Excrement treatment material for animals

Abstract

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide an excrement treatment material for animals that, even after long time use, hardly absorbs excrement and barely changes appearance in terms of coloration, swelling, cracking and the like caused by excrement. An excrement treatment material for animals according to the present disclosure has the following configuration.　The excrement treatment material for animals is characterized by including a plant-derived material as a main constituent, a bonded resin, and a water-repelling agent.

Description

Animal waste treatment materials

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

[0002] Research into animal excrement disposal materials has been conducted. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pet excrement disposal material that contains 70 to 97% by weight of crushed plant-derived material and 3 to 30% by weight of synthetic resin, is formed into a predetermined shape, and has sufficient shape retention to prevent collapse even when absorbing water.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a pet excrement treatment material whose main constituent base material is a pulverized plant-derived material, in which the water absorption rate measured by a predetermined water absorption rate measurement method is greater the third time than the first time, the third water absorption rate is 3 to 30 mass %, and the specific gravity before the first measurement is 0.8 to 1.2.

[0004] JP 2002-84909 A JP 2006-204249 A

[0005] The animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure is not disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an animal excrement disposal material that is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and that is less susceptible to changes in appearance, such as discoloration, swelling, or cracking, caused by excrement.

[0006] The present inventors have discovered an animal excrement treatment material characterized by comprising a plant-derived material as a main component, a binder resin, and a water repellent agent.

[0007] The animal excrement treatment material is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and is less susceptible to changes in appearance such as discoloration, swelling, or cracking due to excrement.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of how to use the animal excrement disposal material 3 according to the first embodiment.

[0009] Specifically, the present disclosure relates to the following Groups A to E. The disclosure relating to Group A includes the following aspects: <Group A> [Aspect A1] An animal excrement treatment material comprising a plant-derived material as a main component, a binder resin, and a water repellent.

[0010] Generally, animal waste treatment materials whose main component is a plant-derived material tend to absorb animal waste and expand with use due to the properties of the plant-derived material, resulting in changes in appearance such as discoloration, expansion, and cracking caused by the waste, which can be visually unpleasant.

[0011] The animal excrement disposal material is primarily composed of a plant-derived material and also contains a binder resin and a water repellent. Therefore, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal excrement disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0012] [Aspect A2] The animal excrement treatment material according to Aspect A1, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

[0013] Because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, it can be environmentally friendly and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, used animal waste treatment material tends to be more easily disposed of as combustible waste, depending on local government rules. When the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the animal waste treatment material contains a certain amount of natural essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, and therefore the animal waste treatment material has excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties.

[0014] [Aspect A3] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect A1 or A2, containing 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of the binder resin. Because the animal excrement disposal material contains a predetermined amount of the binder resin, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal excrement disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0015] [Aspect A4] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A3, containing 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of the water repellent. Because the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of the water repellent, even when the animal excrement treatment material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement treatment material. Furthermore, before the animal excrement treatment material comes into contact with excrement, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0016] [Aspect A5] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A4, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

[0017] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined proportion of starch, which increases the strength of the animal excrement disposal material before it absorbs excrement, making the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, and less likely to change in appearance.

[0018] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. Since the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0019] [Aspect A6] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A5, which does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[0020] Generally, animal waste disposal materials often contain water-insoluble inorganic substances. By including water-insoluble inorganic substances in the animal waste disposal material, water resistance can be imparted to the animal waste disposal material. Since the animal waste disposal material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, the bulk specific gravity can be reduced and dusting on the surface of the animal waste disposal material can be suppressed compared to when a water-insoluble inorganic substance is included. Furthermore, by suppressing dusting on the surface, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change.

[0021] [Aspect A7] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A6, which has a swelling rate of 7.0% or less in a water absorption test.

[0022] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined expansion rate, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to expand due to absorption of excrement, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0023] [Aspect A8] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A7, which has a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less in a water absorption test.

[0024] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water absorption rate, it is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material changes little, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0025] [Aspect A9] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

[0026] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined disintegration rate after water absorption in a disintegration test after water absorption. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to generate dust during use. As a result, when the animal excrement disposal material is used, it is less likely to soil a container that holds the animal excrement disposal material, such as a system toilet.

[0027] [Aspect A10] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of A1 to A9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

[0028] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength ratio in a strength ratio test, and therefore, when the animal body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0029] [Aspect A11] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect A10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0030] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength after water absorption, and therefore, after the animal excrement disposal material has started to be used, specifically, after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and its appearance is less likely to change.

[0031] [Aspect A12] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect A10 or A11, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0032] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength before water absorption, and therefore, when pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0033] [Aspect A13] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

[0034] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined bulk specific gravity. Therefore, the load imposed when moving the animal excrement disposal material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal) can be reduced, and the animal excrement disposal material can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0035] [Aspect A14] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test, such that the animal excrement disposal material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. before coming into contact with excrement.

[0036] [Aspect A15] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

[0037] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined rewetting amount, so that after an animal excretes, the excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's legs, and as a result, the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room, are less likely to be contaminated with excrement.

[0038] [Aspect A16] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A15, having an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, wherein the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

[0039] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined initial yellowness, a predetermined post-absorption yellowness, and a predetermined yellowness ratio, which makes it easier for users of the animal excrement disposal material to sense that the animal excrement disposal material contains a plant-derived material, making it easier to detect excrement stains and know when to replace the animal excrement disposal material.

[0040] [Aspect A17] In the blue dye dropping test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects A1 to A16, having the following water droplet trace area:

[0041] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water droplet footprint area. Therefore, the particles constituting the animal excrement disposal material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, allowing urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by them. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0042] <Group B> The disclosures in Group B aim to provide animal excrement disposal materials that are resistant to swelling due to absorption of excrement and to changes in appearance even when used for a long period of time. In the disclosures in Group B, the animal excrement disposal materials have the effect of being resistant to swelling due to absorption of excrement and to changes in appearance even when used for a long period of time.

[0043] [Aspect B1] An animal excrement treatment material, comprising a plant-derived material as a main component and a binder resin, and having a swelling rate of 7.0% or less in a water absorption test.

[0044] Generally, animal waste disposal materials primarily composed of plant-derived materials tend to absorb animal waste and expand with use due to the properties of the plant-derived materials, resulting in changes in appearance, such as discoloration, expansion, and cracking caused by the waste, which can be visually unpleasant. The animal waste disposal material is primarily composed of plant-derived materials and contains a binder resin, giving it a predetermined expansion coefficient. Therefore, even after prolonged use, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb waste and expand, and its appearance is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to find the animal waste disposal material disgusting. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with animal waste, it is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0045] [Aspect B2] The animal excrement treatment material according to Aspect B1, which has a swelling rate of 6.0% or less in the water absorption test.

[0046] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined expansion rate, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to expand due to absorption of excrement, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0047] [Aspect B3] The animal excrement treatment material according to Aspect B1 or B2, which has a water absorption retention rate of 98.0% by mass or more in the water absorption test.

[0048] Because the animal excrement treatment material has a predetermined retention rate, even when the animal excrement treatment material is used for a long period of time and animal excrement accumulates in the animal excrement treatment material, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to disintegrate and generate less dust, which results in less soiling of the container that holds the animal excrement treatment material, such as a system toilet, when the animal excrement treatment material is used.

[0049] [Aspect B4] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B3, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

[0050] Because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, it can be environmentally friendly and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, used animal waste treatment material tends to be more easily disposed of as combustible waste, depending on local government rules. When the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the animal waste treatment material contains a certain amount of natural essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, and therefore the animal waste treatment material has excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties.

[0051] [Aspect B5] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B4, containing 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of the binder resin. Because the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined ratio of the binder resin, it is possible to make the animal excrement treatment material environmentally friendly and further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, before the animal excrement treatment material comes into contact with excrement, it is less likely to disintegrate even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0052] [Aspect B6] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B5, further comprising 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of a water repellent agent.

[0053] The animal waste disposal material further contains a predetermined proportion of a water-repellent material, thereby achieving a balance between the strength and water-repellent properties of the animal waste disposal material. As a result, even when the animal waste disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to expand as it absorbs excrement, and even when pressure from the animal's body is applied, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel disgusted by the animal waste disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0054] [Aspect B7] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B6, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

[0055] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined proportion of starch, which increases the strength of the animal excrement disposal material before it absorbs excrement, making the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, and less likely to change in appearance.

[0056] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. Since the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0057] [Aspect B8] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B7, which does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[0058] Generally, animal waste disposal materials often contain water-insoluble inorganic substances. By including water-insoluble inorganic substances in the animal waste disposal material, water resistance can be imparted to the animal waste disposal material. Since the animal waste disposal material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, the bulk specific gravity can be reduced and dusting on the surface of the animal waste disposal material can be suppressed compared to when a water-insoluble inorganic substance is included. Furthermore, by suppressing dusting on the surface, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change.

[0059] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material is produced by extrusion molding, if the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material and the animal excrement treatment material contains water-insoluble inorganic substances, the pressure during extrusion molding must be increased, which increases the temperature during extrusion molding, causing the essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material to volatilize and potentially impairing the deodorizing, antibacterial, etc. properties of the essential oils. Because the animal excrement treatment material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, when produced by extrusion molding and the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the effects of the essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, i.e., deodorizing, antibacterial, etc., can be exhibited.

[0060] [Aspect B9] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

[0061] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined disintegration rate after water absorption in a disintegration test after water absorption. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to generate dust during use. As a result, when the animal excrement disposal material is used, it is less likely to soil a container that holds the animal excrement disposal material, such as a system toilet.

[0062] [Aspect B10] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

[0063] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength ratio in a strength ratio test, and therefore, when the animal body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0064] [Aspect B11] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect B10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0065] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength after water absorption, and therefore, after the animal excrement disposal material has started to be used, specifically, after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and its appearance is less likely to change.

[0066] [Aspect B12] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect B10 or B11, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0067] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength before water absorption, and therefore, when pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0068] [Aspect B13] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

[0069] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined bulk specific gravity. Therefore, the load imposed when moving the animal excrement disposal material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal) can be reduced, and the animal excrement disposal material can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0070] [Aspect B14] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test, such that the animal excrement disposal material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. before coming into contact with excrement.

[0071] [Aspect B15] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

[0072] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined rewetting amount, so that after an animal excretes, the excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's legs, and as a result, the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room, are less likely to be contaminated with excrement.

[0073] [Aspect B16] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B15, wherein the animal excrement treatment material has an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, and the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

[0074] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined initial yellowness, a predetermined post-absorption yellowness, and a predetermined yellowness ratio, which makes it easier for users of the animal excrement disposal material to sense that the animal excrement disposal material contains a plant-derived material, making it easier to detect excrement stains and know when to replace the animal excrement disposal material.

[0075] [Aspect B17] In the blue dye drop test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects B1 to B16, having the following water droplet trace area:

[0076] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water droplet footprint area. Therefore, the particles constituting the animal excrement disposal material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, allowing urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by them. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0077] <Group C> The disclosures pertaining to Group C aim to provide animal excrement disposal materials that are less likely to absorb excrement and that undergo little change in appearance even after extended use. In the disclosures pertaining to Group C, the animal excrement disposal materials have the effect of being less likely to absorb excrement and that undergo little change in appearance even after extended use.

[0078] The disclosure related to Group C includes the following aspects: [Aspect C1] An animal excrement treatment material containing a plant-derived material as a main component, including a water repellent and a binder resin, and having a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less in a water absorption test.

[0079] Due to the nature of the plant-derived material, animal waste disposal materials that are primarily composed of plant-derived materials tend to absorb animal waste with use, resulting in changes in appearance such as discoloration, swelling, and cracking due to the waste, which can be visually repulsive to users. The animal waste disposal material is primarily composed of plant-derived materials and also contains a water repellent and a binding resin, and has a predetermined water absorption rate. Therefore, even after prolonged use, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb waste, resulting in less change in appearance. As a result, users are less likely to be repulsed by the animal waste disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with animal waste, it is less likely to disintegrate even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0080] [Aspect C2] The animal excrement treatment material according to Aspect C1, which has a water absorption rate of 30% by mass or less in the water absorption test.

[0081] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water absorption rate, it is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material changes little, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0082] [Aspect C3] The animal waste treatment material according to Aspect C1 or C2, wherein the second water absorption measured by the following water absorption measurement method is greater the third time than the first time, and the third time is 5.0% by mass or less. [Method for Measuring Second Water Absorption] The animal waste treatment material is previously stored in a 40°C thermostatic chamber for 2 hours and dried, and then immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds. The water absorption is calculated according to the following formula, using the amount of animal waste treatment material before immersion: a (g) and the amount of animal waste treatment material after immersion: b (g). For the second and subsequent measurements, the animal waste treatment material is stored in a 40°C thermostatic chamber for 2 hours to dry, and then similarly immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds, and the water absorption is calculated according to the following formula: Second water absorption (mass%) = 100 x [(b - a) / a]

[0083] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined second water absorption rate, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and the change in appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to occur, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0084] [Aspect C4] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C3, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

[0085] Because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, it can be an environmentally friendly animal waste treatment material and can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, used animal waste treatment material tends to be more easily disposed of as combustible waste, depending on local government rules. When the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the animal waste treatment material contains a certain amount of natural essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, and therefore the animal waste treatment material has excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties.

[0086] [Aspect C5] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C4, containing 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of the binder resin. Because the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of binder resin, it can be an environmentally friendly animal excrement treatment material and can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, before coming into contact with excrement, the animal excrement treatment material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0087] [Aspect C6] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C5, containing 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of the water repellent agent.

[0088] The animal waste disposal material further contains a predetermined amount of water-repellent material, thereby achieving a balance between the strength and water-repellent properties of the animal waste disposal material. As a result, even when the animal waste disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement, and changes in appearance such as discoloration, swelling, and cracking due to excrement are reduced. In addition, the material is less likely to collapse even when subjected to animal body pressure, making the appearance of the animal waste disposal material less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel disgusted by the animal waste disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0089] [Aspect C7] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C6, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

[0090] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined amount of starch, which increases the strength of the animal excrement disposal material before it absorbs excrement, making the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, and making the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material less likely to change.

[0091] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. Since the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0092] [Aspect C8] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C7, which does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[0093] Generally, animal waste disposal materials often contain water-insoluble inorganic substances. By including water-insoluble inorganic substances in the animal waste disposal material, water resistance can be imparted to the animal waste disposal material. Since the animal waste disposal material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, the bulk specific gravity can be reduced and dusting on the surface of the animal waste disposal material can be suppressed compared to when a water-insoluble inorganic substance is included. Furthermore, by suppressing dusting on the surface, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change.

[0094] [Aspect C9] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

[0095] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined disintegration rate after water absorption in a disintegration test. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to generate dust during use. As a result, the container that holds the animal excrement disposal material, such as a system toilet, is less likely to be soiled when the animal excrement disposal material is used.

[0096] [Aspect C10] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

[0097] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength ratio in a strength ratio test, and therefore, when the animal body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0098] [Aspect C11] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect C10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0099] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength after water absorption, and therefore, after the animal excrement disposal material has started to be used, specifically, after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and its appearance is less likely to change.

[0100] [Aspect C12] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect C10 or C11, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0101] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength before water absorption, and therefore, when pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0102] [Aspect C13] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

[0103] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined bulk specific gravity. Therefore, the load imposed when moving the animal excrement disposal material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal) can be reduced, and the animal excrement disposal material can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0104] [Aspect C14] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test, such that the animal excrement disposal material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. before coming into contact with excrement.

[0105] [Aspect C15] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

[0106] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined rewetting amount, so that after an animal excretes, the excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's legs, and as a result, the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room, are less likely to be contaminated with excrement.

[0107] [Aspect C16] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects C1 to C15, wherein the animal excrement treatment material has an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, and the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

[0108] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined initial yellowness, a predetermined post-absorption yellowness, and a predetermined yellowness ratio, which makes it easier for users of the animal excrement disposal material to sense that the animal excrement disposal material contains a plant-derived material, making it easier to detect excrement stains and know when to replace the animal excrement disposal material.

[0109] [Aspect C17] In the blue dye drop test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects C1 to C16, having the following water droplet trace area:

[0110] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water droplet footprint area. Therefore, the particles constituting the animal excrement disposal material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, allowing urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by them. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0111] <Group D> The disclosures in Group D aim to provide animal excrement disposal materials that are resistant to swelling due to absorption of excrement and to changes in appearance even when used for a long period of time. In the disclosures in Group D, the animal excrement disposal materials have the effect of being resistant to swelling due to absorption of excrement and to changes in appearance even when used for a long period of time.

[0112] The disclosure according to Group D includes the following aspects: [Aspect D1] An animal excrement treatment material, comprising a plant-derived material as a main component, and having a swelling rate of 7.0% or less in a water absorption test.

[0113] Generally, animal waste disposal materials primarily composed of plant-derived materials tend to absorb animal waste and expand with use due to the properties of the plant-derived materials, resulting in changes in appearance such as discoloration, expansion, and cracking caused by the waste, which can be visually unpleasant. The animal waste disposal material is primarily composed of plant-derived materials and has a predetermined expansion coefficient. Therefore, even when the animal waste disposal material is used for a long period of time, it is less likely to absorb waste and expand, and its appearance is less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to find the animal waste disposal material disgusting.

[0114] [Aspect D2] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect D1, which has a swelling rate of 6.0% or less in the water absorption test.

[0115] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined expansion rate, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to expand due to absorption of excrement, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0116] [Aspect D3] The animal waste treatment material according to Aspect D1 or D2, which has a water absorption retention rate of 98.0% by mass or more in the water absorption test. Because the animal waste treatment material has a predetermined water absorption retention rate, even when the animal waste treatment material is used for a long period of time and animal waste accumulates in the animal waste treatment material, the animal waste treatment material is less likely to disintegrate and less likely to generate dust. As a result, the animal waste treatment material is less likely to soil a container that holds the animal waste treatment material, such as a system toilet, when used.

[0117] [Aspect D4] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D3, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

[0118] Because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, it can be environmentally friendly and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, used animal waste treatment material tends to be more easily disposed of as combustible waste, depending on local government rules. When the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the animal waste treatment material contains a certain amount of natural essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, and therefore the animal waste treatment material has excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties.

[0119] [Aspect D5] The animal waste disposal material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D4, further comprising 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of a binder resin. Because the animal waste disposal material further comprises a predetermined proportion of the binder resin, the animal waste disposal material is environmentally friendly and can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to disintegrate even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0120] [Aspect D6] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D5, further comprising 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of a water repellent.

[0121] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined proportion of a water-repellent material, thereby achieving a balance between the strength and water-repellent properties of the animal excrement disposal material. As a result, even when the animal excrement disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to expand as it absorbs excrement, and is less likely to collapse even when subjected to animal body pressure, making the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel disgusted by the animal excrement disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal excrement disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0122] [Aspect D7] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D6, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

[0123] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined proportion of starch, which increases the strength of the animal excrement disposal material before it absorbs excrement, making the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, and less likely to change in appearance.

[0124] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. Since the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0125] [Aspect D8] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D7, which does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[0126] Generally, animal waste disposal materials often contain water-insoluble inorganic substances. By including water-insoluble inorganic substances in the animal waste disposal material, water resistance can be imparted to the animal waste disposal material. Since the animal waste disposal material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, the bulk specific gravity can be reduced and dusting on the surface of the animal waste disposal material can be suppressed compared to when a water-insoluble inorganic substance is included. Furthermore, by suppressing dusting on the surface, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change.

[0127] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material is produced by extrusion molding, if the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material and the animal excrement treatment material contains water-insoluble inorganic substances, the pressure during extrusion molding must be increased, which increases the temperature during extrusion molding, causing the essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material to volatilize and potentially impairing the deodorizing, antibacterial, etc. properties of the essential oils. Because the animal excrement treatment material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, when produced by extrusion molding and the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the effects of the essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, i.e., deodorizing, antibacterial, etc., can be exhibited.

[0128] [Aspect D9] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

[0129] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined disintegration rate after water absorption in a disintegration test. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to generate dust during use. As a result, the container that holds the animal excrement disposal material, such as a system toilet, is less likely to be soiled when the animal excrement disposal material is used.

[0130] [Aspect D10] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

[0131] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength ratio in a strength ratio test, and therefore, when the animal body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0132] [Aspect D11] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect D10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0133] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength after water absorption, and therefore, after the animal excrement disposal material has started to be used, specifically, after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and its appearance is less likely to change.

[0134] [Aspect D12] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect D10 or D11, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0135] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength before water absorption, and therefore, when pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0136] [Aspect D13] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

[0137] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined bulk specific gravity. Therefore, the load imposed when moving the animal excrement disposal material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal) can be reduced, and the animal excrement disposal material can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0138] [Aspect D14] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test, such that the animal excrement disposal material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. before coming into contact with excrement.

[0139] [Aspect D15] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

[0140] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined rewetting amount, so that after an animal excretes, the excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's legs, and as a result, the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room, are less likely to be contaminated with excrement.

[0141] [Aspect D16] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects D1 to D15, wherein the animal excrement treatment material has an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, and the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

[0142] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined initial yellowness, a predetermined post-absorption yellowness, and a predetermined yellowness ratio, which makes it easier for users of the animal excrement disposal material to sense that the animal excrement disposal material contains a plant-derived material, making it easier to detect excrement stains and know when to replace the animal excrement disposal material.

[0143] [Aspect D17] In the blue dye drop test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of aspects D1 to D16, having the following water droplet trace area:

[0144] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water droplet footprint area. Therefore, the particles constituting the animal excrement disposal material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, allowing urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by them. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0145] <Group E> The disclosures pertaining to Group E aim to provide an animal excrement disposal material that is less likely to absorb excrement and is less likely to change in appearance due to excrement, such as discoloration, swelling, cracking, etc., even when used for a long period of time. In the disclosures pertaining to Group E, the animal excrement disposal material has the effect of being less likely to absorb excrement and is less likely to change in appearance due to excrement, such as discoloration, swelling, cracking, etc., even when used for a long period of time.

[0146] The disclosure pertaining to Group E includes the following aspects: [Aspect E1] An animal excrement treatment material, comprising a plant-derived material as a main component, and having a water absorption rate of 38% by mass or less in a water absorption test.

[0147] Due to the nature of the plant-derived material, animal waste disposal materials that are primarily composed of plant-derived materials tend to absorb animal waste with use, resulting in changes in appearance such as discoloration, swelling, and cracking due to the waste, which can be visually disgusting to users. The animal waste disposal material is primarily composed of plant-derived materials and has a predetermined water absorption rate. Therefore, even when the animal waste disposal material is used for a long period of time, it is less likely to absorb waste, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material changes less. As a result, users are less likely to find the animal waste disposal material disgusting.

[0148] [Aspect E2] The animal excrement treatment material according to Aspect E1, which has a water absorption rate of 35% by mass or less in the water absorption test.

[0149] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water absorption rate, it is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material changes little, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0150] [Aspect E3] The animal waste disposal material according to Aspect E1 or E2, wherein the second water absorption measured by the following water absorption measurement method is greater the third time than the first time, and the third time is 5.0% by mass or less. [Method for Measuring Second Water Absorption] The animal waste disposal material is previously stored in a 40°C thermostatic chamber for 2 hours to dry, and is then immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds. The water absorption is calculated according to the following formula, using the mass of the animal waste disposal material before immersion: a (g) and the mass of the animal waste disposal material after immersion: b (g). For the second and subsequent measurements, the animal waste disposal material is stored in a 40°C thermostatic chamber for 2 hours to dry immediately after each measurement, and is then similarly immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds, and the water absorption is calculated according to the following formula: Second water absorption (mass%) = 100 x [(b - a) / a]

[0151] Since the animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined second water absorption rate, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement even when used for a long period of time, and the change in appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to occur, so that users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal excrement disposal material.

[0152] [Aspect E4] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E3, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

[0153] Because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, it can be an environmentally friendly animal waste treatment material and can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, because the animal waste treatment material contains a predetermined amount of plant-derived material, used animal waste treatment material tends to be more easily disposed of as combustible waste, depending on local government rules. When the plant-derived material contains woody plant-derived material, the animal waste treatment material contains a certain amount of natural essential oils contained in the woody plant-derived material, and therefore the animal waste treatment material has excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties.

[0154] [Aspect E5] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E4, further comprising 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of a binder resin. Because the animal excrement treatment material further comprises a predetermined amount of binder resin, it can be an environmentally friendly animal excrement treatment material and can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, before coming into contact with excrement, the animal excrement treatment material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0155] [Aspect E6] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E5, further comprising 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of a water repellent agent.

[0156] The animal waste disposal material further contains a predetermined amount of water-repellent material, thereby achieving a balance between the strength and water-repellent properties of the animal waste disposal material. As a result, even when the animal waste disposal material is used for a long period of time, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material changes little. Furthermore, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse even when subjected to animal body pressure, making the appearance of the animal waste disposal material less likely to change. As a result, users are less likely to feel aversion to the animal waste disposal material. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0157] [Aspect E7] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E6, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

[0158] The animal excrement disposal material further contains a predetermined amount of starch, which increases the strength of the animal excrement disposal material before it absorbs excrement, making the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, and making the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material less likely to change.

[0159] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. Since the animal excrement treatment material contains a predetermined amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0160] [Aspect E8] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E7, which does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[0161] Generally, animal waste disposal materials often contain water-insoluble inorganic substances. By including water-insoluble inorganic substances in the animal waste disposal material, water resistance can be imparted to the animal waste disposal material. Since the animal waste disposal material does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances, the bulk specific gravity can be reduced and dusting on the surface of the animal waste disposal material can be suppressed compared to when a water-insoluble inorganic substance is included. Furthermore, by suppressing dusting on the surface, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement and expand, and the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change.

[0162] [Aspect E9] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

[0163] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined disintegration rate after water absorption in a disintegration test. Therefore, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to generate dust during use. As a result, the container that holds the animal excrement disposal material, such as a system toilet, is less likely to be soiled when the animal excrement disposal material is used.

[0164] [Aspect E10] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

[0165] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength ratio in a strength ratio test, and therefore, when the animal body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0166] [Aspect E11] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect E10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0167] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength after water absorption, and therefore, after the animal excrement disposal material has started to be used, specifically, after the animal excrement disposal material has absorbed excrement, when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and its appearance is less likely to change.

[0168] [Aspect E12] The animal excrement disposal material according to Aspect E10 or E11, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

[0169] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined strength before water absorption, and therefore, when pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to collapse and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change.

[0170] [Aspect E13] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

[0171] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined bulk specific gravity. Therefore, the load imposed when moving the animal excrement disposal material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal) can be reduced, and the animal excrement disposal material can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0172] [Aspect E14] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test, such that the animal excrement disposal material is resistant to disintegration even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. before coming into contact with excrement.

[0173] [Aspect E15] The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

[0174] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined rewetting amount, so that after an animal excretes, the excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's legs, and as a result, the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room, are less likely to be contaminated with excrement.

[0175] [Aspect E16] The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of Aspects E1 to E15, wherein the animal excrement treatment material has an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, and the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

[0176] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined initial yellowness, a predetermined post-absorption yellowness, and a predetermined yellowness ratio, which makes it easier for users of the animal excrement disposal material to sense that the animal excrement disposal material contains a plant-derived material, making it easier to detect excrement stains and know when to replace the animal excrement disposal material.

[0177] [Aspect E17] In the blue dye drop test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement disposal material according to any one of aspects E1 to E16, having the following water droplet trace area:

[0178] The animal excrement disposal material has a predetermined water droplet footprint area. Therefore, the particles constituting the animal excrement disposal material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, allowing urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by them. As a result, the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0179] The disclosures of Groups A to E can be combined in any manner.

[0180] The animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an animal excrement disposal material 3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as the "first embodiment"), in which the animal excrement disposal material 3 is provided in a system toilet 1.

[0181] The system toilet 1 includes an upper container 5 having a plurality of holes in its bottom, on which animal waste disposal materials 3 are laid, and a lower container 7 positioned below the upper container 5 and on which a waste disposal sheet 9 is placed. The bottom of the upper container 5 has a mesh-like structure with a plurality of holes (through-holes). The structure of the bottom of the upper container 5 has the function of allowing liquid waste (e.g., urine) to pass through (drain water), i.e., the function of a drain. In the first embodiment, the system toilet 1 further includes a cover 11 positioned above the upper container 5 to limit animal entrances and exits and prevent waste and animal waste disposal materials 3 from scattering.

[0182] In the system toilet 1, the animal waste disposal materials 3 have a predetermined expansion rate in a water absorption test. Therefore, liquid waste (e.g., urine) excreted by animals (e.g., cats) passes through the animal waste disposal materials 3 without being absorbed much, and is absorbed and retained by the waste disposal sheet 9 located below the animal waste disposal materials 3. The animal waste disposal materials 3 also function as a lid for the waste disposal sheet 9, preventing the spread of the foul odor of the excrement retained by the waste disposal sheet 9.

[0183] In the system toilet 1, the animal waste disposal materials 3 do not absorb excrement and form clumps, so the frequency with which the animal waste disposal materials 3 need to be replaced can be reduced. Furthermore, even if an animal scratches the sand after excreting, excrement is less likely to stick to the animal's feet. Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, the bottom of the upper container 5 on which the animal waste disposal materials 3 are placed is spaced apart from the excrement disposal sheet 9. Therefore, even if an animal stands on the animal waste disposal materials 3 after excreting, the excrement disposal sheet 9 is not subjected to the load of the animal's weight, which means that excrement absorbed by the excrement disposal sheet 9 is less likely to flow back out.

[0184] The animal excrement treatment materials 3 have a predetermined expansion rate in a water absorption test, and therefore do not expand when absorbing excrement. As a result, even when the animal excrement treatment materials 3 are used for a long period of time, the animal excrement treatment materials 3 do not expand when absorbing excrement, and the appearance of the animal excrement treatment materials 3 is not easily changed. Furthermore, because the animal excrement treatment materials 3 have a predetermined retention rate in a water absorption test, the animal excrement treatment materials 3 do not easily disintegrate and do not easily generate dust, even when the animal excrement treatment materials 3 are used for a long period of time and animal excrement accumulates in the animal excrement treatment materials 3.

[0185] Since the animal excrement treatment material 3 has a predetermined water absorption rate in a water absorption test, even if the animal excrement treatment material 3 is used for a long period of time, the animal excrement treatment material 3 does not easily absorb excrement, and there is little change in the appearance of the animal excrement treatment material 3.

[0186] The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure includes a plant-derived material. The plant-derived material may be any material commonly used in the art, without particular limitation. Examples of the plant-derived material include woody and herbaceous materials. Examples of the woody material include wood, bark, and seeds. Examples of the herbaceous material include grass, seeds, and grain husks. The woody material may be derived from either coniferous or broad-leaved trees. Examples of the coniferous trees include the Cupressaceae family (Japanese cypress, Japanese cypress, Japanese thuja, sawara, asunaro, Taihi, Benihi, Juniperus japonicus, and Siberian thuja); the Cupressaceae family (Japanese cedar, Yakusugi, and Japanese red cedar); the Pinaceae family (Japanese red pine, Japanese larch, Abies sachalinensis, Tsuga, and Fir); the Japanese cedar (Kuyamaki, Inumaki, and the like). Examples of the broad-leaved trees include eucalyptus, camphor tree, China tree, and manuka. From the viewpoint of containing natural essential oils having excellent deodorizing and disinfecting properties, Cupressaceae, Cypressaceae and Pinaceae are preferred, Cupressaceae is more preferred, and Japanese cypress is even more preferred.

[0187] The plant-derived material can have a shape such as powder, granules, needles, plates, or a combination thereof, and is preferably in powder form from the viewpoints of moldability and handling. Furthermore, from the viewpoints of moldability and handling, the plant-derived material preferably has an average particle size of 0.01 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.07 mm or more, and preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less, and even more preferably 2 mm or less. The average particle size can be measured, for example, using a multistage sieve shaker by the following method.

[0188] Sieves (Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd.) with nominal openings of 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1 mm, 2.36 mm, and 3.35 mm are placed in this order on a multi-stage sieve shaker (Verder Scientific K.K., AS200 Basic), and 50 g of plant-derived material is placed on the top sieve with 3.35 mm openings and shaken. The shaking amplitude is 1.2 mm, the vibration frequency is 3000 times / min, and the sieving time is 2 minutes. After shaking, the average particle size is calculated by multiplying the class values ​​between each opening by the ratio.

[0189] The animal waste treatment material is primarily composed of the plant-derived material. By "primary component," we mean that the plant-derived material is the predominant component of the animal waste treatment material by mass. The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably contains the plant-derived material in a proportion of more than 50.0% by mass, more preferably 60.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 70.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 80.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 83.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 85.0% by mass or more. This allows the animal waste treatment material to be environmentally friendly and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, depending on local government rules, this also makes the animal waste treatment material easier to dispose of as combustible waste. Note that the upper limit of the plant-derived material content in the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure is 100 minus the amount (by mass) of other components, such as the binding resin.

[0190] The animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably contains a binder resin. This makes it less likely for the animal waste disposal material to absorb excrement and expand, even when used for a long period of time, and therefore the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change. Furthermore, even when used for a long period of time, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to absorb excrement, and therefore the appearance of the animal waste disposal material is less likely to change. Furthermore, before the animal waste disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the animal waste disposal material is less likely to collapse even when pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0191] The binder resin can be any resin commonly used in the art, without particular limitation, and includes, for example, thermoplastic resins. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, vinyl resins such as polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene, acrylic resins such as polyacrylic acid and polymethyl methacrylate, ethylene-propylene copolymers, polyvinyl acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, and polyvinyl alcohol. From the viewpoint of mixability with the plant-derived material, the binder resin preferably includes an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

[0192] When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the binder resin, the melting point of the binder resin is preferably 60°C or higher, more preferably 65°C or higher, and even more preferably 70°C or higher. Furthermore, when the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the binder resin, the melting point of the binder resin is preferably 160°C or lower, more preferably 120°C or lower, and even more preferably 80°C or lower. The melting point of the binder resin can be adjusted appropriately, for example, by changing the molecular weight of the binder resin. This makes it easier to form the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure while suppressing denaturation of the plant-derived material and decomposition of the binder resin.

[0193] When the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the binder resin, from the same viewpoint, the binder resin preferably has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 0.1 g / 10 min or more, more preferably 1 g / 10 min or more, and even more preferably 10 g / 10 min or more. The binder resin also preferably has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 200 g / 10 min or less, more preferably 100 g / 10 min or less, and even more preferably 50 g / 10 min or less. The melt flow rate can be measured in accordance with JIS K 7210-1:2014 under conditions of a load of 2.16 kg and a temperature of 230°C.

[0194] When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the binder resin, the animal waste treatment material preferably contains the binder resin in an amount of 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 2.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 4.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 6.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 7.0% by mass or more. Furthermore, the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably contains the binder resin in an amount of 40.0% by mass or less, more preferably 30.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 20.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 15.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10.0% by mass or less. This makes the animal waste treatment material environmentally friendly and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0195] Furthermore, since the binding resin itself is a component that binds and masks the plant-derived materials, the binding resin itself is unlikely to have a negative effect on the expansion rate and water absorption rate. However, if the amount of binding resin increases, when forming the animal waste treatment material, for example, the viscosity of the animal waste treatment material increases, or it becomes difficult to apply pressure during granulation, making it more likely that voids will form in the animal waste treatment material, and as a result, this will more likely have a negative effect on the expansion rate, water absorption rate, etc. of the animal waste treatment material.

[0196] The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably contains a water repellent. When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the water repellent, the animal waste treatment material contains the water repellent in an amount of preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.7% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.9% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or more. When the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure contains the water repellent, the animal waste treatment material contains the water repellent in an amount of preferably 15.0% by mass or less, more preferably 10.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 8.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 7.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 6.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5.0% by mass or less. This allows the strength and water repellency of the animal waste treatment material to be balanced. Furthermore, before the animal excrement disposal material comes into contact with excrement, the material is less likely to collapse even if pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc.

[0197] The water repellent agent can be present on the surface and / or inside the animal excrement treatment material, and is preferably present inside the animal excrement treatment material, thereby enabling the animal excrement treatment material to have excellent swelling coefficient, water absorption rate, etc. The presence of the water repellent agent inside the animal excrement treatment material can be achieved, for example, by kneading the components constituting the animal excrement treatment material, such as the plant-derived material, the water repellent agent, and an optional binder resin.

[0198] As the water repellent agent, any agent used in the art can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include liquid paraffin, paraffin wax, silicone wax, silicone oil, and fats and oils such as triglycerides.

[0199] The animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably has a swelling rate of 7.0% or less, more preferably 6.0% or less, even more preferably 5.5% or less, even more preferably 5.0% or less, and even more preferably 4.5% or less in a water absorption test. This makes it difficult for the animal excrement disposal material to absorb excrement and swell, even when used for a long period of time, and the appearance of the animal excrement disposal material is less likely to change. The lower limit of the swelling rate is 0.0%.

[0200] In the water absorption test, the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, even more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 38% by mass or less, even more preferably 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 28% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or less. This makes the animal waste treatment material less likely to absorb excrement, even when used for a long period of time, and reduces changes in the appearance of the animal waste treatment material. Furthermore, a water absorption rate within the above range tends to reduce the likelihood of excrement, particularly urine, remaining on the surface of the animal waste treatment material. The lower limit of the water absorption rate is 0% by mass.

[0201] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a retention rate of 98.0% by mass or more, more preferably 99.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 99.5% by mass or more in the water absorption test. This makes the animal excrement treatment material less likely to disintegrate and less likely to generate dust, even when the animal excrement treatment material is used for a long period of time and animal excrement remains in the animal excrement treatment material. The upper limit of the retention rate in the water absorption test is 100.0% by mass.

[0202] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the water absorption test is performed in a temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH as follows: (1) A sample of the animal waste disposal material to be tested is allowed to stand in the temperature and humidity chamber for 24 hours. (2) After 24 hours of standing, the sizes of 100 different particles in the sample are measured, and the average initial size, L0 (mm), is measured. Note that the particle size is measured in the same direction if the particles have directional properties. For example, if the animal waste disposal material has a roughly cylindrical shape, the diameter is used; if the particles do not have directional properties, the major axis is used. Furthermore, the measurement position is the same if the particles have directional properties. For example, if the animal waste disposal material has a roughly cylindrical shape, the diameter is used; if the particles do not have directional properties, the major axis is used. (3) After 24 hours of standing, the initial mass, m0 (g), of the sample (approximately 100 g) is measured. A nylon mesh bag with 70 μm openings is prepared, and its mass: n0 (g) is measured.

[0203] (4) Place the sample in a mesh bag and immerse the sample together with the mesh bag in a sufficient amount of deionized water for 1 hour. (5) After immersing the sample in deionized water for 1 hour, remove the sample together with the mesh bag from the deionized water, hang the mesh bag together with the sample in the air for 5 minutes to drain the water, and measure the mass of the mesh bag and sample after immersion: m1 (g). (6) Remove the sample whose mass after immersion has been measured from the mesh bag and dry the sample in a constant temperature room at 50°C for 24 hours. (7) After drying for 24 hours, measure the mass of the sample after drying: m2 (g). (8) After drying for 24 hours, measure the above sizes of a total of 100 different particles in the sample and measure the average value of the measured values, the size after drying: L1 (mm).

[0204] (9) The expansion rate (%) is calculated using the following formula: Expansion rate (%) = 100 × (L1 - L0) / L0. (10) The water absorption rate (mass%) is calculated using the following formula: Water absorption rate (mass%) = 100 × [m1 - (m0 + n0)] / m0. (11) The retention rate (mass%) is calculated using the following formula: Retention rate (mass%) = 100 × m2 / m0.

[0205] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a disintegration rate after water absorption of 0.6% by mass or less, more preferably 0.6% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or less in a disintegration test after water absorption. This makes it less likely for the animal excrement treatment material to generate dust as it is used. The lower limit of the disintegration rate after water absorption in the disintegration test after water absorption is 0.0% by mass.

[0206] In this specification, the disintegration test after water absorption is carried out as follows: (1) The sample after 24 hours of drying in the water absorption test is placed on a 2 mm mesh sieve, and a sieving test is carried out for 5 minutes using a vibrating sieve machine (manufactured by Retsch Co., Ltd., AS200) at an amplitude of 1.35 mm, and the sample that passed through the 2 mm mesh is collected. (2) The mass (m3) of the sample that passed through the 2 mm mesh is measured. (3) The disintegration rate after water absorption (mass %) is calculated using the following formula: Disintegration rate after water absorption (mass %) = 100 × m3 / m0.

[0207] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less, more preferably 0.052% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.051% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.050% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test. This makes the animal excrement treatment material less likely to disintegrate before contact with excrement, even if pressure is applied during transportation, storage, etc. The lower limit of the pre-water absorption disintegration rate in the pre-water absorption disintegration test is 0.000% by mass.

[0208] In this specification, the pre-water absorption disintegration test is carried out as follows: (1) A sample of the animal excrement disposal material to be tested is allowed to stand for 24 hours in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH. (2) The initial mass m4 (g) of the sample (approximately 500 g) after standing for 24 hours in the constant temperature and humidity chamber is measured. (3) The sample whose initial mass has been measured in the constant temperature and humidity chamber is placed in a plastic bag with a zipper (length: 340 mm × width: 240 mm × thickness: 0.040 mm), and the plastic bag is dropped from a height of 40 cm onto a polyvinyl chloride sheet floor a total of 20 times.

[0209] (4) The contents of the zippered plastic bag after dropping are placed on a 2 mm mesh sieve, and a sieving test is performed using a vibrating sieve machine (Retsch Co., Ltd., AS200) at an amplitude of 1.35 mm for 3 minutes, and the sample that passed through the 2 mm mesh is collected. (5) The mass (m5) of the sample that passed through the 2 mm mesh is measured. (6) The disintegration rate after water absorption (mass%) is calculated using the following formula: Disintegration rate after water absorption (mass%) = 100 x m5 / m4.

[0210] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a second water absorption rate that is greater the third time than the first time, as measured by the following water absorption rate measurement method, and the third second water absorption rate is preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3.5% by mass or less. This makes it difficult for the animal excrement treatment material to absorb excrement, even when the animal excrement treatment material is used for a long period of time, and reduces changes in the appearance of the animal excrement treatment material.

[0211] [Method for Measuring Second Water Absorption] An animal excrement treatment material that has been previously stored in a 40°C thermostatic bath for 2 hours and dried is immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds, and the water absorption is calculated according to the following formula, between the amount of animal excrement treatment material before immersion: a (g) and the amount of animal excrement treatment material after immersion: b (g). For the second and subsequent measurements, the animal excrement treatment material is stored in a 40°C thermostatic bath for 2 hours immediately after each measurement to dry, and then similarly immersed in 25°C water for 3 seconds, and the water absorption is calculated according to the following formula: Second water absorption (mass %) = 100 x [(b - a) / a]

[0212] The animal excrement disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably has a strength ratio of 27% or more, more preferably 40% or more, even more preferably 50% or more, even more preferably 60% or more, even more preferably 65% ​​or more, and even more preferably 70% or more in a strength ratio test. This makes the animal excrement disposal material less likely to collapse and less likely to change in appearance when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal excrement disposal material after it has absorbed excrement. The upper limit of the strength ratio in the strength ratio test is preferably 100%.

[0213] In this specification, the strength ratio test is performed in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH as follows: (1) A sample of the animal excrement disposal material to be tested is allowed to stand in the constant temperature and humidity chamber for 24 hours. (2) After 24 hours of standing, the sample particles are compressed at a rate of 500 mm / min using a force gauge (Nidek Drive Technology Co., Ltd., FGJN-50, measurement adapter: angled adapter 70°, measurement mode: peak hold mode) and a force gauge stand (Nidec-Shimpo Corporation, FORCE GAUGE STAND Model GGS-50C), and the compression load (N) at break is measured. The average compression load (N) for 20 different particles of the sample is used as the strength before water absorption: S0 (N). The compression direction is the same when the particles have a directional property, for example, the diameter direction when the animal excrement disposal material is approximately cylindrical, and the major axis direction when the particles do not have a directional property. The measurement position is the same when the particles have a directional property, for example, the diameter position when the animal excrement disposal material is approximately cylindrical, and the major axis position when the particles do not have a directional property.

[0214] (3) A sample for which initial strength has not been measured is placed in a nylon mesh bag with 70 μm openings, and the sample, along with the mesh bag, is immersed in a sufficient amount of deionized water for 1 hour. (4) After immersing the sample in deionized water for 1 hour, the sample, along with the mesh bag, is removed from the deionized water, and the mesh bag is hung in the air for 5 minutes to drain the water. Next, the compressive load (N) at break is measured using sample particles in the same manner as for the strength before water absorption: S0 (N), and the average compressive load (N) for a total of 20 different sample particles is used as the strength after water absorption: S1 (N). The measurement direction and position should be the same as for the strength before water absorption. (5) The strength ratio (%) is calculated using the following formula: Strength ratio (%) = 100 × S1 (N) / S0 (N).

[0215] The animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably has a post-water absorption strength of 38 N or more, more preferably 50 N or more, even more preferably 60 N or more, even more preferably 70 N or more, and even more preferably 75 N or more in the strength ratio test. This makes the animal waste disposal material less likely to collapse and less likely to change in appearance when the animal's body pressure is applied to the animal waste disposal material after it has started to be used, specifically after it has absorbed excrement. The upper limit of the post-water absorption strength in the strength ratio test is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 150 N.

[0216] The animal waste disposal material according to the present disclosure preferably has a pre-water absorption strength of 90 N or more, more preferably 95 N or more, even more preferably 100 N or more, and even more preferably 105 N or more in the strength ratio test. This makes the animal waste disposal material less likely to collapse and less likely to change in appearance when pressure is applied to the animal waste disposal material before use, for example, during transportation or storage of the animal waste disposal material. The upper limit of the pre-water absorption strength in the strength ratio test is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 200 N.

[0217] The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a bulk density of 600 g / L or less, more preferably 580 g / L or less, even more preferably 570 g / L or less, and even more preferably 560 g / L or less. This reduces the energy required to transport the animal waste treatment material before use (e.g., during transportation) and after use (e.g., during replacement or disposal), and can further contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The lower limit of the bulk density is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 250 g / L.

[0218] In this specification, bulk density is measured in a temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH as follows: (1) A sample of the animal excrement disposal material to be tested is left to stand in the temperature and humidity chamber for 24 hours. (2) A 1-L leveling container (Oya Seisakusho Co., Ltd., stainless steel beaker (leveling type)) is prepared in the temperature and humidity chamber, and its mass, m6 (g), is measured. (3) After leaving the sample to stand for 24 hours, the sample is poured into the leveling container until it overflows, and the sample is leveled off at the top of the leveling container, and the mass, m7 (g), of the leveling container and sample is measured. (4) Bulk density (g / L) is calculated using the following formula: Bulk density (g / L) = m7 - m6. (5) Bulk density is measured five times using different samples, and the average value is used.

[0219] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less, more preferably 0.12 g or less, even more preferably 0.11 g or less, and even more preferably 0.10 g or less. This makes it difficult for excrement to adhere to the animal's legs after excretion, thereby reducing the risk of excrement contaminating the toilet and its surroundings, for example, the room. The lower limit of the rewet amount is 0.00 g.

[0220] In this specification, the rewet amount is measured in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH as follows: (1) A sample of the animal excrement disposal material to be tested is left to stand in the constant temperature and humidity chamber for 24 hours. (2) 100 g of the sample is immersed in a sufficient amount of deionized water for one hour. (3) After one hour of immersion, the sample is spread on a piece of filter paper (ADVANTEC circular qualitative filter paper No. 1, diameter: 40 cm) and left to stand for one hour. (4) The sample that has been left to stand for one hour is filled flat into a cubic container with a base of 11.7 cm × 11.7 cm.

[0221] (5) Approximately 50 g of filter paper (ADVANTEC, circular qualitative filter paper No. 1, diameter: 11 cm) with an initial mass of m8 (g) is placed on the filter paper so that its center coincides with the center of the flatly packed sample, and a 3.5 kg weight (bottom size: 10 cm x 10 cm) is placed on top of the filter paper so that its center coincides with the center of the weight. (6) Three minutes after placing the weight, the weight is removed and the post-test mass of the filter paper, m9 (g), is measured. (7) The rewet amount (g) is calculated using the following formula: Rewet amount (g) = m9 - m8. (8) The rewet amount is measured five times using different samples, and the average value is used.

[0222] The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure can further contain starch. The animal waste treatment material contains the starch in a proportion of preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 2.0% by mass or more. The animal waste treatment material also contains the starch in a proportion of preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 5.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 4.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 3.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3.0% by mass or less. This can increase the strength of the animal waste treatment material before it absorbs excrement.

[0223] Generally, when an animal excrement treatment material contains a large amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is more likely to decay (e.g., mold) due to the starch as it is used. When the animal excrement treatment material contains the above-mentioned amount of starch, the animal excrement treatment material is less likely to decay as it is used.

[0224] As the starch, any starch used in the art can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include potato starch, corn starch, wheat starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, waxy starch, rice starch, etc.

[0225] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure may or may not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance, and preferably contains no water-insoluble inorganic substance or contains it in an amount of 0.1% by mass or less, which can reduce the bulk density of the animal excrement treatment material and suppress dusting on the surface of the animal excrement treatment material compared to when a large amount of water-insoluble inorganic substance is contained.

[0226] The water-insoluble inorganic substance refers to an inorganic material having a solubility in water (mass dissolved in 1 L of water at 1 atmosphere and 25°C) of less than 2.0 g. Examples of the water-insoluble inorganic substance include metal salts, metal oxides, and metal hydroxides. Examples of the water-insoluble inorganic substance include calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum hydroxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and magnesium carbonate.

[0227] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a yellowness ratio (= yellowness after absorption / initial yellowness) of 0.91 or less, more preferably 0.89 or less, even more preferably 0.87 or less, even more preferably 0.86 or less, and even more preferably 0.85 or less. This makes it easier for users of the animal excrement treatment material to know when it is time to replace the animal excrement treatment material. The lower limit of the yellowness ratio is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, ____.

[0228] The initial yellowness index refers to the yellowness index of an unused animal excrement disposal material. The post-absorption yellowness index refers to the yellowness index of an animal excrement disposal material after a liquid absorption test. The liquid absorption test is carried out as follows. [Liquid absorption test] (1) 100 g of unused animal excrement disposal material is immersed in deionized water at 25°C for 1 hour. (2) After immersion, the animal excrement disposal material is dried at 50°C for 24 hours.

[0229] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more, more preferably 46.0 or more, even more preferably 47.0 or more, even more preferably 48.0 or more, and even more preferably 49.0 or more. The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure also preferably has an initial yellowness index of 54.0 or less, more preferably 53.5 or less, even more preferably 53.0 or less, even more preferably 52.5 or less, and even more preferably 52.0 or less. This makes it easier for users of the animal excrement treatment material to sense that the animal excrement treatment material contains a plant-derived material and makes it easier to detect excrement stains.

[0230] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure has a post-absorption yellowness index of preferably 36.0 or more, more preferably 37.0 or more, even more preferably 38.0 or more, even more preferably 39.0 or more, and even more preferably 40.0 or more. The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure also has a post-absorption yellowness index of preferably less than 45.0, more preferably 44.5 or less, even more preferably 44.0 or less, even more preferably 43.5 or less, and even more preferably 43.0 or less. This makes it easier for users of the animal excrement treatment material to know when it is time to replace the animal excrement treatment material.

[0231] In this specification, yellowness (initial yellowness or yellowness after liquid absorption) is measured as follows. [Method for measuring yellowness] (1) An animal excrement treatment material (an unused animal excrement treatment material or an animal excrement treatment material after a liquid absorption test) is left to stand for 24 hours in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH. (2) After standing for 24 hours, the yellowness of the animal excrement treatment material sample is measured using a colorimeter (Color meter ZE6000 model, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.) using the following method. (2-1) A sample stage with an opening (measuring diameter: 6 mm) is placed on the reflection sample stage of the colorimeter. (2-2) Samples of the animal excrement treatment material are arranged on the sample stage so that no gaps are left in the opening. (2-3) To unify the background color, place the ZERO BOX attached to the colorimeter on top of the sample on the sample stage. (2-4) Measure the YI (D1925) of the animal waste treatment material sample in reflectance measurement mode. (3) Measure the YI (D1925) 10 times for different samples, and use the average value as the initial yellowness index for unused animal waste treatment materials, and as the post-absorption yellowness index for animal waste treatment materials after a liquid absorption test.

[0232] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure preferably has a viscosity of 18.0 mm in a blue dye drop test. 2 Less than or equal to 13.0 mm, more preferably 2 or less, more preferably 11.0 mm 2 Less than or equal to, and even more preferably, 9.0 mm 2 The area of ​​the water droplet trace is as follows: The lower limit of the area of ​​the water droplet trace is not particularly limited, but for example, 1.0 mm 2 Examples include:

[0233] In conventional animal excrement treatment materials, after the particles adsorb odorous substances generated from excrement such as urine, the adsorbed odorous substances are gradually released from the particles, which may cause an unpleasant odor. Furthermore, conventional animal excrement treatment materials may also cause an unpleasant odor of ammonia, which is generated when urine remaining on the particle surfaces evaporates.

[0234] Since the animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure has a water droplet mark area in the blue dye drop test described above, the particles constituting the animal waste treatment material have a small absorption area for absorbing urine, which allows urine to easily pass between the particles without being absorbed by the particles. As a result, the animal waste treatment material is less likely to retain urine on the particle surfaces and less likely to generate ammonia due to the decomposition of urea contained in urine.

[0235] In this specification, the blue dye drop test for measuring the area of ​​a water droplet mark is carried out as follows. [Blue Dye Drop Test] (1) The animal excrement treatment material is left to stand for 24 hours in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at a temperature of 25°C ± 5°C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5% RH. (1) In the constant temperature and humidity chamber, 5 μL of blue dye (Katsuraya Fine Goods Co., Ltd., Miyako Dye Washi Zome Color Blue) is measured using a micropipette and dropped onto a particle sample to be measured. (2) 30 seconds after the drop, the water droplets on the particle are absorbed over a period of 3 seconds using filter paper manufactured by ADVANTEC. (3) The size of the water droplet mark remaining on the particle surface is measured. At this time, the water droplet mark is considered to be elliptical, and the lengths of the points corresponding to the major axis (mm) and minor axis (mm) are measured. (4) The area of ​​the water droplet mark (mm) is then calculated using the following formula: 2 Area of ​​water drop mark = (long diameter / 2) x (short diameter / 2) x 3.14

[0236] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure may further contain additional components within a range that does not impair the effects of the present disclosure, such as fragrances, activated carbon, deodorizing base materials such as organic acids, colorants, surfactants, and chelating agents.

[0237] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure can have any shape, for example, a generally cylindrical shape, such as a generally cylindrical shape. Note that a generally cylindrical shape refers to a cylindrical shape whose two ends (near the two bottom surfaces) are irregular, and a generally cylindrical shape refers to a cylindrical shape whose two ends (near the two bottom surfaces) are irregular. When the animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure is a generally cylindrical shape, it preferably has a diameter of 2.0 to 7.0 mm and a height of 5.0 to 20.0 mm.

[0238] The animal waste treatment material according to the present disclosure can be distributed as a standalone animal waste treatment material, can be distributed in combination with an animal waste treatment material and a pet sheet, or can be distributed as a toilet kit including an animal waste treatment material, a pet sheet, and a system toilet.

[0239] The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure can be manufactured by methods known in the art. The animal excrement treatment material according to the present disclosure can be manufactured, for example, by kneading the components constituting the animal excrement treatment material (e.g., plant-derived materials, binder resins, optional water repellents, optional starches, etc.) in a kneader to form a kneaded mixture, granulating the kneaded mixture by extrusion molding using an extruder to form granules, and then cutting the granules. Examples of the kneader include a paddle feeder manufactured by Miike Iron Works Co., Ltd. Examples of the extruder include a disc pelletizer manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd. and a pellet mill SPM-500 manufactured by Miike Iron Works Co., Ltd. The granulation is preferably carried out in an atmosphere of 70 to 100°C.

[0240] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. [Production Example 1] 95.3% by mass of wood flour (ground European red pine, passed through a 2 mm mesh screen) as a plant-derived material, 1.8% by mass (EVA 1.0% by mass) of a 55% by mass aqueous dispersion of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) (Celvolit 1397, manufactured by Celanese) as a binding resin, 1.0% by mass of paraffin wax (Paraffin Wax-135, manufactured by Nippon Seiro Co., Ltd.) as a water repellent, and 2.7% by mass of corn starch (Y-3P, industrial corn starch, manufactured by Nippon Corn Starch Co., Ltd.) as a starch were kneaded at room temperature using a paddle feeder manufactured by Oike Iron Works Co., Ltd. to obtain Kneaded Product No. 1. The mixture was granulated using Dalton Co., Ltd.'s F-5 / 11-175D granulator, and the granulated material was then cut to obtain Animal Excrement Treatment Material No. 1. The temperature during granulation was approximately 50 to 80°C. Animal excrement treatment material No. 1 had a roughly cylindrical shape.

[0241] [Production Examples 2 to 11] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 2 to No. 11 were obtained in the same manner as in Production Example 1, except that the ratios of wood flour, EVA, paraffin, and cornstarch were changed as shown in Table 1. In Table 1, the numbers related to EVA indicate the amount of EVA itself. [Production Examples 12 to 21] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 12 to No. 21 were obtained in the same manner as in Production Example 1, except that the ratios of wood flour, EVA, paraffin, cornstarch, and optional calcium carbonate (NS#2300, manufactured by Nitto Funka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) were changed as shown in Table 2. In Table 2, the numbers related to EVA indicate the amount of EVA itself.

[0242] [Example 1] The expansion rate (diameter before and after water absorption), retention rate, water absorption rate, disintegration rate after water absorption, strength ratio (strength before and after water absorption), bulk specific gravity, rewet amount, area of ​​water droplet mark in a blue dye dropping test, initial yellowness index, yellowness index after water absorption, and yellowness index ratio were measured for animal excrement treatment materials No. 1 to No. 21. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0243]

[0244]

[0245] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 12 to No. 21 are examples that imitate animal excrement treatment materials known in patent documents and the like.

[0246] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 1 to No. 3 and No. 5 to No. 10 have expansion rates of 7.0% or less, while animal excrement treatment materials No. 4 and No. 11 to No. 21 (excluding No. 15 and No. 17 to No. 19, which collapsed) have high expansion rates.

[0247] Animal waste treatment materials No. 13 and No. 14 had low bulk density. Animal waste treatment material No. 14, in particular, had a low bulk density despite containing 5% by mass of calcium carbonate, which has a high specific gravity. This is thought to be due to the high EVA content, which makes it difficult to apply pressure to the kneaded mixture during granulation, resulting in many voids in the resulting animal waste treatment materials. This is thought to be due to the low expansion rate and water absorption rate of animal waste treatment materials No. 13 and No. 14. Furthermore, the large amount of voids in animal waste treatment materials No. 13 and No. 14 suggests that the strength of the animal waste treatment materials themselves is low despite their high EVA content. Animal waste treatment materials No. 15, No. 17 to No. 18 had low bulk density. Animal excrement treatment material No. 19 disintegrated when immersed in deionized water for 1 hour, making it impossible to obtain some data. Animal excrement treatment material No. 19 also disintegrated during the liquid absorption test, making it impossible to measure the yellowness index after absorbing liquid.

[0248] It can be seen that animal excrement treatment materials No. 1 to No. 10 contain a water repellent and a binder resin and have a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less. On the other hand, animal excrement treatment materials No. 11 to No. 21 have a high water absorption rate or, if they have a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less, do not contain a water repellent or a binder resin.

[0249] [Production Example 22] A commercially available animal excrement treatment material (Nyantomo Clean Toilet Deodorizing and Antibacterial Chip, large grains, manufactured by S.T. Corporation) was designated as Animal Excrement Treatment Material No. 22.

[0250] [Example 2] The second water absorption rate was measured for animal excrement treatment materials No. 6, No. 12, and No. 22. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0251]

[0252] [Example 3] A pre-water absorption disintegration test was conducted on animal excrement treatment materials No. 6, No. 11, No. 12, and No. 16. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0253]

[0254] [Production Examples 22 to 25] Animal excrement treatment materials No. 22 to No. 25 were obtained in the same manner as in Production Example 1, except that the ratios of wood flour, EVA, paraffin, and cornstarch were changed as shown in Table 5. In Table 5, the numbers related to EVA indicate the amount of EVA itself.

[0255] [Example 4] The expansion rate (diameter before and after water absorption), retention rate, water absorption rate, disintegration rate after water absorption, strength ratio (strength before and after water absorption), bulk specific gravity, rewet amount, area of ​​water droplet mark in a blue dye dropping test, initial yellowness index, yellowness index after water absorption, and yellowness index ratio were measured for animal excrement treatment materials No. 22 to No. 25. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0256]

[0257] 1 System toilet 3 Animal waste disposal material 5 Upper container 7 Lower container 9 Waste disposal sheet 11 Cover

Claims

1. An animal excrement treatment material comprising a plant-derived material as a main component, a binder resin, and a water repellent.

2. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1, which contains 80.0% by mass or more of the plant-derived material.

3. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, containing 0.5 to 20.0% by mass of the binder resin.

4. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, containing 0.5 to 15.0% by mass of the water repellent agent.

5. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising 0.5 to 10.0% by mass of starch.

6. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which does not contain water-insoluble inorganic substances.

7. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which has a swelling rate of 7.0% or less in a water absorption test.

8. An animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which has a water absorption rate of 66% by mass or less in a water absorption test.

9. An animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which has a post-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.6% by mass or less in a post-water absorption disintegration test.

10. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which has a strength ratio of 27% or more in a strength ratio test.

11. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 10, which has a strength after water absorption of 38 N or more in the strength ratio test.

12. The animal excrement treatment material according to claim 10, which has a strength before water absorption of 90 N or more in the strength ratio test.

13. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 12, which has a bulk specific gravity of 600 g / L or less.

14. An animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which has a pre-water absorption disintegration rate of 0.053% by mass or less in a pre-water absorption disintegration test.

15. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which has a rewet amount of 0.15 g or less in a rewet test.

16. The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 15, having an initial yellowness index of 45.0 or more and 54.0 or less, and a post-liquid absorption yellowness index of 36.0 or more and less than 45.0, and the yellowness index ratio of the post-liquid absorption yellowness index to the initial yellowness index is 0.91 or less.

17. In the blue dye drop test, 18.0 mm 2 The animal excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 16, having the following water droplet trace area:

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