Method for manufacturing eco-friendly floral foam containing lignin

Abstract

A conventional floral arrangement container is made of a synthetic resin containing carcinogens, and thus has the problems of being harmful to the human body and causing environmental pollution and the problem of not degrading such that recycling thereof is difficult, but the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly floral arrangement container using organic solvent lignin and eco-friendly materials, and an eco-friendly floral arrangement container manufactured thereby maintains, even if continuously containing moisture, a constant shape and is made of eco-friendly materials, and thus is biodegraded into soil without toxicity.

Description

Method for manufacturing eco-friendly floral foam containing lignin

[0001] This relates to a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container using organic solvent lignin.

[0002] When making wreaths or flower baskets, a flower arrangement container or medium is used to keep the flowers firmly planted while providing a continuous supply of water to the flowers.

[0003] Usually, flower containers are made of synthetic resin foam, which is light in weight and very cheap to produce. In addition, they are easy to use and can hold moisture for a long time, providing continuous moisture to the flowers.

[0004] However, recently, the widely used flower arrangement containers are made of floral foam, which is toxic and harmful to the human body because it is made of carcinogenic substances. In addition, they are made of synthetic resin, which causes environmental pollution and is difficult to recycle because it does not decompose. In addition, they have the disadvantage of having difficulty maintaining their shape when they continuously contain moisture.

[0005] To solve the above problem, the purpose is to provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container from a mixture for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container containing a specific content of organic solvent lignin.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving the above-described technical problem, a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container includes the steps of: mixing an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and organic solvent lignin extracted with an organic solvent to manufacture a mixture; kneading and molding the mixture to manufacture a molded article; heating the molded article; and cooling the heated resultant article; wherein the eco-friendly matrix includes natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste, and the biodegradable binder includes a biodegradable polymer and starch.

[0007] Traditionally, flower arrangement containers were made of synthetic resin containing carcinogens, which were harmful to the human body and caused environmental pollution, and were difficult to recycle because they did not decompose. However, eco-friendly flower arrangement containers made using a specific amount of organic solvent lignin and eco-friendly materials not only maintain their shape even when continuously containing moisture, but are also made of eco-friendly materials, so they have the advantage of being biodegradable in the soil without toxicity.

[0008] A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container according to one aspect includes the steps of: preparing a mixture by mixing an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and organic solvent lignin extracted with an organic solvent; kneading and molding the mixture to prepare a molded article; heating the molded article; and cooling the heated resultant article. The eco-friendly matrix includes natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste, and the biodegradable binder includes a biodegradable polymer and starch.

[0009] The above organic solvent lignin may be extracted from wood waste at a temperature of 100°C to 110°C using an acid organic solvent process.

[0010] The above organic solvent lignin may contain 55% to 65% of β-O-4 internal bond structure.

[0011] The above organic solvent lignin may be included in an amount of 9 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder.

[0012] The above eco-friendly matrix may contain natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste in a weight ratio of 4 to 4.5: 1 to 2: 4 to 4.5.

[0013] The above biodegradable binder may contain a biodegradable polymer and starch in a weight ratio of 7.5 to 8.5: 1.5 to 2.5.

[0014] The above objectives, other objectives, features, and advantages will be readily understood through the following preferred embodiments, illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described herein are not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete, and to sufficiently convey the technical concepts to those skilled in the art.

[0015] In this specification, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0016] Unless otherwise specified, all numbers, values, and / or expressions expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, polymer compositions, and blends used herein are approximations that inherently reflect, among other things, the various uncertainties of measurement that arise in obtaining such values, and therefore should be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Furthermore, whenever a numerical range is disclosed herein, such range is continuous and includes every value from the minimum value to the maximum value inclusive, unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, whenever such a range refers to an integer, every integer from the minimum value to the maximum value inclusive, unless otherwise indicated, is included.

[0017] In this specification, when a range is described for a variable, the variable will be understood to include all values ​​within the described range including the described endpoints of the range. For example, the range "5 to 10" will be understood to include the values ​​5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, as well as any subranges such as 6 to 10, 7 to 10, 6 to 9, 7 to 9, etc., and any value between integers that fall within the described range, such as 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 5.5 to 8.5, and 6.5 to 9. Also, for example, a range of "10% to 30%" would be understood to include all integers up to and including 30%, as well as any subranges such as 10% to 15%, 12% to 18%, 20% to 30%, etc., and any value between reasonable integers within the stated range, such as 10.5%, 15.5%, 25.5%, etc.

[0018] Conventional flower arrangement containers are made of synthetic resin, so they are difficult to recycle after use, and they are toxic and pollute the environment. In addition, they have the disadvantage of having difficulty maintaining their shape when continuously containing moisture.

[0019] Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems and have discovered that when an eco-friendly flower arrangement container is manufactured using a specific content of organic solvent lignin and eco-friendly materials, not only does the shape remain constant even when moisture is continuously contained, but it is also manufactured from eco-friendly materials and has the advantage of being biodegradable in the soil without toxicity, thereby completing the present invention.

[0020] The term "container for flower arrangement" used in the present invention refers to a container or medium that maintains flowers at a constant level and continuously supplies moisture to the flowers when making a wreath or flower basket, and may be called an oasis or floral foam.

[0021] A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container according to one aspect may include a step (S10) of manufacturing a mixture by mixing an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and organic solvent lignin extracted with an organic solvent; a step (S20) of kneading and molding the mixture to manufacture a molded article; a step (S30) of heating the molded article; and a step (S40) of cooling the heated resultant article.

[0022] The step of preparing a mixture (S10) is a step of preparing a mixture by mixing an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and organic solvent lignin extracted with an organic solvent.

[0023] The eco-friendly matrix according to the present invention can serve to maintain the basic frame or skeleton of a flower arrangement container and contain moisture.

[0024] The eco-friendly matrix according to the present invention may include natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste. In one embodiment, the natural fiber waste may be waste of a fiber processing product processed from one or more fibers selected from the group consisting of cellulose fiber, coconut fiber, hemp fiber, cotton fiber, peat, and other natural fibers. In addition, the wood waste may be waste of a wood processing product processed from one or more woods selected from the group consisting of tannin powder, wood flour, and other woods. In addition, the grain waste may be one or more grain husks or other grain waste selected from the group consisting of rice husks, soybean husks, and other grain husks. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste may be applied.

[0025] In one embodiment, the eco-friendly matrix may be included in an amount of 45 wt% to 55 wt% based on 100 wt% of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder, and may include natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste in a weight ratio of 4 to 4.5: 1 to 2: 4 to 4.5 based on the total weight of the eco-friendly matrix. Within the above content and weight ratio ranges, the basic frame or skeleton of the flower arrangement container can be continuously maintained while containing moisture.

[0026] In one embodiment, the eco-friendly matrix may be mixed in the form of fibers or powder, and preferably, the fibers or powder obtained by filtering through a 15 to 19 mesh filter is used. By using an eco-friendly matrix filtered through the above mesh filter range, the basic frame or skeleton of the flower arrangement container can be continuously maintained while retaining moisture.

[0027] The biodegradable binder according to the present invention can improve the strength of the final flower arrangement container by combining with an eco-friendly matrix when the mixture of S10 is heated, thereby maintaining the shape of the container and softening the eco-friendly matrix with moisture, thereby making it easy to arrange flowers.

[0028] The biodegradable binder according to the present invention may include a biodegradable polymer and starch. Specifically, the biodegradable polymer is a biodegradable polymer that can be composted in soil and can be combined with an eco-friendly matrix to improve the strength of the container and maintain a consistent shape of the container. In one embodiment, the biodegradable polymer may be a compostable polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyester, or polyhydroxyalkanoate. In addition, the starch can maintain the shape of the container well in a solid state, and when it contains moisture, it can soften the eco-friendly matrix to facilitate flower placement. In one embodiment, the starch may include one or more selected from the group consisting of potato starch, sweet potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, and wheat starch.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the biodegradable binder may be included in an amount of 45 wt% to 55 wt% based on 100 wt% of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder, and the biodegradable polymer and starch may be included in a weight ratio of 7.5 to 8.5: 1.5 to 2.5. If the content of the biodegradable binder is low or the weight ratio of the polymer is low, there is a disadvantage in that the strength of the container is low and the shape cannot be maintained, and if the content of the biodegradable binder is high or the weight ratio of the polymer is high, the strength of the container is high and the disadvantage in that flowers cannot be easily arranged.

[0030] The eco-friendly flower arrangement container according to the present invention not only uses an eco-friendly matrix recycled from various waste materials, but also includes a biodegradable polymer and starch derived from natural materials as a biodegradable binder, so that no harmful chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated from conventional chemically synthesized matrices and binders are generated, and thus has the advantage of preventing environmental problems caused by VOCs.

[0031] The organic solvent lignin according to the present invention is lignin produced through a chemical pretreatment method in the bioethanol production process, and can preferably be performed through an organic solvent process. Specifically, the organic solvent process for extracting lignin can be a process of treating waste wood by cooking it in ethanol with a small amount of acid catalyst added at a temperature of 150°C to 180°C.

[0032] In one embodiment, organic solvent lignin can be extracted by an alcohol organic solvent process and an acid organic solvent process, and preferably, lignin can be extracted by an acid organic solvent process, which is an environmentally friendly extraction method that does not contain sulfur. In one embodiment, the acid organic solvent process can extract an extract by cooking waste wood in ethanol with an acid catalyst of acetic acid and formic acid at a temperature of 90°C to 120°C, preferably 100°C to 110°C, and then concentrating the extract and precipitating it in water to extract organic solvent lignin.

[0033] The organic solvent lignin according to the present invention has the characteristic of containing 55% to 65% of the β-O-4 internal bond structure by extracting through an acid organic solvent process at a specific temperature. Specifically, the β-O-4 internal bond of the organic solvent lignin contains a large amount of OH groups and oxygen elements, so it has excellent moisture retention capacity. Therefore, even if a lot of moisture is contained in a flower arrangement container, the organic solvent lignin itself absorbs a large amount of moisture, so not only does the shape of the container remain constant, but the softness of the eco-friendly matrix is ​​maintained, so there is an advantage of being able to easily arrange flowers.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the organic solvent lignin may be included in an amount of 6 to 13 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder, preferably 8 to 11 parts by weight, and more preferably 9 to 10 parts by weight. If the content of the organic solvent lignin is low outside the content range, if a lot of moisture is contained, the moisture retention ability of the organic solvent lignin is reduced, so that the amount of moisture not contained in the container increases, which may cause the shape to collapse, and if the content of the organic solvent lignin is high, the amount of moisture not contained in the container decreases, so that the density of the container increases, which may cause the disadvantage of not being able to easily arrange flowers.

[0035] That is, the method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container according to the present invention manufactures a flower arrangement container by including an organic solvent lignin in a specific amount, thereby improving the moisture retention capacity within the container itself, so that even when it contains a lot of moisture compared to conventional containers, it not only maintains a constant shape of the container, but also maintains softness, so that it has the advantage of making it easy to arrange flowers.

[0036] In one embodiment, the mixture of step S10 may further include a small amount of additives. Specifically, the additives may include a humectant that promotes moisture absorption into the flower arrangement container, a flower food that extends the life of the flowers and improves the appearance of the flower arrangement, and an antibacterial agent that inhibits mold growth. The amount of the additives may vary depending on the need and is not limited to a specific amount.

[0037] The step (S20) of manufacturing a molded article according to the present invention is a step of mixing and molding an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and an organic solvent lignin in the mixture of step S10 to manufacture a molded article of a desired shape.

[0038] In one embodiment, forming may be performed in a conventional manner using any mold, for example forming may be performed within a plurality of molds positioned on a continuously conveying conveyor belt.

[0039] The step (S30) of heating the molded article according to the present invention is a step of heating the molded article through a heating process to fuse the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder. At this time, it is preferable to perform the process at a temperature higher than the melting point of the biodegradable binder.

[0040] In one embodiment, the heating process may be performed by a conventional process, for example, one or more processes selected from the group consisting of wet or dry steam, convection oven, microwave radiation, infrared radiation, and a heating screw conveyor, but is not limited to a specific process. In this case, the heating process is preferably performed at a temperature higher than the melting point of the biodegradable binder.

[0041] The step (S40) of cooling the heated result according to the present invention is a step of cooling the heated result through a cooling process to separate it from the mold and obtain an eco-friendly flower arrangement container as the final product.

[0042] In one embodiment, the cooling process may be performed using conventional methods, such as room temperature cooling, or any other suitable cooling process involving the addition of cold water or cold air. Preferably, the cooling process is performed at a temperature lower than the melting point of the biodegradable binder to ensure the container is reliably separated from the mold.

[0043] The eco-friendly flower arrangement container manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present invention not only uses an eco-friendly matrix recycled from various waste materials, but also includes a biodegradable polymer and starch derived from natural materials as a biodegradable binder, so that hazardous chemical substances such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated from conventional chemically synthesized matrices and binders are not generated, and thus has the advantage of preventing environmental problems caused by VOCs. In addition, since the flower arrangement container is manufactured by including a specific content of the organic solvent lignin, the moisture retention capacity within the container itself is improved, so that even when it contains more moisture than conventional containers, the shape of the container is maintained constant, and softness is maintained, so that flowers can be easily arranged.

[0044]

[0045] The present invention will be described in more detail below through examples. However, these examples are intended to exemplify the present invention and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0046]

[0047] Example 1: Manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container

[0048] (S10) A mixture is prepared to manufacture an eco-friendly flower arrangement container. Specifically, the eco-friendly matrix is ​​prepared at a content of 55 wt% based on 100 wt% of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder, and the biodegradable binder is prepared at a content of 45 wt%. At this time, the eco-friendly matrix is ​​prepared at a content of 45 wt% of natural fiber waste (coconut fiber waste), 10 wt% of wood waste (wood chips; sawdust, etc.), and 45 wt% of grain waste (rice husk) based on 100 wt% of the total eco-friendly matrix. At this time, the biodegradable binder is prepared at a content of 75 wt% of biodegradable polymer (compostable polyester powder) and 15 wt% of starch (corn starch) based on 100 wt% of the total biodegradable binder. In addition, organic solvent lignin is extracted from wood waste (wood chips) at a temperature of 110℃ using an acid organic solvent process, and the extracted organic solvent lignin is added in an amount of 9 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and biodegradable binder. In addition, additives including a wetting agent are added in an amount of 2 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and biodegradable binder.

[0049] (S20~S40) Inject the S10 mixture into a biodegradable fiber mold with upper dimensions of 4.5" x 4.5", lower dimensions of 3.5" x 3.5", and a height of 2.25", expose the mixture contained in the fiber mold to dry steam for 4 minutes, and then cool it at room temperature to prepare an eco-friendly flower arrangement container.

[0050] Comparative Example 1: Manufacturing of a flower arrangement container using organic solvent lignin less than the content range.

[0051] A flower arrangement container is manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the content of organic solvent lignin is added in an amount of 8 parts by weight compared to Example 1.

[0052] Comparative Example 2: Manufacturing of a flower arrangement container with an organic solvent lignin content exceeding the content range.

[0053] A flower arrangement container is manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the content of the organic solvent lignin is added in an amount of 11 parts by weight compared to Example 1.

[0054] Comparative Example 3: Preparation of a conventional flower arrangement container

[0055] Prepare the Oasis® MaxLife Standard container.

[0056]

[0057] Experimental Example 1: Comparison of moisture absorption and shape retention of eco-friendly flower arrangement containers.

[0058] The "dry weight" of the eco-friendly flower arrangement container of Example 1 and the flower arrangement containers of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was measured. Then, each container was floated on a tank filled with water and wetted. The immersion time (the time until completely wet) and the water absorption amount were recorded, and these are shown in Table 1 below.

[0059] Immersion time (minutes)Moisture absorptionShape maintenanceExample 12 minutes 9 seconds 84%OComparative example 12 minutes 18 seconds 77%△Comparative example 22 minutes 2 seconds 89%△Comparative example 328 seconds 99%X

[0060]

[0061] * Immersion time: Less than 5 minutes is usually acceptable

[0062] * Moisture absorption = The moisture absorption rate per product volume is calculated by measuring the saturated weight (saturated weight - dry weight), then dividing the moisture absorption (in grams) by the product volume (in cubic centimeters) estimated from the mold volume. A value exceeding 75% is generally acceptable.

[0063] * Shape retention: If the shape is maintained by more than 90% compared to the shape before moisture absorption after moisture absorption, O; if it is maintained by more than 60% but less than 90%, △; if it is maintained by less than 60%, X

[0064] Referring to Table 1, it was confirmed that the eco-friendly flower arrangement container manufactured according to Example 1 maintained its shape while containing a relatively high moisture content.

[0065] Experimental Example 2: Comparison of moisture content density and rod insertion in eco-friendly flower arrangement containers.

[0066] The density values ​​calculated by dividing the moisture content weight (water absorption amount according to Experimental Example 1) of the eco-friendly flower arrangement containers of Example 1 and the flower arrangement containers of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 by the product volume (mold volume) are shown in Table 2 below; and the maximum resistance values ​​are the results of a rod insertion test performed to simulate the resistance to insertion of a flower stem.

[0067] Density (Kg / m) 3 ) Maximum resistance (IbF) Example 11982.9 Comparative example 12011.8 Comparative example 21803.5 Comparative example 3200.8

[0068]

[0069] * Rod Insertion Test: Connect the rod to the Universal Test Machine load cell and measure the maximum resistance when inserted into the sample to a depth of 20.0 mm at a speed of 50 mm / min. A maximum resistance of 2.2 IbF to 3.2 IbF is generally considered suitable for flower arrangements.

[0070] * Rod used for rod insertion test: 5 inches long, 1 / 4 inch diameter, rod end conical (60°)

[0071] Referring to Table 2, it was confirmed that the eco-friendly flower arrangement container of Example 1 had the maximum resistance to easily arrange flowers because it had an appropriate density despite containing moisture. On the other hand, the flower arrangement container of Comparative Example 1 had a relatively low maximum resistance value because the content of the organic solvent lignin was low, so the amount of moisture not contained in the container increased, causing the shape to collapse and making it difficult to arrange flowers. In addition, it was confirmed that the flower arrangement container of Comparative Example 2 had a large content of the organic solvent lignin, so the amount of moisture not contained in the container decreased, increasing the density of the container, and thus had the disadvantage of not being able to easily arrange flowers.

[0072] Simple modifications or changes of the present invention can be easily implemented by a person having ordinary skill in the art, and all such modifications or changes can be considered to be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A step of preparing a mixture by mixing an eco-friendly matrix, a biodegradable binder, and organic solvent lignin extracted with an organic solvent; A step of mixing and molding the above mixture to produce a molded product; a step of heating the above molded product; and a step of cooling the heated result; The above eco-friendly matrix includes natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste, and A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, characterized in that the biodegradable binder comprises a biodegradable polymer and starch.

2. In paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, wherein the organic solvent lignin is extracted from wood waste at a temperature of 100°C to 110°C using an acid organic solvent process.

3. In paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, wherein the organic solvent lignin contains 55% to 65% of a β-O-4 internal bond structure.

4. In paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, wherein the organic solvent lignin is included in an amount of 9 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of the eco-friendly matrix and the biodegradable binder.

5. In paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, wherein the eco-friendly matrix comprises natural fiber waste, wood waste, and grain waste in a weight ratio of 4 to 4.5: 1 to 2: 4 to 4.

5.

6. In paragraph 1, A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly flower arrangement container, wherein the biodegradable binder contains a biodegradable polymer and starch in a weight ratio of 7.5 to 8.5: 1.5 to 2.5.