Urinary stone removal method and urinary stone dissolving agent

Abstract

By injecting an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent with a viscosity adjusted to 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s into a wastewater pipe with urinary stones and maintaining the agent in direct contact with the urinary stones for an extended period of time, it is possible to effectively remove the urinary stones. Furthermore, by using a quaternary ammonium salt polymer as the thickening component of the urinary stone dissolving agent, it is possible to provide a urinary stone dissolving agent that maintains almost the same quality as immediately after production, even after long-term storage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for removing urinary stones and a urinary stone dissolving agent that can effectively remove urinary stones accumulated in sewage pipes of toilets and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] After years of use, cement-like urinary stones can accumulate in toilet waste pipes, especially in men's restrooms. These stones are especially likely to accumulate in places used by many people, such as apartment buildings, schools, public facilities, and companies, or in places that are not properly cleaned.

[0003] Urinary stones are primarily composed of a mixture of insoluble calcium compounds and organic matter produced by the decomposition of urine. Urinary stones tend to accumulate in areas that are in contact with wastewater containing urine for long periods of time, and form thick layers that solidify in areas of the sewer pipe where water pools. The area of ​​a toilet's sewer pipe where urinary stones are most likely to accumulate is primarily the lower side of the inner wall of the horizontal sewer pipe, but in severe cases, urinary stones can also accumulate on the upper side of the inner wall of the horizontal sewer pipe. In the worst case scenario, the urinary stones can clog the inside of the sewer pipe, making the toilet unusable.

[0004] Urinary stones that adhere to sewage pipes such as toilets can cause bad odors and clogged toilets, so they need to be removed regularly. Acidic cleaners containing highly toxic chemicals such as hydrochloric acid have traditionally been used to remove urinary stones. In a typical urinary stone removal process, the acidic cleaner is poured directly into the sewage pipe of a toilet, left for 15 minutes to an hour to dissolve the stones, and then rinsed with water. Urinary stones that do not come off with the acidic cleaner can be physically crushed and removed using a high-pressure washer or similar device.

[0005] However, in the past, after pouring acidic detergent into the sewage pipe, the acidic detergent that adhered to the inner wall of the sewage pipe would immediately drip, resulting in areas where the acidic detergent did not come into sufficient contact with the dirt. It was particularly difficult to keep the acidic detergent adhered to the upper part of the inner wall of an S-shaped trap or horizontal sewage pipe for a long period of time, making it impossible to effectively remove urinary stones.

[0006] One known method for improving cleaning power is to use a foamy cleaning agent to increase the contact time between the acidic cleaning agent and the urinary stones. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a foam cleaning method using a cleaning device that can steadily supply stable foam that is difficult to liquefy. However, since the foamy cleaning agent defoams and liquefies within a few tens of minutes, it is still unable to maintain adhesion to the urinary stones for a long period of time.

[0007] On the other hand, a method of thickening the acidic detergent by adding a thickener to it to increase the contact time between the acidic detergent and the urinary stones is known. Examples of such thickeners include polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylic acid, and polyvinyl acetamide. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a urinary stone dissolving agent containing poly(N-vinyl acetamide) as a thickener.

[0008] However, conventional thickeners are easily hydrolyzed by acids, and when hydrochloric acid is used in particular, there is a problem that the viscosity decreases during long-term storage when the hydrochloric acid concentration is increased. While lowering the hydrochloric acid concentration can suppress the decomposition of the thickener, the acid concentration is insufficient and the thickener cannot exert good cleaning power. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6583845 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-64684 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention is based on a novel idea and aims to provide a urinary stone removal method that can effectively clean away urinary stones that have adhered to parts of a sewage pipe where it has been difficult to keep a urinary stone dissolving agent in contact for a long period of time, as well as a urinary stone dissolving agent that can be used in said method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In view of the above object, as a result of intensive research, the inventors discovered that urinary stones can be effectively removed by filling a sewage pipe with a urinary stone remover adjusted to a predetermined viscosity and maintaining direct contact between the urinary stone and the urinary stone for a long period of time, and thus arrived at the present invention. That is, the problem of the present invention can be solved by the following configuration.

[0012] The first invention is a urinary stone removal method comprising: a urinary stone dissolving agent injection step of injecting an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent with a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s into a sewage pipe to which urinary stones have adhered and filling the inside of the sewage pipe with the urinary stone dissolving agent; a urinary stone dissolving step of dissolving the urinary stones by keeping the urinary stone dissolving agent in contact with the urinary stones for at least three hours; and a cleaning step of cleaning the sewage pipe to remove the urinary stones and urinary stone dissolving agent from the inside of the sewage pipe.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention is a method for removing urinary stones, wherein the urinary stone dissolving agent has a pH of 1 or less.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention is the method for removing urinary stones, wherein the urinary stone dissolving agent contains 15% by weight to 30% by weight of hydrochloric acid.

[0015] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the method for removing urinary stones, wherein the urinary stone dissolving agent contains 2% by weight to 10% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer.

[0016] The fifth invention of the present invention is an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent having a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s, which contains 15% by weight to 30% by weight of hydrochloric acid and 2% by weight to 10% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the first aspect of the present invention, by filling a sewage pipe of a toilet or other facility with urinary stones with an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent having a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s and leaving it to soak for at least three hours, it becomes possible to effectively remove urinary stones even from bent sections or on the upper side of the inner wall of horizontal sewage pipes, which have previously been difficult to contact with urinary stone dissolving agents for long periods of time. Because the urinary stone dissolving agent has been adjusted to a moderately high viscosity, it does not drip easily, allowing for a long contact time with the urinary stones, and allowing the acid to sufficiently decompose the urinary stones.

[0018] According to the second invention, by adjusting the pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent to 1 or less, the urinary stone cleansing power can be further improved.

[0019] According to the third invention, by incorporating 15% to 35% by weight of hydrochloric acid into the urinary stone dissolving agent, the urinary stone cleansing power can be further improved.

[0020] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by incorporating 2% by weight to 10% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer into the urinary stone dissolving agent, the viscosity can be maintained stably for a long period of time even when the hydrochloric acid concentration is increased.

[0021] According to the fifth invention, by incorporating 15% to 30% by weight of hydrochloric acid as a cleaning component and 2% to 10% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer as a thickening component, it is possible to provide a urinary stone dissolving agent that can maintain a stable viscosity for a long period of time even when the hydrochloric acid concentration is increased. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a toilet bowl and a wastewater pipe of a flush toilet to which the urinary stone cleaning method of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for cleaning urinary stones according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA illustrating the method for removing urinary stones of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the urinary stone removal method of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a graph showing the temperature change in viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The method for removing urinary stones and the agent for dissolving urinary stones of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0024] (1) Urinary stone removal method The urinary stone removal method of the present invention includes a urinary stone dissolving agent injection process in which a highly viscous urinary stone dissolving agent is injected into a sewage pipe to which urinary stones have adhered, a urinary stone dissolving process in which the urinary stone dissolving agent is kept in contact with the urinary stone for a long period of time to dissolve the urinary stone, and a cleaning process in which the urinary stone and urinary stone dissolving agent are removed from the inside of the sewage pipe by rinsing the sewage pipe with water.

[0025] The urinary stone removal method of the present invention uses an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent with a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s. In the present invention, the urinary stone dissolving agent is adjusted to a predetermined viscosity, so it does not easily drip. If the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent is less than 5000 mPa·s, the urinary stone dissolving agent adhering to the inner wall of the sewage pipe will drip down the inner wall surface under its own weight and accumulate at the bottom of the sewage pipe, which is undesirable because it results in insufficient contact time between the urinary stone dissolving agent and the inner wall surface. The lower limit of the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent is preferably 5500 mPa·s or higher, and particularly preferably 6000 mPa·s or higher.

[0026] On the other hand, if the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent exceeds 9000 mPa·s, the load required to inject the agent increases, making injection work less efficient. Furthermore, air entrained in the agent may be sent along with the agent, creating air pockets in which urinary stones may remain. This is also undesirable in that it takes time to wash away the agent in the subsequent cleaning process. The upper limit of the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent is preferably 8500 mPa·s or less, and particularly preferably 8000 mPa·s or less.

[0027] The urinary stone dissolving agent is acidic, preferably having a pH of 3 or less. From the viewpoint of the cleaning effect on urinary stones, the urinary stone dissolving agent is more preferably a strong acid having a pH of 1 or less.

[0028] (Urine stone dissolving agent injection process) The urinary stone dissolving agent injection step will now be described. The object to be cleaned is not particularly limited as long as it has a sewage pipe connected to a flush toilet bowl, a bathtub, etc. The following description will be given taking a flush toilet as an example.

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the toilet bowl and wastewater pipe of a flush toilet to which the flushing method of the present invention can be applied. The toilet bowl 10 is a known men's urinal, and multiple toilet bowls 10 are installed in a row. Each toilet bowl 10 comprises a bowl portion 12 equipped with a drain outlet 11. The wastewater pipe 13 comprises a trap portion 13A, a horizontal wastewater pipe 13B, and a cleaning outlet 13C.

[0030] The trap portion 13A connected to the drain outlet 11 of the toilet 10 seals in the odor generated from the sewage pipe 13 with water by means of a water pool W1 in the trap portion 13A.

[0031] Each trap section 13A is connected to a horizontal sewage pipe 13B on the downstream side. After using the flush toilet, wastewater flows from the drain outlet 11 of the toilet bowl 10, passes through the trap section 13A and the inside of the horizontal sewage pipe 13B, and flows into the standpipe 14. However, some of the wastewater remains in the horizontal sewage pipe 13B and forms a puddle W2 below the inner wall of the horizontal sewage pipe 13B.

[0032] In the sewage pipe 13, urinary stones are likely to accumulate in the puddles W1 and W2 where wastewater containing urine collects, and urinary stones are particularly likely to accumulate in the puddle W2 below the inner wall of the horizontal sewage pipe 13B. A cleaning port 13C is installed upstream of the horizontal sewage pipe 13B, and when the sewage pipe 13 becomes clogged, it can be inspected and cleaned through the cleaning port 13C.

[0033] In the urinary stone dissolving agent injection process, as shown in Figure 2, the urinary stone dissolving agent C is injected into the wastewater pipe 13 through the drain outlet 11 and cleaning port 13C of each toilet 10. Since the urinary stone dissolving agent C is a viscous fluid and requires a large injection load, it is preferable to use a manual or electric pump when injecting the urinary stone dissolving agent C.

[0034] The urinary stone dissolving agent C injected by the pump enters the horizontal sanitary pipe 13B while flushing away the water accumulated in the trap section 13A. Because the urinary stone dissolving agent C is a viscous fluid, when an appropriate amount is injected from the drain outlet 11 and cleaning port 13C of each toilet 10, the inside of the sanitary pipe 13 is filled with the urinary stone dissolving agent C, as shown in Figure 2, and there are essentially no voids. The amount of the urinary stone dissolving agent C injected varies depending on the length and diameter of the sanitary pipe 13, but is generally about 2 to 4 liters per toilet 10. The cleaning method of the present invention is economical because it uses a highly viscous urinary stone dissolving agent, allowing for sufficient cleaning effects without using a large amount of urinary stone cleaning agent.

[0035] (Urinary stone dissolution process) In the urinary stone dissolving process, the inside of the sewage pipe 13 is filled with a highly viscous urinary stone dissolving agent C, and then left for a long period of time to dissolve the urinary stones adhering to the inner wall of the sewage pipe 13. At this time, the urinary stones adhering to the inner wall of the sewage pipe 13 are gradually decomposed by the acid in the urinary stone dissolving agent C. Because the urinary stone dissolving agent C has been adjusted to a moderately high viscosity, it does not drip easily, and the contact time with the urinary stones can be extended, allowing the decomposition of the urinary stones by the acid to proceed sufficiently.

[0036] Fig. 3 shows an AA cross section of the vertical pipe section 13A' of the trap section 13A, and Fig. 4 shows a BB cross section of the horizontal sewage pipe 13B. Immediately after installation, the inside of the trap section 13A and the horizontal sewage pipe 13B are filled with urinary stone dissolving agent C without any gaps, but over time, the urinary stone dissolving agent C drips downward at a very slow rate down the inner wall of the sewage pipe 13.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, in the vertical pipe section 13A', the urinary stone dissolving agent C drips downward at a slow rate, gradually creating gaps from the top. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in the horizontal wastewater pipe 13B, gaps gradually widen over time, starting from the center of the pipe. However, in the present invention, the urinary stone dissolving agent C is adjusted to a predetermined viscosity, so that the urinary stone dissolving agent C remains attached to the inner wall of the wastewater pipe 13. Although this depends on viscosity, climate, and other conditions, it is possible to maintain the inner wall of the wastewater pipe 13 completely covered with the urinary stone dissolving agent C even after 12 hours. This makes it possible to effectively remove urinary stones U that have adhered to the upper side of the vertical pipe section 13A' of the trap section 13A and the upper side of the inner wall of the horizontal wastewater pipe 13B, which have previously been difficult to contact with the urinary stone dissolving agent for long periods of time.

[0038] In the urinary stone dissolving process, the urinary stone dissolving agent C is kept in direct contact with the urinary stone U adhering to the wastewater pipe 13 for at least 3 hours, preferably 6 hours or more, and more preferably 8 hours or more. Depending on the hardness and thickness of the urinary stone U to be cleaned, if kept in contact with the urinary stone dissolving agent C at a pH of 1 or less for 8 hours, the urinary stone U will be almost completely dissolved.

[0039] (Cleaning process) Finally, the urinary stone dissolving agent C, the dissolved urinary stone components, and the exfoliated urinary stone pieces are thoroughly washed away with running water, thereby cleaning the sewage pipe 13 thoroughly.

[0040] In the cleaning step, it is preferable to clean the sewage pipe 13 by high-pressure washing. Any urinary stones U that remain undissolved in the urinary stone dissolving step become brittle due to prolonged contact with the urinary stone dissolving agent C, and are therefore easily crushed into small pieces and washed away by high-pressure washing. At this time, a urinary stone crushing device using a high-speed rotating chain or the like may be inserted from the cleaning port 13C to crush the urinary stones U remaining on the inner wall of the sewage pipe 13.

[0041] (2) Urinary stone dissolving agent Next, we will explain the composition and preparation method of the urinary stone dissolving agent used in the urinary stone cleaning method of the present invention. The urinary stone dissolving agent is a high-viscosity acidic cleaning agent, and is a viscous fluid containing an acid as a cleaning component and a thickener. The urinary stone dissolving agent is prepared by preparing an acidic aqueous solution containing the acid as a cleaning component, and then adding a thickener to this acidic aqueous solution to impart viscosity.

[0042] (acidic aqueous solution) The acidic aqueous solution is prepared by diluting an acid as a cleaning component with water or a solvent mainly composed of water, which may contain a water-miscible organic solvent such as alcohol.

[0043] The acid used as the cleaning component may be either an inorganic acid or an organic acid. Examples of inorganic acids that can be used include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, boric acid, phosphoric acid, and nitric acid. Examples of organic acids that can be used include formic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, phosphonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, and ascorbic acid. Two or more of these acids may also be used in combination.

[0044] Among these acids, it is preferable to use inorganic acids with a high degree of ionization, and from the viewpoint of cleaning power, it is particularly preferable to use hydrochloric acid.

[0045] (thickener) Any known thickener can be used without particular limitation as long as it can impart a predetermined viscosity to the acidic aqueous solution. Preferably, a thickener containing a cationic polymer as a thickening component is used.

[0046] Examples of cationic polymers include quaternary ammonium salt polymers, quaternized polyvinylpyrrolidone derivatives, vinylimidazolium trichloride / vinylpyrrolidone copolymers, hydroxyethyl cellulose / dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride copolymers, vinylpyrrolidone / quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone / alkylaminoacrylate cationic polymer copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone / alkylaminoacrylate / vinyl caprolactam copolymers, vinylpyrrolidone / methacrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride copolymers, alkylacrylamide / acrylate / alkylaminoalkylacrylamide / polyethylene glycol methacrylate copolymers, adipic acid / dimethylaminohydroxypropyl ethylenetriamine copolymers, cationized cellulose derivatives, cationic starch, and cationized guar gum derivatives. Two or more of these cationic polymers may be used in combination.

[0047] Among these cationic polymers, it is particularly preferable to use a quaternary ammonium salt polymer. Quaternary ammonium salt polymers can maintain a stable thickening effect in the acidic range and are stable, being hardly decomposed by hydrochloric acid. When a quaternary ammonium salt polymer is used as a thickening component, the viscosity of a urinary stone dissolving agent adjusted to a hydrochloric acid concentration of pH 1 or less is maintained with almost no decrease in viscosity even after storage for several months.

[0048] Quaternary ammonium salt polymers are polymers obtained by polymerizing quaternary ammonium salts. Examples of quaternary ammonium salts include N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, N,N-diethyldiallylammonium chloride, N,N-ethylmethyldiallylammonium chloride, N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium bromide, acryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride, acryloyloxyethyltriethylammonium chloride, methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride, methacryloyloxyethyltriethylammonium chloride, acryloylaminoethyltrimethylammonium chloride, acryloylaminoethyltriethylammonium chloride, methacryloylaminoethyltrimethylammonium chloride, methacryloylaminoethyltriethylammonium chloride, and methyl chloride quaternary vinylpyridine or ethyl chloride. Examples of quaternary ammonium salts include quaternary methyl chloride or quaternary ethyl chloride of allylamine, vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride, vinylbenzyltriethylammonium chloride, vinylbenzyltributylammonium chloride, acryloyloxyethylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, acryloyloxyethylbenzyldiethylammonium chloride, methacryloyloxyethylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, methacryloyloxyethylbenzyldiethylammonium chloride, acryloylaminoethylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, acryloylaminoethylbenzyldiethylammonium chloride, methacryloylaminoethylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, and methacryloylaminoethylbenzyldiethylammonium chloride. Two or more of these quaternary ammonium salts may be polymerized in combination. Among these quaternary ammonium salts, N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride is particularly preferred.

[0049] Furthermore, a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing a quaternary ammonium salt with another copolymerizable compound can also be used as the quaternary ammonium salt polymer. Examples of compounds copolymerizable with a quaternary ammonium salt include (meth)acrylamide, N-vinylformamide, methyl(meth)acrylate, and 2-hydroxy(meth)acrylamide. In the case of a copolymer, it is preferable to use at least one selected from the above quaternary ammonium salts in an amount of 30 mol% or more, and more preferably 50 mol% or more.

[0050] The viscosity of a 2 wt % aqueous solution of the quaternary ammonium salt polymer is 1,000 mPa·s to 50,000 mPa·s, and preferably 3,000 mPa·s to 30,000 mPa·s.

[0051] When using a quaternary ammonium salt polymer, a powdered quaternary ammonium salt polymer may be added to the prepared hydrochloric acid aqueous solution, but it is preferable to add a water-in-oil emulsion containing a quaternary ammonium salt polymer. By using a thickener for a water-in-oil emulsion, lumps are less likely to form when the thickener is added to the acidic aqueous solution, and the thickening component (quaternary ammonium salt polymer) can be uniformly dispersed with short stirring times. A water-in-oil emulsion containing a quaternary ammonium salt polymer can be obtained by a known method.

[0052] As a thickener for a water-in-oil emulsion containing a quaternary ammonium salt polymer, for example, commercially available Senka Actogel CD100, Senka Actogel CM100 (Senka Corporation), etc. may be used.

[0053] (Adjustment method) Next, we will explain how to adjust the urinary stone dissolving agent. By adding a thickener to the acidic aqueous solution, the viscosity during application is adjusted to a range of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s. Needless to say, the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent can be adjusted mainly by the type and amount of thickener. The viscosity of urinary stone dissolving agents tends to increase in the cold winter months and decrease in the hot summer months. To ensure a viscosity suitable for application throughout the year, it is preferable that the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent be in the range of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s at temperatures between 5°C and 30°C.

[0054] The urinary stone dissolving agent of the present invention contains almost no air bubbles. After adding a thickener to the acidic aqueous solution, the mixture is stirred gently to minimize the incorporation of air bubbles. The urinary stone dissolving agent used in the present invention is creamy, and although it is not excluded that it may contain a small amount of air bubbles, the specific gravity of the urinary stone dissolving agent is adjusted to the range of 1.00 to 1.18.

[0055] The composition of a particularly preferred urinary stone dissolving agent in the present invention is as follows. Hydrochloric acid: 5% to 30% by weight Quaternary ammonium salt polymer: 2% by weight to 10% by weight Other ingredients: 0% to 10% by weight water: remainder

[0056] If the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the urinary stone dissolving agent is less than 5% by weight, the cleaning effect may not be sufficient. To dissolve urinary stones and the like in a short time, the hydrochloric acid concentration in the urinary stone dissolving agent is preferably 15% by weight or more and 30% by weight or less. If the hydrochloric acid concentration exceeds 30% by weight, toxic gases such as hydrochloric acid gas may be generated, making the agent difficult to handle.

[0057] If the concentration of the quaternary ammonium salt polymer in the urinary stone dissolving agent is less than 2% by weight, the urinary stone dissolving agent will not have sufficient viscosity. The concentration of the quaternary ammonium salt polymer in the urinary stone dissolving agent is preferably 10% by weight or less, more preferably 4% to 8% by weight, and particularly preferably 5% to 7% by weight.

[0058] In addition to the above components, the urinary stone dissolving agent may contain other components to improve cleansing properties, dispersibility, and stability, as long as the purpose of the present invention is not exceeded. Examples of other components include additives such as surfactants and organic dispersion media contained in thickeners. The concentration of other components in the urinary stone dissolving agent is 10% by weight or less, preferably 5% by weight or less.

[0059] The urinary stone dissolving agent of the above composition is resistant to viscosity reduction due to hydrochloric acid, and therefore can maintain almost the same quality as immediately after production even after long-term storage, making it suitable for use in the urinary stone cleaning method of the present invention. [Example]

[0060] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the examples, a BM type rotational viscometer was used to measure viscosity.

[0061] Example 1 First, a urinary stone dissolving agent was prepared. Senka Actogel CD100 (Senka Corporation), a water-in-oil emulsion containing 40% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer, was used as a thickener.

[0062] Senkaactgel CD100 was added to the stirred hydrochloric acid solution to prepare a urinary stone dissolving agent consisting of 25% hydrochloric acid by weight and 4% quaternary ammonium salt polymer by weight. The pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent was below 1, its viscosity at 25°C was 6500 mPa·s, and its specific gravity was 1.03.

[0063] Figure 5 shows the temperature change in viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1. Urinary stone dissolving agents tend to increase in viscosity during the cold winter months and decrease in viscosity during the hot summer months, but the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1 has a viscosity in the range of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s at temperatures between 5°C and 30°C, which shows that it is possible to ensure a viscosity suitable for application work throughout the year.

[0064] Next, work was carried out to remove urinary stones from urinals in an office building using the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1. Before the work, the inside of the sewage pipe was photographed through the cleaning port to check the state of urinary stones adhering to the horizontal sewage pipe, and the amount of urinary stone dissolving agent required to fill the inside of the sewage pipe was calculated.

[0065] Using a manual pump, an appropriate amount of urinary stone dissolving agent was injected into the drain and cleaning ports of each urinal, filling the entire inside of the sewage pipe with the agent. After leaving it in this state for 10 hours, the inside of the sewage pipe was then subjected to high-pressure cleaning. After cleaning, the inside of the sewage pipe was photographed again through the cleaning port, and it was confirmed that all of the thick urinary stone that had adhered to the inside of the sewage pipe had been removed and cleaned thoroughly.

[0066] Next, the viscosity and pH stability of the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1 were measured. The urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1 was left at room temperature, and the viscosity was measured every month. It was confirmed that the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1 maintained almost the same viscosity as immediately after production even after six months of storage. Furthermore, the pH remained below 1 even after six months, confirming that the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 1 has sufficient stability.

[0067] Example 2 A urinary stone dissolving agent consisting of 17% by weight of hydrochloric acid and 4% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent was 1 or less, the viscosity at 25°C was 7000 mPa s, and the specific gravity was 1.01.

[0068] Urinary stones were removed from urinals in an office building in the same manner as in Example 1. When the inside of the sewage pipe was photographed with a camera before and after cleaning, it was confirmed that the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 2 was able to thoroughly clean the urinary stones adhering to the inside of the sewage pipe.

[0069] Example 3 A 10 wt % aqueous solution of poly(N-vinylacetamide) "GE-191" (manufactured by Showa Denko KK) was prepared, and this aqueous solution was used as a thickener.

[0070] A urinary stone dissolving agent consisting of 25% hydrochloric acid and 5% poly(N-vinylacetamide) was prepared by adding a 10% aqueous solution of poly(N-vinylacetamide) to an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid while stirring. The pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent was below 1, its viscosity at 25°C was 6000 mPa·s, and its specific gravity was 1.03.

[0071] Next, the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 3 was used to remove urinary stones from a urinal in an office building in the same manner as in Example 1. An appropriate amount of urinary stone dissolving agent was poured in, filling the inside of the sewage pipe with the urinary stone dissolving agent. After leaving it in this state for 10 hours, the inside of the sewage pipe was subjected to high-pressure cleaning. After cleaning, the inside of the sewage pipe was photographed with a camera, and it was confirmed that the urinary stones adhering to the inside of the sewage pipe had been completely cleaned.

[0072] Next, the viscosity and pH stability of the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 3 were measured. The urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 3 was left at room temperature and the viscosity and pH were measured approximately every month. The viscosity immediately after production was 6000 mPa s, but after one month the viscosity decreased, reaching 2000 mPa s after six months. The pH also gradually increased after one month, reaching pH 2 after six months.

[0073] These results show that the urinary stone dissolving agent of Example 3 has sufficient cleaning power immediately after production, but is not suitable for long-term storage. During long-term storage, the thickening components decompose, reducing viscosity, and the pH rises, reducing cleaning performance. Therefore, it is best to use it up within one month of production.

[0074] (Comparative Example 1) A urinary stone dissolving agent consisting of 25% by weight of hydrochloric acid and 12% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent was 1 or less, the viscosity at 25°C was 12,000 mPa s, and the specific gravity was 1.03.

[0075] In the same manner as in Example 1, work was carried out to remove urinary stones from urinals in an office building. After cleaning, the inside of the sewage pipe was photographed with a camera, and it was found that urinary stones still remained in some areas. In particular, it was confirmed that urinary stones had adhered to the bent parts of the sewage pipe and the joints of the irregular-shaped sewage pipe. This is thought to be because the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent in Comparative Example 1 was too high, preventing the urinary stone dissolving agent from reaching the entire sewage pipe.

[0076] (Comparative Example 2) A urinary stone dissolving agent consisting of 25% by weight of hydrochloric acid and 1.5% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt polymer was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The pH of the urinary stone dissolving agent was 1 or less, the viscosity at 25°C was 4000 mPa s, and the specific gravity was 1.03.

[0077] In the same manner as in Example 1, work to remove urinary stones from urinals in an office building was carried out. After cleaning, the inside of the wastewater pipe was photographed with a camera, and it was found that urinary stones still remained in a partially adhered state. In particular, urinary stones remained adhered to the upper part of the inner wall of the horizontal wastewater pipe. This is thought to be because the viscosity of the urinary stone dissolving agent in Comparative Example 2 was too low, causing dripping, resulting in areas where the contact time with the urinary stone dissolving agent was insufficient.

[0078] [Table 1] [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] As explained above, the urinary stone removal method of the present invention involves injecting an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent adjusted to a moderately high viscosity into the sewage pipe of a toilet or other facility where urinary stones have adhered, and leaving it to soak for a long period of time, thereby making it possible to effectively remove urinary stones even from bent parts and the top surface of horizontal sewage pipes, which have previously been difficult to contact with the urinary stone dissolving agent for long periods of time.

[0080] Furthermore, since the urinary stone dissolving agent of the present invention is less likely to experience a decrease in viscosity due to hydrochloric acid, it can maintain almost the same quality as immediately after production even after long-term storage, making it suitable for use in the urinary stone cleaning method of the present invention.

[0081] The urinary stone removal method and urinary stone dissolving agent of the present invention can be used not only in toilet wastewater pipes, but also in bathtub wastewater pipes and wastewater pipes at livestock farms where urinary stones adhere due to animal waste, and can be used in a variety of fields where urinary stone removal is required. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Toilet 11 Drain 12 Bowl section 13 Sewage pipe 13A Trap section 13A´ vertical pipe section 13B Horizontal sewer pipe 13C Cleaning port W1, W2 puddles C. Urinary stone dissolving agent U urinary stones

Claims

1. a urinary stone dissolving agent injection step of injecting an acidic urinary stone dissolving agent having a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s into a wastewater pipe to which urinary stones have adhered using a pump, thereby filling the inside of the wastewater pipe with the urinary stone dissolving agent; a urinary stone dissolving step in which the urinary stone dissolving agent is kept in contact with the urinary stone for at least 3 hours or more to dissolve the urinary stone; and a cleaning step of cleaning the sewage pipe to remove the urinary stones and the urinary stone dissolving agent from the inside of the sewage pipe; the urinary stone dissolving agent contains a thickener made of a water-in-oil emulsion containing a quaternary ammonium salt polymer; A method for removing urinary stones, wherein the content of the quaternary ammonium salt polymer in the urinary stone dissolving agent is 2% by weight to 10% by weight.

2. A urinary stone dissolving agent having a viscosity of 5000 mPa·s to 9000 mPa·s and being acidic, Contains 15% to 30% by weight of hydrochloric acid, Contains a thickener consisting of a water-in-oil emulsion containing a quaternary ammonium salt polymer, A urinary stone dissolving agent, wherein the content of the quaternary ammonium salt polymer in the urinary stone dissolving agent is 2% by weight to 10% by weight.

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