Excrement-treating material and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

The present invention provides: an excrement-treating material having granules on the surfaces of which urine hardly remains; and a method for manufacturing the same. The excrement-treating material comprises a plurality of granules 10 for treating excrement. Each granule 10 includes a granular core section 12 and a coating section 14. The core section 12 is hydrophobic. The coating section 14 covers the core section 12. The coating section 14 is water-absorbent.

Description

Excrement treatment material and its manufacturing method

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

[0002] An example of a conventional excrement treatment material is described in Patent Document 1. The excrement treatment material described in this document is composed of a plurality of hydrophobic (water-repellent) granules and is laid in a pet toilet. This pet toilet is divided into an upper space and a lower space by a mesh sheet that allows urine to pass through. The hydrophobic granules are disposed in the upper space. A liquid-absorbent sheet is disposed in the lower space. When a pet urinates, the urine passes through the gaps between the hydrophobic granules and reaches the lower space through the mesh sheet. The urine that reaches the lower space is absorbed by the liquid-absorbent sheet.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-110700

[0004] In this way, the hydrophobic granules guide urine downwards in the toilet, thereby preventing the leakage of bad odors from the urine outside the toilet. However, when urine adheres to the hydrophobic granules, the urine tends to remain on the surface of the granules. The urine remaining on the surface of the granules causes the bad odor from the urine to leak outside the toilet.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide an excrement treating material in which urine is less likely to remain on the surface of the granular material, and a method for producing the same.

[0006] The excrement treatment material according to the present invention is an excrement treatment material consisting of a plurality of granular bodies, each of which includes a hydrophobic granular core and a water-absorbent covering that covers the core.

[0007] This excrement treatment material is provided with a plurality of granules. Each granule includes a hydrophobic core and a water-absorbent coating. By providing such a water-absorbent coating, urine adhering to the surface of the granules is absorbed by the coating, making it less likely for urine to remain on the surface.

[0008] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing excrement treatment material according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing excrement treatment material consisting of a plurality of granular bodies, and includes a granular body forming step for forming the plurality of granular bodies, and the granular body forming step is characterized in that it includes a core forming step for forming a granular core having hydrophobicity, and a coating forming step for forming a coating having water absorption and covering the core.

[0009] In this manufacturing method, a plurality of granules are formed. Each granule includes a hydrophobic core and a water-absorbent coating. By providing such a water-absorbent coating, urine adhering to the surface of the granules is absorbed by the coating in the manufactured excrement treatment material, making it less likely for urine to remain on the surface.

[0010] According to the present invention, an excrement treating material in which urine is less likely to remain on the surface of the granular material, and a method for producing the same are realized.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an excrement treating material according to the present invention.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of an excrement treatment material according to the present invention. The excrement treatment material 1 is an excrement treatment material used to treat excrement (mainly urine). The excrement treatment material 1 may be an animal excrement treatment material used to treat excrement from animals such as cats and dogs, or a human excrement treatment material used to treat human excrement.

[0014] The excrement treatment material 1 is made up of a plurality of granules 10 for treating excrement. The excrement treatment material 1 is used, for example, in a system toilet comprising a box-shaped main body for receiving excreted urine and a partition that divides the interior space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space. The partition has through-holes that allow urine to pass through. In this case, the excrement treatment material 1 is used with the plurality of granules 10 laid directly on the partition.

[0015] Each granule 10 is hydrophobic. That is, the granule 10 has the property of not absorbing liquids such as urine at all, or absorbing very little if any. For a granule 10 to be considered hydrophobic, it must have a liquid passage rate of 60% or more, as measured by the following test. First, 50 g of the granule 10 (sample) is placed on a sieve with an inner diameter of 10 cm and a mesh size of 1 mm. An empty beaker is placed below the sieve. Then, 30 ml of water is dripped onto the sample over 10 seconds using a syringe (Terumo 60 ml syringe) with an outer barrel inner diameter of 3 cm and a tip inner diameter of 4 mm. After leaving it for 1 minute, the amount of water in the beaker is measured. The liquid passage rate is the ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water dripped (30 ml). That is, if the amount of water in the beaker is 18 ml or more, the liquid passage rate of the granule 10 is 60% or more, and the granule 10 can be said to be hydrophobic.

[0016] Each granule 10 is granular. Examples of the granular shape include a sphere, a cylinder, and an ellipsoid. The particle diameter of each granule 10 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Here, the particle diameter of a granule 10 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granule 10. Preferably, each granule 10 is made primarily of an organic material. Here, the "main material" of the granule 10 refers to the material that, among one or more materials constituting the granule 10, accounts for the largest weight percentage of the granule 10. Each granule 10 may be made solely of an organic material, or may be made of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing granules 10. Each granule 10 includes a core 12 and a coating 14. The core 12 is a granular granule. The core 12 is hydrophobic. That is, when the core 12 (exposed core 12 without being covered by the coating 14) is used instead of the granules 10 in the above-described test, the liquid permeability is 60% or more. The liquid permeability of the core 12 is preferably 80% or more. The core 12 is primarily made of an organic material. Here, the primary material of the core 12 refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the core 12 among one or more materials (core materials) constituting the core 12. Examples of such organic materials include paper, plants, plastics, and organic sludge.

[0018] Papers refer to materials primarily composed of pulp. Examples of papers that can be used include ordinary paper (paper dust), photographic paper, release paper, fluff pulp, paper derived from PVC wallpaper (paper generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), paper derived from gypsum board (paper generated during the production or classification of gypsum board), and paper derived from sanitary products (paper generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing paper). Examples of sanitary products containing paper include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary paper (tissue paper, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). Examples of plants that can be used include wood flour, sawdust, or plant residues (tea leaves, soybean curd refuse, etc.). Examples of plastics that can be used include ordinary plastics, aluminum-deposited film, plastic derived from PVC wallpaper (plastic generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), and plastic derived from sanitary products (plastic generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing plastic). Examples of sanitary products containing plastic include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary masks. Examples of organic sludges that can be used include papermaking sludge and pulp sludge. These materials may or may not be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment).

[0019] The core 12 may contain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or salt (sodium chloride). In this case, the weight ratio of baking soda or salt in the core 12 is preferably 5% or more and less than 50%, and more preferably 10% or more and less than 25%.

[0020] The core 12 may or may not contain an adhesive material. Examples of the adhesive material include a water-absorbent polymer, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and dextrin. Examples of the water-absorbent polymer include an acrylic water-absorbent polymer such as sodium polyacrylate.

[0021] The coating 14 covers the core 12. Preferably, the coating 14 covers the entire surface of the core 12. The coating 14 has water absorption properties. The coating 14 is mainly made of a water-absorbent material. Here, the main material of the coating 14 refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the coating 14 among the one or more materials (coating materials) that make up the coating 14. The water-absorbent material is preferably an organic substance. As the organic water-absorbent material, for example, the organic substances mentioned above that have water absorption properties can be used. The coating 14 does not contain an adhesive material. The weight percentage of the coating 14 in each granule 10 is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 7% or less.

[0022] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the excrement treating material 1 will be described as an embodiment of the method for manufacturing the excrement treating material according to the present invention. This manufacturing method includes a granular material forming step.

[0023] The granule formation process is a process for forming multiple granules 10. The granule formation process includes a core formation process and a coating process. The core formation process is a process for forming multiple cores 12. In the core formation process, a granulation device is used to granulate the core material to form multiple granules that will become the cores 12. An extrusion granulator, for example, can be used as the granulation device. The granules may be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment, if necessary. The hydrophobic treatment can be performed, for example, by coating the surface of the granules with a hydrophobic agent (water repellent). If hydrophobic treatment is not performed, it is preferable to minimize the formation of voids on the surface or inside of the granules by increasing the pressure applied to the core material during granulation. This is because such voids can serve as a path for liquids such as urine to penetrate into the cores 12. Prior to granulation, the core material may be subjected to pretreatment, such as pulverization, kneading, or hydration, as necessary.

[0024] The coating portion forming step is a step of forming the coating portion 14. In the coating portion forming step, a coating device or the like is used to apply a powdery coating material to the surface of each core portion 12, thereby forming the coating portion 14. The coating material can be applied by, for example, scattering or spraying. After that, post-processing such as sieving (sizing) and drying is performed as necessary. In this way, an excrement treatment material 1 consisting of a plurality of granules 10 is obtained.

[0025] The effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a plurality of granules 10 are formed. Each granule 10 includes a hydrophobic core 12 and a water-absorbent coating 14. By providing the water-absorbent coating 14 in this manner, urine adhering to the surface of the granules 10 is absorbed by the coating 14, making it less likely for urine to remain on the surface. Therefore, an excrement treatment material 1 in which urine is less likely to remain on the surface of the granules 10, and a method for manufacturing the same, have been realized.

[0026] Furthermore, since the core 12 has hydrophobic properties, it is possible to prevent urine from penetrating into the core 12. This ensures the hydrophobic properties of the granules 10 as a whole.

[0027] A smaller proportion of the coating portion 14 is advantageous for increasing the hydrophobicity (liquid permeability) of the granules 10 as a whole. From this perspective, the weight proportion of the coating portion 14 in each granule 10 is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 7% or less. On the other hand, if the proportion of the coating portion 14 is too small, urine adhering to the surface of the granules 10 may not be sufficiently absorbed. From this perspective, the weight proportion is preferably 3% or more.

[0028] When the core 12 contains sodium bicarbonate, the hydrophobicity of the core 12 and therefore the entire granules 10 can be increased. This is because the sodium bicarbonate containing moisture during granulation of the core 12 functions as a solidifying agent, making it less likely that voids will form in the granules.

[0029] Increasing the proportion of baking soda is advantageous for fully utilizing its function as a solidifying agent. From this perspective, the weight proportion of baking soda in the core 12 is preferably 5% or more, more preferably 10% or more. On the other hand, if the proportion of baking soda is too high, problems such as excess baking soda clogging the through-holes of the die during extrusion granulation may occur. From this perspective, the weight proportion of baking soda is preferably less than 50%, more preferably less than 25%.

[0030] When the core 12 contains salt, the hydrophobicity of the core 12 and therefore the entire granules 10 can be increased. This is because the salt containing moisture functions as a solidifying agent during granulation of the core 12, making it less likely that voids will form in the granules.

[0031] Increasing the proportion of salt is advantageous for fully utilizing its function as a solidifying agent. From this perspective, the weight percentage of salt in the core 12 is preferably 5% or more, and more preferably 10% or more. On the other hand, if the salt proportion is too high, problems such as excess salt clogging the through-holes of the die during extrusion granulation may occur. From this perspective, the weight percentage of salt is preferably less than 50%, and more preferably less than 25%.

[0032] When the coating 14 covers the entire surface of the core 12, the entire surface of the granules 10 can be made water-absorbent. In other words, it is possible to prevent the surface of the granules 10 from having hydrophobic portions. Therefore, no matter where urine adheres to the surface of the granules 10, the urine can be reliably absorbed.

[0033] The coating portion 14 does not contain an adhesive material. This can reduce the stickiness of the surface of the granules 10. This makes it difficult for the granules 10 to stick to the paws of an animal while it is defecating. There is a problem in that the granules 10 that stick to the animal's paws end up scattering outside the litter box after excretion. By reducing the stickiness of the surface of the granules 10, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of such a problem.

[0034] When each granular body 10 is made primarily of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granular bodies 10 that are suitable for incineration. This contributes to the convenience of disposing of used granular bodies 10. In particular, when each granular body 10 is made solely of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granular bodies 10 that are even more suitable for incineration.

[0035] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 excrement treatment material 10 granular material 12 core 14 coating

Claims

1. An excrement treatment material comprising a plurality of granular bodies, each of which comprises a hydrophobic granular core and a water-absorbent covering that covers the core.

2. An excrement treatment material according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the coating portion to each of the granules is 10% or less.

3. An excrement treatment material according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of the covering portion is 7% or less.

4. An excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the core contains sodium bicarbonate.

5. The excrement treatment material according to claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of the sodium bicarbonate in the core is 5% or more and less than 50%.

6. An excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the core contains salt.

7. The excrement treatment material according to claim 6, wherein the weight ratio of the salt in the core is 5% or more and less than 50%.

8. An excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the covering portion covers the entire surface of the core portion.

9. An excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the covering portion does not contain an adhesive material.

10. An excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of said granular bodies is made primarily of organic matter.

11. An excrement treatment material according to claim 10, wherein each of said granular bodies is made of organic matter only.

12. A method for producing an excrement treatment material consisting of a plurality of granules, comprising a granule forming step of forming the plurality of granules, the granule forming step comprising: a core forming step of forming a hydrophobic granular core; and a coating forming step of forming a water-absorbent coating that covers the core.

13. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material as described in claim 12, wherein in the coating portion forming step, the coating portion is formed so that the weight ratio of the coating portion to each granular body is 10% or less.

14. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to claim 13, wherein in the covering portion forming step, the covering portion is formed so that the weight ratio of the covering portion is 7% or less.

15. A method for producing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein in the core forming step, the core is formed to contain sodium bicarbonate.

16. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material as described in claim 15, wherein in the core forming step, the core is formed so that the weight ratio of the sodium bicarbonate in the core is 5% or more but less than 50%.

17. A method for producing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein in the core forming step, the core is formed to contain salt.

18. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material as described in claim 17, wherein in the core forming step, the core is formed so that the weight ratio of the salt in the core is 5% or more and less than 50%.

19. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein in the covering portion forming step, the covering portion is formed so as to cover the entire surface of the core portion.

20. A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein in the covering portion forming step, the covering portion is formed without containing an adhesive material.

21. A method for producing an excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein in the granular material forming step, the plurality of granular materials are formed, the main material of which is an organic substance.

22. A method for producing an excrement treatment material as set forth in claim 21, wherein in the granular material forming step, the plurality of granular materials are formed which consist only of organic matter.

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