adhesive, for example, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), or dextrin can be used.

[0021] Subsequently, as an example of an embodiment of the method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to the present invention, an example of the method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material 1 will be described. This manufacturing method includes a granulated product forming step and a film forming step.

[0022] The granulated product forming step is a step of forming the granulated product 12 that constitutes the granular body 10. In this step, a plurality of granulated products 12 are formed by granulating a granulation material (the material constituting the granulated product 12) using a granulating device. As the granulating device, for example, an extrusion granulator can be used. Prior to granulation, pretreatment such as pulverization, kneading, and addition of water is performed on the granulation material as necessary.

[0023] The film-forming step is a step of forming a film 14 on the surface of the granulated product 12. In this step, the film 14 is formed by adhering a film material to the surface of each granulated product 12 using means such as spraying. The film material can be prepared, for example, by mixing a deodorant (copper ion water) and a water-soluble adhesive with a sol-like or slurry-like CNF (CNF aqueous solution). The concentration of the CNF aqueous solution is, for example, 2% or more and 7% or less. As the copper ion water, for example, an aqueous copper sulfate solution with a concentration of 2% or more and 5% or less can be used. The weight ratios of the CNF aqueous solution, copper ion water, and water-soluble adhesive in the film material are, for example, 50% or more and 80% or less, 10% or more and 40% or less, and 10% or more and 40% or less, respectively. When the film material is adhered to the surface of the granulated product 12 by spraying, it is preferable to apply an external force to the film material using a pressure tank or the like. This is because the viscosity of the CNF temporarily decreases due to the thixotropy (thixotropy) of the CNF, making it easier to spray the film material. After the formation of the film 14, post-treatment such as sieving (classifying) and drying is performed as necessary. Thus, the excrement treatment material 1 composed of a plurality of granular bodies 10 is obtained.

[0024] The effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a film 14 containing a deodorant and CNF is formed on the surface of the granulated product 12. By including CNF in the film 14 together with the deodorant in this way, the strength of the film 14 can be improved. As a result, even when the granular body 10 is exposed to urine, the film 14 is less likely to be washed away by the urine. Therefore, an excrement treatment material 1 in which the deodorant is unlikely to fall off from the surface of the granulated product 12, and a method for producing the same, are realized. In the excrement treatment material 1, since the deodorant is fixed to the surface of the granulated product 12, its deodorizing effect can be maintained over a long period. Further, when the deodorant is present on the surface of the granulated product 12, urine is more likely to come into contact with the deodorant than when it is present inside the granulated product 12, so that its deodorizing effect is efficiently exerted.

[0025] When the deodorant contained in the coating 14 is a metal with deodorizing properties, the metal is a highly durable material, which is advantageous in enhancing the duration of the deodorizing effect. In particular, in this embodiment, copper is used as the deodorant. This is advantageous not only in terms of the duration of the deodorizing effect but also in terms of safety and low cost.

[0026] The coating 14 contains a water-soluble adhesive. This allows the coating 14 to adhere more firmly to the surface of the granules 12. As a result, the deodorant is less likely to fall off the surface of the granules 12.

[0027] A larger proportion of the coating 14 on the granular material 10 is advantageous for enhancing the deodorizing effect of the deodorant. From this viewpoint, the weight of the coating 14 is preferably 0.5% or more of the weight of the granules 12, and more preferably 1% or more. On the other hand, if the proportion of the coating 14 is too large, the hydrophobicity of the entire granular material 10 may be inhibited. From this viewpoint, the weight of the coating 14 is preferably 5% or less of the weight of the granules 12, and more preferably 3% or less.

[0028] The granules 12 contain resin-coated paper material and a porous material. By using resin-coated paper material, urine is less likely to be absorbed by the granules 10 (granules 12) compared to when ordinary paper material is used. While this is advantageous in increasing the hydrophobicity of the granules 10, it also has the disadvantage that urine tends to remain on the surface of the granules 10. In this regard, the excrement treatment material 1 allows the porous material to absorb the urine adhering to the surface of the granules 10. As a result, urine is less likely to remain on the surface of the granules 10.

[0029] When resin-coated paper material has resin inseparably attached to the paper, such resin-coated paper material is unsuitable for recycling, and therefore, it would normally have to be disposed of as waste. However, by using it as a material for granules 12, this waste material can be effectively utilized. Moreover, since waste material unsuitable for recycling is readily available at low cost, the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1 can be reduced.

[0030] When the resin-attached paper material is resin-coated paper or resin-laminated paper, the resin is present on the surface of the paper, which is advantageous for increasing the hydrophobicity of the granular material 10 compared to when the resin is present inside the paper.

[0031] When the resin-coated paper material is vinyl chloride wallpaper, the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that makes up the vinyl chloride wallpaper is a resin with a relatively low softening temperature. Therefore, PVC is easily softened by the heat generated by friction and other factors inside the granulator during the granulation of the granulated material 12. By softening the resin during granulation in this way, the resin can be distributed over a wide area of ​​the granulated material 12. This contributes to improving the hydrophobicity of the granulated material 12 and, consequently, the granular material 10. Moreover, since vinyl chloride wallpaper waste is generated in large quantities, it is readily available at a low cost. This contributes to reducing the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1.

[0032] If the porous material is one that does not swell when it absorbs water, the granular material 10 can be made less likely to disintegrate even when the porous material absorbs urine. In other words, the shape retention (water resistance) of the granular material 10 can be improved compared to when a material that swells when it absorbs water is used. Improving the shape retention of the granular material 10 is advantageous for maintaining its hydrophobicity over a long period of time.

[0033] When the porous material is zeolite, zeolite has ion exchange capabilities, which has the advantage that odor-causing substances in urine that are adsorbed onto the porous material (zeolite) are less likely to be re-released.

[0034] The granules 12 do not contain water-curable materials. Water-curable materials require a long time (generally 24 hours or more) to fully harden, which leads to a decrease in the productivity of the granules 12 and, consequently, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1. Therefore, not using water-curable materials is advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1.

[0035] The granulated material 12 does not contain thermoplastic resin, except for the resin that constitutes the resin-adhered paper material. Since thermoplastic resin is an expensive material, it would lead to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1. Therefore, not using thermoplastic resin is advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1.

[0036] Resin-coated paper and porous material are the two main materials of the granulated product 12. This is advantageous for fully enjoying both the effect of increasing the hydrophobicity of the granular material 10 with the resin-coated paper and the effect of making it difficult for urine to remain on the surface of the granular material 10 with the porous material.

[0037] Increasing the content of resin-coated paper material is advantageous for improving the hydrophobicity of the granular material 10. From this viewpoint, the weight ratio of resin-coated paper material to the granules 12 is preferably 40% or more, and more preferably 50% or more. On the other hand, if the content of resin-coated paper material is too high, the content of porous material may become insufficient. From this viewpoint, the above weight ratio is preferably 95% or less, and more preferably 70% or less.

[0038] Increasing the content of porous material is advantageous in preventing urine from remaining on the surface of the granular material 10. From this viewpoint, the weight ratio of porous material in the granules 12 is preferably 5% or more, and more preferably 30% or more. On the other hand, if the content of porous material is too high, the content of resin-adhered paper material may become insufficient. From this viewpoint, the above weight ratio is preferably 60% or less, and more preferably 50% or less.

[0039] The granulated material 12 contains additives. This makes it possible to improve the quality and productivity of the granulated material 12. If the additive is a lubricant, it is possible to prevent excessive frictional heat from being generated in the granulator during the granulation of the granulated material 12. In particular, if the lubricant is paraffin, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the waste treatment material 1 because paraffin is inexpensive and readily available. If the additive is a resin stabilizer, it is possible to suppress the deterioration and discoloration of the resin that makes up the resin-coated paper material.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiments, the case in which the coating 14 contains a water-soluble adhesive is illustrated. However, it is not essential that the coating 14 contains a water-soluble adhesive. The coating 14 may contain only a deodorant and CNF.

[0041] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the granules 12 contain additives. However, it is not essential that the granules 12 contain additives. The granules 12 may contain only resin-adhered paper material and porous material.

[0042] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the granules 12 contain both resin-adhered paper material and porous material. However, the granules 12 may contain only one of the resin-adhered paper material or the porous material, or neither.

[0043] In the above embodiment, an organic material other than the resin-coated paper material may be used as the material for the granulated product 12, either in place of the resin-coated paper material or together with the resin-coated paper material. Examples of such organic materials include paper, plants, plastics, or organic sludge.

[0044] Paper refers to materials primarily composed of pulp. Examples of paper include, for example, ordinary paper (paper dust), fluff pulp, or paper derived from sanitary products (paper generated during the manufacture or classification of sanitary products containing paper). Examples of sanitary products containing paper include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, or sanitary paper (tissue paper, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). Examples of plant materials include, for example, wood powder, sawdust, or plant residues (tea leaves, okara, etc.). Examples of plastics include, for example, ordinary plastics, aluminum-metallized film, or plastics derived from sanitary products (plastics generated during the manufacture or classification of sanitary products containing plastic). Examples of sanitary products containing plastic include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, or sanitary masks. Examples of organic sludge include, for example, papermaking sludge or pulp sludge. These materials may or may not be treated with hydrophobic (water-repellent) treatment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Waste disposal material 10 Granules 12 Granules 14 Coating

Claims

1. A waste treatment material comprising granular material, The granular body is A hydrophobic granule, A waste treatment material characterized by comprising a coating formed on the surface of the granules and containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers.

2. In the waste treatment material according to claim 1, The aforementioned deodorant is a waste treatment material that is a metal having deodorizing properties.

3. In the waste treatment material according to claim 2, The aforementioned metal is copper, which is used in waste treatment materials.

4. In the waste treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned coating is a waste treatment material containing a water-soluble adhesive.

5. In the waste treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The waste treatment material wherein the weight of the coating is 0.5% or more and 5% or less of the weight of the granulated material.

6. In the waste treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned granules are a waste treatment material containing resin-coated paper material and porous material.

7. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned resin-coated paper material is a waste treatment material in which resin is inseparably attached to paper.

8. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned resin-coated paper material is a waste treatment material that is resin-coated paper or resin-laminated paper.

9. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned resin-coated paper material is a PVC wallpaper used for waste disposal.

10. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned porous material is a waste treatment material that does not swell even when it absorbs water.

11. In the waste treatment material according to claim 10, The aforementioned porous material is a zeolite used for treating excrement.

12. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned granules are a waste treatment material that does not contain a water-curing material.

13. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The granular material is a waste treatment material that does not contain thermoplastic resin, except for the resin that constitutes the resin-adhered paper material.

14. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The resin-coated paper material and the porous material are the two main materials of the granulated product, which are waste treatment materials.

15. In the waste treatment material according to claim 6, The aforementioned granules are an excrement treatment material containing additives.

16. In the waste treatment material according to claim 15, The aforementioned additive is a waste treatment material that acts as a lubricant.

17. In the waste treatment material according to claim 16, The aforementioned lubricant is paraffin, which is used in waste treatment materials.

18. A method for producing an excrement treatment material comprising granular material, A granulation forming step that forms the granular material having hydrophobic properties, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, characterized by comprising a film-forming step of forming a film containing a deodorant and cellulose nanofibers on the surface of the granules.

19. In the method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to claim 18, The method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material, wherein the aforementioned deodorant is a metal having deodorizing properties.

20. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 19, A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material, wherein the aforementioned metal is copper.

21. In a method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 18 to 20, A method for producing an excrement treatment material that forms the coating containing a water-soluble adhesive in the coating formation step.

22. In a method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 18 to 20, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein in the coating formation step, the weight of the coating is 0.5% or more and 5% or less of the weight of the granulated material.

23. In a method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 18 to 20, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein the granule formation step involves forming granules containing a resin-adhered paper material and a porous material.

24. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, The method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material, wherein the resin-attached paper material is paper in which resin is inseparably attached.

25. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material, wherein the resin-coated paper material is resin-coated paper or resin-laminated paper.

26. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, The aforementioned resin-coated paper material is a PVC wallpaper, and the method is for manufacturing an excrement treatment material.

27. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, The porous material is a material that does not swell even when it absorbs water. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material.

28. In the method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to claim 27, The aforementioned porous material is a zeolite, and the method is a method for producing an excrement treatment material.

29. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein the granules formed in the granule formation step do not contain a water-curing material.

30. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein in the granule formation step, the granules are formed without containing a thermoplastic resin, except for the resin constituting the resin-adhered paper material.

31. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein in the granule formation step, the resin-adhered paper material and the porous material constitute the two main components of the granules.

32. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 23, A method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein the granule formation step involves forming granules containing additives.

33. In the method for producing an excrement treatment material according to claim 32, The aforementioned additive is a method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material that acts as a lubricant.

34. In the method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to claim 33, The method for producing an excrement treatment material, wherein the lubricant is paraffin.

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