Animal waste treatment materials

Abstract

To provide an animal excrement treatment material which can easily suppress the diffusion of dust and the generation of foul odors and can be easily used for a long period of time. [Solution] An animal waste treatment material (3) comprises first granules (7) and second granules (9) mainly composed of bentonite, the first granules (7) being cylindrical and the second granules (9) being spherical, the average height of the first granules (7) being greater than the average diameter of the second granules (9), and the mass proportion of the second granules (9) being higher than the mass proportion of the first granules (7). It is preferable that the material further comprises third granules (11) which are crushed granules of silica gel.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an animal waste management material. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, animal litter boxes containing litter mats (litter boxes) made of a plurality of absorbent granules have been known for use in cat and dog litter boxes. Litter boxes used in such animal litter boxes generally swell and become more viscous when they absorb liquid waste, such as urine, from the animal, causing the granules to bond together and form clumps of the granules. The clumps thus formed are then removed from the litter box by the owner.

[0003] Animal litter is known that has relatively large particles and relatively small particles to reduce the clumps that form when liquid waste is absorbed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses animal litter made of multiple granules whose main ingredient is bentonite, the granules including small-diameter granules having a particle size of 0.8 mm or more and less than 2 mm, and large-diameter granules having a particle size of 2 mm or more and less than 10 mm, with the small-diameter granules comprising 20% or more and 100% or less of the large-diameter granules by weight.

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses an excrement treatment material consisting of a plurality of granular bodies, characterized in that it comprises first granular bodies having a first diameter and second granular bodies having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-252082 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-171785 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The animal litter in Patent Document 1 is composed of the large-diameter granules, which are cylindrical, and the small-diameter granules, which are crushed. Because the small-diameter granules are crushed, they have many sharp edges, which makes them prone to generating dust during the manufacture and storage of the animal litter, and this dust tends to become airborne when the animal litter is placed in a litter box. Furthermore, the dust tends to adhere to the animal litter, and when the animal agitates the animal litter when it defecates, the dust easily spreads when the animal litter scatters, easily contaminating the litter box and its surroundings.

[0007] Furthermore, the animal litter in Patent Document 1 contains fewer small-diameter granules by weight than the large-diameter granules, making it difficult to fill the gaps between the large-diameter granules when clumps of granules are formed. As a result, when the animal litter absorbs liquid excrement, the liquid excrement tends to spread in the depth direction and reach the bottom of the litter box. As a result, the animal litter tends to form clumps that are long in the depth direction and adhere to the bottom of the litter box.

[0008] The clumps that are long in the depth direction tend to crumble easily when disposed of, and some of the clumps that have absorbed liquid excrement tend to remain in the litter box. Furthermore, the clumps that adhere to the bottom of the litter box are difficult to remove, and some of the clumps that have absorbed liquid excrement tend to remain in the litter box. The animal litter that has absorbed liquid excrement and remains in the litter box can cause a foul odor. Animal owners tend to replace the animal litter that has generated a foul odor. Therefore, the animal litter may not be usable for a long period of time.

[0009] The excrement treatment material of Patent Document 2 has first and second spherical granules with different diameters, which allows it to easily fill gaps when laid in a litter box. Therefore, the excrement treatment material allows liquid excrement from animals to spread horizontally but not in the depth direction. Therefore, the excrement treatment material is prone to forming clumps of granules that spread horizontally. Even when the gaps are small, the clumps tend to be weak due to their horizontally spread shape. Such clumps with low strength tend to break apart and break into fragments. Although the fragments absorb the liquid excrement, they are not significantly different in size from the first and second granules, making them difficult for the owner to remove. Therefore, the fragments tend to remain in the excrement treatment material and may cause a foul odor within a short period of time (e.g., within one week). Furthermore, since owners tend to replace excrement treatment materials that have generated a foul odor, there is a risk that the materials will not be usable for a long period of time.

[0010] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an animal excrement treatment material that can easily suppress the spread of dust and the generation of foul odors and can be used for a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is an animal waste treatment material comprising first and second granules, each having bentonite as its main component, wherein the first granules are cylindrical and the second granules are spherical, the average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules, and the mass proportion of the second granules is greater than the mass proportion of the first granules. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an animal excrement treatment material that can easily suppress the spread of dust and the generation of foul odors and can be easily used for a long period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an animal litter box 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the animal excrement disposal material 3 in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a photograph of the animal excrement treatment material for explaining the example. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a photograph of the animal excrement treatment material for explaining the example. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a photograph of the animal excrement treatment material for explaining the example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a photograph of a lump for illustrating an example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a photograph of a lump for illustrating an example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a photograph of a lump for explaining an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Specifically, the present disclosure relates to the following aspects: [Aspect 1] An animal excrement treatment material comprising first granular materials and second granular materials, each of which contains bentonite as a main component, The first granular material is cylindrical, The second particulate material is spherical, The average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules; The mass ratio of the second granular material is higher than the mass ratio of the first granular material. Animal waste treatment material.

[0015] Generally, when an animal waste disposal material containing bentonite as its main component absorbs liquid animal waste, the granular materials constituting the material exhibit adhesiveness, which causes the granular materials to bond together and form clumps. Animal owners can dispose of the liquid waste by disposing of the clumps. Furthermore, when the animal waste disposal material is composed only of spherical granules, the gaps in the animal waste disposal material tend to be small, liquid excrement tends to spread horizontally, and the lumps tend to have a shape that spreads in the horizontal direction.When the animal waste disposal material is composed only of cylindrical granules, the gaps in the animal waste disposal material tend to be large, liquid excrement tends to penetrate in the depth direction, and the lumps tend to have a shape that spreads in the depth direction.

[0016] In contrast, the animal excrement disposal material includes the first granules that are cylindrical and the second granules that are spherical, which tends to create appropriate gaps in the animal excrement disposal material and makes it easier for liquid excrement to spread both horizontally and in the depth direction. This makes it easy for the animal owner to discard the mass of animal excrement disposal material, and it is unlikely that part of the mass that has absorbed the liquid excrement will remain in the litter box.

[0017] Furthermore, since the animal excrement disposal material includes the first granular material that is cylindrical and the second granular material that is spherical, it has few sharp edges and therefore is easy to suppress the generation of dust, which makes it easy to suppress the contamination of the animal litter box and its surroundings due to the spread of dust.

[0018] In addition, generally, lumps with low strength tend to break down and break into fragments. Although these fragments absorb liquid excrement, they are not significantly different in size from large-diameter granules and small-diameter granules, making them difficult for pet owners to remove. Therefore, these fragments tend to remain in the litter box, potentially causing a foul odor.

[0019] In the animal excrement disposal material, the average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules, and the mass ratio of the second granules is higher than the mass ratio of the first granules, making it easy to fill gaps. In the clump, the first granules are cylindrical, making it easy for the first granules to connect to each other and for the first granules to fix the second granules. Therefore, the clump tends to have high strength because the first granules function easily as a skeleton and the second granules easily fill gaps.

[0020] The strong clumps are less likely to lose their shape, so fragments are less likely to form, and parts of the clumps that have absorbed liquid excrement are less likely to remain in the litter box. Therefore, after the owner removes the clumps, the clumps and fragments that cause bad odors are less likely to remain in the litter box. Furthermore, the animal excrement disposal material, which suppresses the generation of bad odors, requires less frequent replacement and is therefore easier to use for long periods of time. As described above, the animal excrement disposal material is easier to suppress the spread of dust and the generation of bad odors, and is easier to use for long periods of time. Furthermore, when the multiple granular materials are only crushed, the liquid excrement is more likely to spread in the horizontal direction than when the multiple granular materials are only spherical, and the mass is more likely to form in a shape that spreads in the horizontal direction.

[0021] [Aspect 2] The animal excrement treatment material comprises the first granular material and the second granular material in a mass ratio of 20:80 to 49:51 based on a total of 100 parts by mass of the first granular material and the second granular material. 2. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

[0022] Generally, animal excrement disposal materials are composed mainly of small-sized, low-mass granular materials, and the granular materials are easily pushed out by the movement of animals, etc., and are therefore likely to scatter outside the toilet container in which the animal excrement disposal material is placed. When the animal excrement disposal material scatters, dust adhering to the material may be dispersed.

[0023] In contrast, the animal excrement disposal material comprises the first granular material and the second granular material in a predetermined mass ratio. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to scatter outside the litter box. Furthermore, the first granular material is more likely to function as the skeleton of the mass, and the second granular material is more likely to fill in the gaps in the skeleton of the mass. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is easier for the owner to dispose of the mass, and it is less likely that part of the mass will remain in the litter box. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is more likely to suppress the spread of dust and the generation of unpleasant odors, and is easier to use for a long period of time.

[0024] [Aspect 3] The height-to-diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the average height of the first granules to the average diameter of the second granules, is 2:1 to 5:1. 3. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2.

[0025] The animal excrement disposal material comprises the first granules and the second granules with a predetermined height-to-diameter ratio. Therefore, the first granules are shaped to be less likely to break, and are more likely to function as the skeleton of the mass. The second granules are more likely to adequately fill gaps in the skeleton of the mass. Consequently, the strength of the mass tends to be high. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is more likely to suppress the generation of odors and be usable for long periods of time.

[0026] [Aspect 4] The first granular material has an aspect ratio of 2.0 to 8.0. 4. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 1 to 3.

[0027] The first granules have a predetermined aspect ratio. Therefore, the first granules have a shape that is difficult to break, which makes them easy to maintain strength and reduces the generation of dust. As a result, the strength of the clumps tends to be high. Furthermore, the first granules tend to function more easily as the skeleton of the clumps, and the gaps in the animal waste disposal material are less likely to become large, making it easier for the animal owner to discard the clumps, and less likely for parts of the clumps to remain in the litter box. As a result, the animal waste disposal material is easy to suppress the spread of dust and the generation of foul odors, and is easy to use for a long period of time.

[0028] [Aspect 5] The second granular material has an average diameter of 1.4 to 2.8 mm and a standard deviation of the diameter of 0.4 to 1.0 mm. 5. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 1 to 4.

[0029] In the animal excrement disposal material, the second granules have a predetermined average diameter and a predetermined standard deviation of the diameter. Therefore, the size of the second granules in the animal excrement disposal material can be said to vary appropriately, making it easy to fill gaps between the clumps, making it easy for the owner to dispose of the clumps, and making it difficult for parts of the clumps to remain in the litter box. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is easy to suppress the generation of bad odors and is easy to use for a long period of time.

[0030] [Aspect 6] The second granular material is a rolling granulated material. 6. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 1 to 5.

[0031] Generally, granular materials containing bentonite as a main component tend to generate dust when crushed. The second granules are tumbling granules, and therefore the second granules are less likely to generate dust. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is more likely to suppress the spread of dust.

[0032] [Aspect 7] The animal excrement treatment material further comprises third granules which are crushed granules of silica gel. 7. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 1 to 6.

[0033] Generally, silica gel is known to breeders to have the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors. In the animal excrement disposal material, the third granules are crushed granules of the silica gel, and therefore, since the third granules have a different shape from the first granules and the second granules, it is easy for a breeder to recognize that the animal excrement disposal material contains silica gel.

[0034] Furthermore, since the animal excrement disposal material further includes the third granules, the gaps in the animal excrement disposal material tend to be of an appropriate size. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material tends to easily diffuse liquid excrement in both the horizontal direction and the depth direction, and the first granules, the second granules, and the third granules tend to come into contact with the liquid excrement. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material tends to easily adsorb odorous components in liquid excrement.

[0035] Furthermore, the silica gel is harder than the bentonite. Therefore, even when crushed, the third granules are less likely to generate dust than the first and second granules. From the above, it is easy to understand that the animal excrement treatment material has the function of easily suppressing the spread of dust and the generation of foul odors, making it easy for breeders to suppress the generation of foul odors.

[0036] [Aspect 8] The animal excrement treatment material contains the third granular material in a mass ratio of 0.5 to 5.0 mass %. 8. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 7.

[0037] The animal waste disposal material contains the third granular material in a predetermined mass ratio. Therefore, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to generate dust and the clumps tend to have high strength. Also, it is easy for breeders to recognize that the animal waste disposal material contains the silica gel. From the above, it is easy for breeders to understand that the animal waste disposal material has the function of easily suppressing the spread of dust and the generation of bad odors, is easy to use for a long period of time, and has the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors.

[0038] [Aspect 9] The third granular material has an average length of 1.0 to 5.0 mm. 9. The animal excrement treatment material according to aspect 7 or 8.

[0039] In the animal waste disposal material, the third granules have a predetermined average length. Therefore, before the formation of the clumps, the animal waste disposal material is likely to have gaps of appropriate size due to the third granules, making it easy to diffuse liquid excrement. As a result, the first granules, the second granules, and the third granules are likely to adsorb odorous components of liquid excrement. Therefore, the animal waste disposal material is likely to exhibit odorous component adsorption performance before the formation of the clumps. As a result, the animal waste disposal material is likely to suppress the generation of unpleasant odors.

[0040] [Aspect 10] The third granules are colored. 10. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 7 to 9.

[0041] In the animal excrement disposal material, the third granules are colored. Therefore, it is easy for the owner to recognize that the animal excrement disposal material contains the silica gel. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to leave clumps in the litter box, making it easier for the owner to recognize that it has the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors.

[0042] [Aspect 11] The second granules are colored. 11. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.

[0043] In the animal waste disposal material, the second granules are colored. Therefore, when the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with liquid excrement, the minute irregularities on the surface of the second granules, which are primarily composed of bentonite, are covered by the liquid excrement, smoothing the surface and causing the external color to change to a darker color. This makes it easier for the owner to distinguish between the clump containing the second granules whose external color has changed to a darker color and the animal waste disposal material containing the second granules whose external color has not changed. Therefore, the owner is less likely to miss the clump when disposing of it, and the clump is less likely to remain in the litter box. As a result, the animal waste disposal material is more likely to suppress the generation of odors and be usable for a long period of time.

[0044] The following describes an animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples thereof, and can be applied to various animal excrement treatment materials within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating an animal excrement disposal material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of an animal litter box 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the animal excrement disposal material 3 in Fig. 1.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, an animal excrement disposal material 3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is used by being laid in a litter box 5 in an animal litter box 1.

[0047] 2, in this embodiment, the animal excrement treatment material 3 comprises cylindrical first granules 7 and spherical second granules 9, each of which is primarily made of bentonite, and crushed silica gel granules, namely, third granules 11. Each of the first granules 7, second granules 9, and third granules 11 is made up of a plurality of granules.

[0048] In the animal excrement disposal material 3, the average height of the first granules 7 is greater than the average diameter of the second granules 9, and the mass proportion of the second granules 9 is higher than the mass proportion of the first granules 7.

[0049] The animal excrement disposal material 3 includes the cylindrical first granules 7 and the spherical second granules 9, which tends to create appropriate gaps in the animal excrement disposal material 3, making it easier for the liquid excrement to spread in both the horizontal and depth directions. This makes it easy for the animal owner to discard the mass of animal excrement disposal material 3, and it is unlikely that part of the mass that has absorbed the liquid excrement will remain in the toilet container. Furthermore, the animal excrement disposal material 3 has cylindrical first granules 7 and spherical second granules 9, and therefore has few sharp edges, making it easy to suppress the generation of dust. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material 3 easily prevents the animal litter box 1 and its surroundings from being contaminated by the spread of dust.

[0050] In the animal excrement disposal material 3, the average height of the first granules 7 is greater than the average diameter of the second granules 9, and the mass proportion of the second granules 9 is higher than the mass proportion of the first granules 7, so that gaps can be filled appropriately. In the clump, the first granules 7 are cylindrical, so that the first granules 7 can easily connect to each other and the first granules 7 can easily fix the second granules 9. Therefore, the clump tends to have high strength because the first granules 7 can easily function as a skeleton and the second granules can easily fill gaps.

[0051] The strong clumps are less likely to lose their shape, so fragments are less likely to form, and parts of the clumps that have absorbed liquid excrement are less likely to remain in the litter box. Therefore, after the owner removes the clumps, the clumps and fragments that cause bad odors are less likely to remain in the litter box. Furthermore, the animal excrement disposal material 3, which suppresses the generation of bad odors, requires less frequent replacement and is therefore easier to use for a long period of time. As described above, the animal excrement disposal material 3 is easier to suppress the spread of dust and the generation of bad odors, and is easier to use for a long period of time. Furthermore, when the multiple granular materials are only crushed, the liquid excrement is more likely to spread in the horizontal direction as clumps than when the multiple granular materials are only spherical, and the clumps are more likely to form in a shape that spreads in the horizontal direction.

[0052] In this specification, the "depth direction" refers to a direction parallel to gravity, and the "horizontal direction" refers to a direction in which a plane perpendicular to the depth direction extends.

[0053] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure absorbs liquid excrement from animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and ferrets, and forms a plurality of granular masses.

[0054] The liquid excreta excreted by animals include urine, feces (particularly loose stools), sweat, blood, saliva, etc. Among the liquid excretions, urine and feces are likely to cause a foul odor. Among the odors derived from liquid animal waste, ammonia is an odorous component of urine, which can be generated by the action of urease (a hydrolytic enzyme) derived from various bacteria and yeasts on urea, a component of urine. Another odorous component of urine is 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol (3MMB), a type of pheromone substance found in particularly large amounts in the urine of male cats. The distinctive odor of 3MMB can be quite unpleasant to humans. Other odorous substances that may be generated from feces include ethyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, indole, and skatole.

[0055] The animal excrement treatment material is a water-absorbent bedding material that is laid in the toilet container of an animal litter box. When the animal excrement treatment material absorbs liquid excrement, it swells and becomes more viscous, causing the granular materials to bond together and form clumps. The clumps are then removed from the toilet container by the animal owner.

[0056] In this specification, the term "cylindrical" in relation to the first granular material refers to a columnar shape having a substantially circular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction (height direction) and one end and the other end. Each of the one end and the other end may be flat or curved. When the one end or the other end is curved, the shape may be, for example, convex or concave.

[0057] The above-mentioned "approximately circular" means that the diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle to the diameter of the circumscribed circle, between the inscribed circle and the circumscribed circle that are in contact with the cross section, is preferably within the range of 1:1 to 1:1.1, and more preferably within the range of 1:1 to 1:1.05. The cylindrical first granular material has a substantially circular cross section, which reduces sharp edges, making it easier for the first granular material to suppress dust generation.

[0058] In addition, in this specification, the "height" of the cylindrical shape means the length in the axial direction between the part of the one end that protrudes most on the side opposite the other end and the part of the other end that protrudes most on the side opposite the one end.

[0059] In this specification, "spherical" in relation to the second granules means that the diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the average value of the shortest diameters (average shortest diameter) to the average value of the longest diameters (average longest diameter) of the multiple granules that make up the second granules, is preferably within the range of 1:1 to 1:1.5, more preferably within the range of 1:1.4, even more preferably within the range of 1:1.3, and even more preferably within the range of 1:1.2.

[0060] The plurality of shortest diameters and the plurality of longest diameters are each obtained from an enlarged image (magnification: 30x) of a plurality of granules constituting the second granular object, which are placed on a horizontal plane and photographed from above in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane toward the horizontal plane. The plurality of shortest diameters and the plurality of longest diameters are obtained from a predetermined number (100) of granules constituting the second granular object. The enlarged images are photographed multiple times, changing the photographed object, until the shortest diameters and longest diameters of the predetermined number (100) of granular objects are obtained.

[0061] The animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure comprises first granules primarily composed of bentonite and second granules primarily composed of the bentonite. The first granules are cylindrical. The second granules are spherical. In the animal waste disposal material, the average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules. In the animal waste disposal material, the mass proportion of the second granules is greater than the mass proportion of the first granules. The first granular material is made up of a plurality of cylindrical granular material, and the second granular material is made up of a plurality of spherical granular material.

[0062] Generally, when an animal waste disposal material containing bentonite as its main component absorbs liquid animal waste, the granular materials constituting the material exhibit adhesiveness, which causes the granular materials to bond together and form clumps. Animal owners can dispose of the liquid waste by disposing of the clumps. Furthermore, when the animal waste disposal material is composed only of spherical granules, the gaps in the animal waste disposal material tend to be small, liquid excrement tends to spread horizontally, and the lumps tend to have a shape that spreads in the horizontal direction.When the animal waste disposal material is composed only of cylindrical granules, the gaps in the animal waste disposal material tend to be large, liquid excrement tends to penetrate in the depth direction, and the lumps tend to have a shape that spreads in the depth direction.

[0063] In contrast, the animal excrement disposal material includes the first granules that are cylindrical and the second granules that are spherical, which tends to create appropriate gaps in the animal excrement disposal material and makes it easier for liquid excrement to spread both horizontally and in the depth direction. This makes it easier for the animal owner to discard the mass of animal excrement disposal material, and it is less likely that part of the mass that has absorbed the liquid excrement will remain in the litter box.

[0064] Furthermore, since the animal excrement disposal material includes the first granular material that is cylindrical and the second granular material that is spherical, it has few sharp edges and therefore is easy to suppress the generation of dust, which makes it easy to suppress the contamination of the animal litter box and its surroundings due to the spread of dust.

[0065] In addition, generally, lumps with low strength tend to break down and break into fragments. Although these fragments absorb liquid excrement, they are not significantly different in size from large-diameter granules and small-diameter granules, making them difficult for pet owners to remove. Therefore, these fragments tend to remain in the litter box, potentially causing a foul odor.

[0066] In the animal excrement disposal material, the average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules, and the mass ratio of the second granules is higher than the mass ratio of the first granules, making it easy to fill gaps. In the clump, the first granules are cylindrical, making it easy for the first granules to connect to each other and for the first granules to fix the second granules. Therefore, the clump tends to have high strength because the first granules function easily as a skeleton and the second granules easily fill gaps.

[0067] The strong clumps are less likely to lose their shape, so they are less likely to break apart, and the parts of the clumps that have absorbed the liquid excrement are less likely to remain in the litter box. Therefore, after the owner removes the clumps, the clumps and fragments that cause bad odors are less likely to remain in the litter box. Furthermore, the animal excrement treatment material, which suppresses the generation of bad odors, can be used for a long period of time because it needs to be replaced less frequently.

[0068] Furthermore, when the multiple granular materials are only crushed, the liquid excrement is more likely to spread in the horizontal direction than when the multiple granular materials are only spherical, and the mass is more likely to form in a shape that spreads in the horizontal direction.

[0069] In the present disclosure, the first granular material and the second granular material are not particularly limited except for their shapes, and granular materials of any shape can be used as long as they are granular materials containing bentonite as a main component. Each of the first granular material and the second granular material contains bentonite in a mass proportion of more than 50% by mass, preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more. Furthermore, the components of the first granules and the components of the second granules may be the same or different.

[0070] The animal excrement treatment material may further comprise, as components other than the main component, inorganic materials such as zeolite and silica gel; various additives such as fragrances, antibacterial agents and colorants; and solidification promoters such as sodium carbonate. The animal excrement treatment material preferably comprises components other than the main component in a mass ratio of less than 50% by mass, more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less. This is from the viewpoint of maintaining the viscosity of the granular material after absorbing urine.

[0071] The mass ratio of the first granules to the second granules contained in the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure is preferably 20:80 to 49:51, more preferably 25:75 to 45:55, and even more preferably 30:70 to 40:60, based on a total of 100 parts by mass of the first granules and the second granules.

[0072] Generally, animal excrement disposal materials are composed mainly of small-sized, low-mass granular materials, and the granular materials are easily pushed out by the movement of animals, etc., and are therefore likely to scatter outside the toilet container in which the animal excrement disposal material is placed. When the animal excrement disposal material scatters, dust adhering to the material may be dispersed.

[0073] In contrast, when the animal excrement disposal material comprises the first granules and the second granules in a predetermined mass ratio, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to scatter outside the litter box. Furthermore, the first granules tend to function as the skeleton of the mass, and the second granules tend to fill in the gaps in the skeleton of the mass. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is easy for the animal owner to discard the mass, and part of the mass is less likely to remain in the litter box.

[0074] The height-to-diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the average height of the first granules to the average diameter of the second granules, provided in the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure is preferably 2:1 or greater, more preferably 2.5:1 or greater. Furthermore, the height-to-diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the average height of the first granules to the average diameter of the second granules provided in the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure, is preferably 5:1 or less, more preferably 4:1 or less. This makes the first granules less likely to break, facilitates their function as the skeleton of the agglomerate, and makes it easier for the second granules to adequately fill in the gaps in the skeleton of the agglomerate. Accordingly, the strength of the agglomerate tends to be high.

[0075] The average height of the first granules is preferably 3.0 mm or more, more preferably 4.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 5.0 mm or more. This makes the first granules less likely to scatter. Furthermore, the average height of the first granules is preferably less than 9.0 mm, more preferably less than 8.0 mm, and even more preferably less than 7.0 mm. This makes it easier for the animal excrement disposal material to fill gaps appropriately. Accordingly, the strength of the mass tends to be increased. The average height of the first granules can be measured using the "Method for measuring the height of first granules" described below.

[0076] The first granules preferably comprise more than 50%, more preferably 60% or more, even more preferably 65% or more, and even more preferably 70% or more of granules having a height of 4.0 mm or more and less than 8.0 mm. The first granules preferably comprise 100% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 85% or less of granules having a height of 4.0 mm or more and less than 8.0 mm. This makes the first granules less likely to scatter and more likely to fill gaps in the animal excrement disposal material.

[0077] The first granules preferably comprise 80% or more, more preferably 85% or more, and even more preferably 90% or more of granules having a height of 3.0 mm or more and less than 9.0 mm. The first granules preferably comprise 100% or less, and more preferably 95% or less of granules having a height of 3.0 mm or more and less than 9.0 mm. This makes the first granules less likely to scatter and more likely to fill gaps in the animal excrement disposal material.

[0078] <Method for measuring the height of the first granular object> The height of the first granule is measured by the following procedure. (1) A predetermined mass (20±2 g) of the first granular material is used as a sample. (2) The maximum axial height of each grain in the sample is measured using a digital caliper. (3) The sum of the longest lengths is divided by the number of first granular objects to calculate the average height of the first granular objects.

[0079] The first granules included in the animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably have an aspect ratio of 2.0 or more, more preferably 2.5 or more, even more preferably 3.0 or more, and even more preferably 3.2 or more. The first granules have a shape that is less likely to break, which helps them retain their strength and reduces dust generation. Accordingly, the strength of the clumps tends to be high. As used herein, the "aspect ratio" of a first particulate means its average height divided by its average diameter.

[0080] Furthermore, the first granules provided in the animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably have an aspect ratio of 8.0 or less, more preferably 6.0 or less, even more preferably 5.0 or less, and even more preferably 4.0 or less, which makes it easier for the first granules to function as the skeleton of the mass and prevents large gaps in the animal excrement disposal material, making it easier for the animal owner to discard the mass and less likely for part of the mass to remain in the litter box.

[0081] The average diameter of the first granules is preferably 1.6 mm or more, more preferably 1.7 mm or more, and is preferably 2.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.9 mm or less. The first granules preferably comprise granules having a diameter of 1.7 mm or more and 1.9 mm or less at a mass ratio of 80% by mass or more, more preferably 85% by mass or more, even more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more. The first granules preferably comprise granules having a diameter of 1.7 mm or more and 1.9 mm or less at a mass ratio of 100% by mass or less. The diameter distribution of the first granules and the diameter distribution of the first granules can be measured by the "Method for measuring diameter of first granules" described below.

[0082] <Method for measuring diameter of first granular material> The average diameter of the first granular material is measured in the above-mentioned "method for measuring the height of the first granular material" by orienting the point to be measured with a digital caliper in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first granular material.

[0083] The average diameter of the second granules is preferably 0.85 mm or more, more preferably 1.2 mm or more, even more preferably 1.4 mm or more, and even more preferably 1.8 mm or more. This prevents the second granules from slipping through the gaps between the first granules and depositing on the bottom of the toilet container when the animal waste disposal material is placed in the toilet container. The average diameter of the second granules is preferably less than 4.0 mm, more preferably 3.5 mm or less, even more preferably 3.0 mm or less, even more preferably 2.8 mm or less, and even more preferably 2.4 mm or less. This allows the second granules to easily fill the gaps between the first granules, which function as the framework of the mass. This increases the strength of the mass. The average diameter of the second granules can be measured using the "Method for Measuring the Average Diameter and Standard Deviation of Diameters of Second Granules" described below.

[0084] In the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure, the second granules preferably have a standard deviation of diameter of 0.4 or more, more preferably 0.6 or more. Furthermore, in the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure, the second granules preferably have a standard deviation of diameter of 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.8 or less. This allows the animal waste disposal material to have a moderate variation in the size of the second granules, making it easier for gaps between the lumps to be filled, facilitating disposal by the owner, and preventing portions of the lumps that have absorbed liquid excrement from remaining in the litter box. The standard deviation of the diameter of the second granules can be measured using the "Method for Measuring the Average Diameter and Standard Deviation of Diameter of Second Granules" described below.

[0085] <Method for measuring the average diameter and standard deviation of the diameter of the second granular material> The average diameter and standard deviation of the diameter of the second granules are measured by the following procedure. (1) A predetermined mass (20±2 g) of second granular material is used as a sample. (2) Place the sample on the horizontal measuring table so that it does not overlap. (3) A magnified image (magnification: 30x) is obtained using a microscope (KEYENCE, microscope VHX-900, lens VH-Z20R) in a planar view from above in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane toward the horizontal plane. (4) In the enlarged photograph, the maximum diameter of each of the multiple granules is measured using a scale. (5) From the maximum diameters of the individual granules measured in (4), the average value of the maximum diameters of the second granules is calculated and used as the average diameter of the second granules. (6) The standard deviation of the maximum diameters of the second granules is calculated from the average value of the maximum diameters of each granule calculated in (4) and the maximum diameters of the second granules calculated in (5), and this is used as the standard deviation of the diameters of the second granules.

[0086] In this specification, the "standard deviation" is calculated using the formula shown in Equation 1 below. In Equation 1, s is the standard deviation, n is the total number of measurements, and x i are the individual measurements and μ is the mean value of the measurements.

[0087]

number

[0088] The second granules preferably contain granules that pass through a 4.00 mm sieve and remain on a 0.85 mm sieve in a sieving method, with a mass percentage of 85% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more. The second granules preferably contain granules that pass through a 4.00 mm sieve and remain on a 0.85 mm sieve in a mass percentage of 100% by mass or less. This prevents the second granules from slipping through the gaps in the first granules and depositing on the bottom of the toilet container when the animal waste disposal material is placed in the toilet container, and also easily fills the gaps in the first granules, which function as the framework of the mass. This also increases the strength of the mass. The diameter distribution of the second granules can be measured using the "Method for Measuring the Diameter Distribution of Second Granules" described below.

[0089] <Method for measuring diameter distribution of second granular material> The diameter distribution of the second granules is measured by the following procedure (sieve method). (1) In a vibrating sieve machine (Retsch, AS-200 model), several sieves (manufactured by Iida Seisakusho Co., Ltd., product name: Standard Test Sieve, SUS Popular Type, inner diameter 200 mm, depth 45 mm) with mesh sizes of 4.00 mm, 2.80 mm, 1.40 mm, 850 μm (0.85 mm), and 250 μm (0.25 mm) are placed in descending order of mesh size from largest to smallest. A receiver is placed below the sieve with the smallest mesh size. (2) A predetermined mass (300±10 g) of the second granular material is placed on top of the sieve set in the vibrating sieve machine as a sample, and sieved for a predetermined time (3 minutes). (3) Measure the mass (g) of each sieve after sieving, and subtract the mass (g) of each sieve before sieving from the measured value to calculate the mass (g) of the sample remaining on each sieve. (4) Based on the mesh size of each sieve and the mass (g) of the sample remaining on each sieve, calculate the distribution rate (mass%) of each diameter range of the sample.

[0090] The second granules included in the animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure are preferably produced by tumbling granulation, i.e., are tumbling granules. This makes the second granules less likely to generate dust. This is because granules primarily composed of bentonite are generally prone to generating dust when pulverized.

[0091] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably further comprises a third granular material, which is a crushed granular material of silica gel. The silica gel is not particularly limited as long as it has deodorizing properties, but may also have moisture absorption properties, for example. Furthermore, the silica gel with moisture absorption properties may change color depending on the moisture absorption state.

[0092] The third granular material is preferably composed of a plurality of crushed granular materials. Generally, silica gel is known to pet owners to have the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors. Therefore, when the animal excrement disposal material includes the third granules, pet owners can easily recognize that the animal excrement disposal material contains silica gel because the third granules have a different shape from the first and second granules.

[0093] Furthermore, when the animal excrement disposal material further comprises the third granules, the gaps in the animal excrement disposal material tend to be of an appropriate size. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material tends to easily diffuse liquid excrement in both the horizontal direction and the depth direction, and the first granules, the second granules, and the third granules tend to come into contact with the liquid excrement. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material tends to easily adsorb odorous components in liquid excrement.

[0094] Furthermore, the silica gel has a higher hardness than the bentonite, so the third granules, even in a crushed state, are less likely to generate dust than the first granules and the second granules.

[0095] When the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure further comprises the third granules, the animal waste disposal material preferably comprises the third granules in a mass proportion of 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.7% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.9% by mass or more. When the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure further comprises the third granules, the animal waste disposal material preferably comprises the third granules in a mass proportion of 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 3.1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.2% by mass or less. This makes the animal waste disposal material less likely to generate dust and increases the strength of the clumps. It also makes it easier for breeders to recognize that the animal waste disposal material contains silica gel.

[0096] When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure further comprises the third granules, the average length of the third granules is preferably 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 1.8 mm or more, and even more preferably 2.5 mm or more. When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure further comprises the third granules, the average length of the third granules is preferably 5.0 mm or less, more preferably 4.0 mm or less, and even more preferably 3.0 mm or less. Therefore, before the formation of the clumps, the animal waste treatment material is likely to have gaps of appropriate size due to the third granules, which facilitates the diffusion of liquid excrement. Therefore, the first granules, the second granules, and the third granules are likely to adsorb odorous components of liquid excrement. Therefore, the animal waste treatment material is likely to exhibit odorous component adsorption performance before the formation of the clumps. The average length of the third particulate material can be measured by the "Method for measuring the length of third particulate material" described below.

[0097] <Method for measuring the average length of the third granular material> The average length of the third granules is measured by the following procedure (sieve method). (1) Use a third granular material of a specified mass (20±2 g) as a sample. (2) Place the sample on the horizontal measuring table so that it does not overlap. (3) A magnified image (magnification: 30x) is obtained using a microscope (KEYENCE, microscope VHX-900, lens VH-Z20R) in a planar view from above in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane toward the horizontal plane. (4) In the enlarged photograph, the maximum diameter of each of the multiple granules is measured using a scale. (5) From the maximum lengths of the individual granules measured in (4), the average value of the maximum lengths of the third granules is calculated and used as the average length of the third granules.

[0098] When the animal waste disposal material further comprises the third granules, the third granules preferably comprise granules that pass through a 4.00 mm sieve and remain on a 1.40 mm sieve in a sieving method, at a mass ratio of 85% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more. When the animal waste disposal material further comprises the third granules, the third granules preferably comprise granules that pass through a 4.00 mm sieve and remain on a 1.40 mm sieve in a mass ratio of 100% by mass or less. Before the formation of the agglomerates, the animal waste disposal material is likely to have gaps of an appropriate size due to the third granules, which facilitates the diffusion of liquid excrement, and the first, second, and third granules are likely to adsorb odorous components of liquid excrement. Therefore, the animal excrement treatment material is likely to exhibit its ability to adsorb odorous components before the formation of the clumps. The length distribution of the third granules can be measured by the "Method for measuring the length distribution of third granules" described below.

[0099] <Method for measuring the length distribution of granular matter> The length distribution of the third particulate material can be measured by using the third particulate material as the sample in the above-mentioned "Method for measuring the diameter distribution of second particulate material" and calculating the distribution rate (mass %) of each length range of the sample.

[0100] When the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure further comprises the third granules, the third granules are preferably colored, for example, in a blue color, so that breeders can easily recognize that the animal waste disposal material contains the silica gel.

[0101] In the animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure, the second granules are preferably colored. When the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with liquid excrement, the minute irregularities on the surface of the second granules, which are primarily composed of bentonite, are covered by the liquid excrement, smoothing the surface and causing the external color to change to a darker color. This makes it easier for the owner to distinguish between the clump containing the second granules whose external color has changed to a darker color and the animal waste disposal material containing the second granules whose external color has not changed. Therefore, the clump is less likely to be overlooked by the owner when disposing of it, and therefore less likely to remain in the litter box.

[0102] When the second granules are colored, the animal excrement disposal material preferably contains the colored second granules in a mass proportion of 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 2.5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 4.0% by mass or more. This makes it easier for the colored second granules to be included in the mass. This makes it easier for breeders to distinguish the mass from the animal excrement disposal material by using the colored second granules. This makes it harder for breeders to miss the mass when disposing of it.

[0103] The animal waste disposal material preferably contains the colored second granules in a mass proportion of 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 8.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 6.0% by mass or less. This makes it easier for the animal waste disposal material owner to distinguish between clumps of colored second granules whose external color has changed to a darker color and those of colored second granules whose external color has not changed. This makes it difficult for the animal waste disposal material owner to overlook the clumps when disposing of them.

[0104] Furthermore, when the animal waste disposal material further includes the third granules and both the second granules and the third granules are colored, it is preferable that the color of the second granules after coloring differs from the color of the third granules after coloring. This makes it easy for a breeder to distinguish between the colored second granules and the colored third granules. Furthermore, the colored second granules make it difficult for a breeder to overlook the clumps when disposing of them, and the colored third granules make it easy for a breeder to understand that the clumps have the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors.

[0105] The flavoring may be contained as a constituent component of the granular material, or may be attached to the surface of the first granular material, the second granular material, or the third granular material. The first and second granules may contain the fragrance as a material other than the bentonite, and the third granule may be silica gel to which the fragrance has been added.

[0106] Examples of the fragrance include alcohols such as geranol, citronellol, citral, eugenol, phenethyl alcohol, thymol, linalool, leaf alcohol, menthol, and benzyl alcohol, and aldehydes such as hexylcinnamaldehyde. Examples of the fragrance include lavender fragrance, coffee fragrance, and lemon fragrance. The fragrance makes it easy for the animal excrement treatment material to suppress the generation of unpleasant odors.

[0107] Furthermore, in the animal waste disposal material to which the fragrance is added, the second granules are preferably colored in a color that is reminiscent of the fragrance. For example, in the animal waste disposal material to which the lemon fragrance is added, the second granules are colored yellow, in the animal waste disposal material to which the lavender fragrance is added, the second granules are colored purple, and in the animal waste disposal material to which the coffee fragrance is added, the second granules are colored brown. This makes it easy for users to understand that the animal waste disposal material has the function of easily suppressing the generation of bad odors.

[0108] [Manufacturing method for animal excrement treatment materials] The method for producing an animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure is obtained by mixing the first granules and the second granules obtained by the "method for producing a first granule" and the "method for producing a second granule" described below. In addition, the method for producing an animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably further mixes the third granules obtained by the "method for producing a third granule" with the first granules and the second granules.

[0109] [Method for producing first granules] In the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure, the method for producing the first granules is not particularly limited, and any method known in the art can be used. For example, the first granules 7 can be produced by the method for producing large-diameter granules disclosed in JP 2013-252082 A.

[0110] [Method for producing the second granules] The method for producing the second granules in the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and any production method known in the art can be used. For example, the second granules can be obtained by the following Production Method II. [Method II] (1) Dried powdered bentonite (for example, manufactured by Nippon Koken Co., Ltd., product name: Tsugaru No. 2) is continuously fed into a pan-type granulator (for example, manufactured by Shin Nihonkai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., diameter 3 m, depth 30 cm) which has a predetermined inclination (for example, 30 degrees) and rotates at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 12 rpm), and while spraying water at a predetermined mass ratio (for example, 25 mass%) relative to the mass of the bentonite, tumbling granulation, for example, centrifugal tumbling granulation, is carried out for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes). (2) The granules obtained in (1) are dried in a dryer to a predetermined moisture content (for example, 2.0% by mass or less), and then classified.

[0111] The classification of the second granular material obtained by any known manufacturing method is not particularly limited, and can be carried out, for example, by the following classification method II. [Classification method II] The resulting granular material can be sieved for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes) using a vibrating sieve (Retsch, AS-200 model) into which a predetermined mass (e.g., 300 g) of the material is added. The vibrating sieve can be used, for example, by setting a 4.00 mm mesh sieve and a 0.85 mm mesh sieve (manufactured by Iida Seisakusho Co., Ltd., product name: SUS popular type, standard test sieve, Φ200 mm, depth 45 mm) in that order from top to bottom. In this case, for example, the second granular material can be the granular material that passed through the 4.00 mm mesh sieve but not the 0.85 mm mesh sieve during classification. The mesh size of the sieve can be changed appropriately depending on the desired range of the average diameter of the second granules.

[0112] [Method for manufacturing the third granule] The method for producing the third granules in the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and any production method known in the art can be used. For example, the third granules can be obtained by the following Production Method III. [Method III] Silica gel (for example, manufactured by Johnson Trading Co.) is crushed using a crusher (for example, a small, pusher-type, uniaxial crusher manufactured by Shoken Co., Ltd.), and then classified to obtain a third granular material.

[0113] The third granules before classification can be colored by any coloring method known in the art, such as immersing the third granules in a cobalt (II) chloride solution or immersing the third granules in a colorant solution.

[0114] The classification of the third granular material obtained by any known manufacturing method is not particularly limited, and can be carried out, for example, by the following classification method III. [Classification method III] For example, the granular material obtained after crushing can be sieved for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes) using a vibrating sieve (e.g., AS-200 model, manufactured by Retsch) into which a predetermined mass (e.g., 300 g) of the granular material is added. The vibrating sieve can be used, for example, by setting a 4.00 mm mesh sieve and a 1.40 mm mesh sieve (manufactured by Iida Seisakusho Co., Ltd., product name, standard test sieve, SUS popular type, Φ200 mm, depth 45 mm) in order from top to bottom. In this case, for example, the third granular material can be the granular material that passed through the 4.00 mm mesh sieve but not through the 1.40 mm mesh sieve during classification. The mesh size of the sieve can be changed appropriately depending on the desired length range. [Example]

[0115] The present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0116] [Manufacturing Example 1] 1.5% by mass of sodium carbonate was added to bentonite ore (manufactured by Nippon Koken Co., Ltd.) and dried, powdered bentonite (manufactured by Nippon Koken Co., Ltd., product name: Tsugaru No. 2), and water was added so that the moisture content at the time of granulation was 22.0%, followed by mixing for 10 minutes using a ribbon mixer (manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd.). After mixing, the mixture was granulated using an extrusion granulator (manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd., product name: F-5, screen thickness 3.0 mm, φ1.8 mm), and dried in a dryer to a moisture content of 5% or less to form first granules. The average height, average diameter, and aspect ratio of the first granules were measured according to the methods described herein, and the results are shown in Table 1. The height distribution of the first granules was measured according to the method described herein. 68.7% of the first granules had a height of 4.0 mm or more and less than 8.0 mm. 88.1% of the first granules had a height of 3.0 mm or more and less than 9.0 mm.

[0117] [Table 1]

[0118] [Manufacturing Example 2] Second granules were formed by "Manufacturing Method II" and "Classification Method II" described above in the section "Manufacturing Method of Second Granules." The average diameter and standard deviation of the diameters of the second granules were measured according to the above-mentioned "Method for measuring the average diameter and standard deviation of the diameters of second granules." The results are shown in Table 2. The diameter distribution of the second granules was also measured according to the above-mentioned "Method for measuring the diameter distribution of second granules." The results are shown in Table 3.

[0119] [Table 2]

[0120] [Table 3]

[0121] [Manufacturing Example 3] Third granules were formed by the "Manufacturing Method III" and "Classification Method III" described above in the "Manufacturing Method of Third Granules" section. The average length of the third granules was measured according to the "Method for Measuring the Average Length of Third Granules" above. The average length of the third granules was 2.7 mm. The length distribution of the third granules was also measured according to the "Method for Measuring the Length Distribution of Third Granules" above. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0122] [Table 4]

[0123] [Manufacturing Example 4] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 1 to No. 3 were prepared by mixing the first granular material, the second granular material, and the third granular material in the mass ratios shown in Table 5. Photographs of animal excrement treatment materials No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 are shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, respectively.

[0124] [Table 5]

[0125] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 1 to No. 3 were allowed to absorb artificial urine according to the "artificial urine absorption test" described below, forming lumps (X-1) to (X-3). The formed lumps (X-1) to (X-3) were then subjected to the following "(A) Lump mass measurement test," "(B) Lump length measurement test," and "(C) Lump strength measurement test." The results are also shown in Table 5. Photographs of lumps (X-1), (X-2), and (X-3) are shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

[0126] <Artificial urine absorption test> The artificial urine absorption test is carried out as follows. (1) The animal excrement treatment material is placed as a sample in a beaker (Oya Seisakusho Co., Ltd., stainless steel beaker (level type), inner diameter 120 mm, depth 132 mm, capacity 1.5 L) to a depth of 10 cm or more. (2) 20 mL of artificial urine at 22°C is dropped into the center of the beaker from a position 3 cm above the top surface of the sample over a period of 10 seconds. (3) After the artificial urine has finished dripping, leave the beaker for 10 minutes to allow a lump to form. (4) Remove the mass from the beaker. The artificial urine is prepared by dissolving 200 g of urea, 80 g of sodium chloride, 8 g of magnesium sulfate, 3 g of calcium chloride, and approximately 1 g of dye: Blue No. 1 in 10 L of deionized water.

[0127] (A) Mass measurement test of the lump The mass (g) of each of the lumps (X-1) to (X-3) produced in the "artificial urine absorption test" was measured. A total of five lumps were produced in the "artificial urine absorption test", and the average mass was used.

[0128] (B) Lump length measurement test For each of the lumps (X-1) to (X-3) after the "lump mass measurement test," the length (mm) of the lump was measured using the following procedure. The lump length (mm) includes two types: the length (mm) in the horizontal direction and the length (mm) in the depth direction. (1) Place the block whose mass was measured in the above "Lump Mass Measurement Test" on the horizontal surface of the measurement table so that the upper end, which is the end onto which the artificial urine was dropped in the "Artificial Urine Absorption Test", is at the bottom in the depth direction. If the block cannot stand on its own on the horizontal surface, support it with your hands. (2) Using a microscope (Keyence, product name: Microscope VHX-900, lens VH-Z20R), a first image is obtained that captures the entire mass in a planar view from above toward the horizontal plane in the depth direction, which is the direction parallel to gravity. If there are any parts of the mass where the horizontal length cannot be measured because the mass is held by hand, an additional first image is obtained while holding the mass by hand from a different direction. (3) Turn the block 90 degrees sideways so that the top edge is on the side, and place it on a horizontal surface. If the block with the top edge on the side cannot stand on its own on the horizontal surface, support it with your hands. (4) Using a microscope, a second image is taken in a planar view from above toward the horizontal plane in the depth direction, which is the direction parallel to gravity. If there are any locations where the length in the depth direction cannot be measured due to holding the mass with one hand, an additional second image is taken while holding the mass with one hand from a different direction. (5) In the first image, measure the horizontal length (mm) using a scale. (6) In the second image, the length (mm) in the depth direction is measured using a scale. (7) (1) to (6) are carried out for a total of five pieces, and the average values are used as the horizontal length (mm) and depth length (mm) of the piece.

[0129] (C) Lump strength measurement test The strength (N) of each of the chunks (X-1) to (X-3) after the "Lump Length Measurement Test" was measured according to the following procedure. (1) Place the lump on the horizontal surface of the measurement table so that the upper end, which is the end where the artificial urine was dropped in the "artificial urine absorption test," is at the bottom in the depth direction. If the lump cannot stand on its own on the horizontal surface, support it with your hands. (2) The tip pin of a pressing force measuring device (Nidec-Shimpo Corporation, Digital Force Gauge FGP Series, Model No. FGP-5, Tip Pin Shape: Round, Tip Pin Diameter: 10 mm) is pressed against the bottom end of the mass, opposite the top end, from above in the depth direction at a speed of 50 cm / min. (3) When the lump breaks, stop pressing the tip pin, and the maximum load at that point is the strength of the lump (N). (4) (1) to (3) are carried out for a total of five lumps, and the average value is used as the strength (N) of the lumps.

[0130] Animal excrement disposal material No. 1, which includes the first granular material, has a stronger block than animal excrement disposal material No. 2, which includes only the second granular material. Animal waste disposal material No. 1, which is equipped with the first granular material, has a shorter depth length of the mass than animal waste disposal material No. 3, which consists only of the first granular material, and is therefore less likely to form a mass that adheres to the bottom of the toilet container, and part of the mass that has absorbed liquid waste is less likely to remain in the toilet container.

[0131] In the "artificial urine absorption test," the animal waste treatment materials were placed in a beaker to a depth of 10 cm or more in order to measure the shape of the clumps, and animal waste treatment material No. 3, which consisted only of the first granules, was able to form a clump (X-3) 50 mm deep. However, in ordinary households, the depth of animal waste treatment materials is often less than 5 cm. In such cases, animal waste treatment material No. 3, which consists only of the first granules, may form a clump that adheres to the bottom of the toilet container, and some of the clump that absorbed the liquid excrement may tend to remain in the toilet container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1. Animal toilet 3. Animal waste treatment materials 5 Toilet containers 7 First particulate matter 9 Second particulate matter 11 Third particulate matter

Claims

1. An animal excrement treatment material comprising first granular materials and second granular materials, each of which contains bentonite as a main component, The first granular material is cylindrical, The second particulate material is spherical, The average height of the first granules is greater than the average diameter of the second granules; The mass ratio of the second granular material is higher than the mass ratio of the first granular material. Animal waste treatment material.

2. The animal excrement treatment material comprises the first granular material and the second granular material in a mass ratio of 20:80 to 49:51 based on a total of 100 parts by mass of the first granular material and the second granular material. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

3. a height-to-diameter ratio, which is the ratio of the average height of the first granules to the average diameter of the second granules, is 2:1 to 5:1; The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

4. The first granules have an aspect ratio of 2.0 to 8.

0. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

5. The second granules have an average diameter of 1.4 to 2.8 mm and a standard deviation of the diameter of 0.4 to 1.

0. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

6. The second granular material is a rolling granulated material. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

7. The animal excrement treatment material further comprises third granules which are crushed granules of silica gel. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

8. The animal excrement treatment material contains the third granular material in a mass ratio of 0.5 to 5.0 mass %. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 7.

9. The third granules have an average length of 1.0 to 5.0 mm. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 7.

10. The third particulate matter is colored. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 7.

11. The second particulate matter is colored. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1.

Images