Animal Feed Additive with Sepiolite Coating for Oligoelement Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feed additives containing oligoelements like manganese, zinc, and selenium pose toxicity risks to handlers and the environment due to inhalation and exposure during production, and lack homogeneous distribution within the feed, leading to uneven nutrient delivery to animals.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the mixing of mineral raw material granules with sepiolite granules of specific size ranges, followed by coating with different agents to enhance oligoelement adhesion and distribution, resulting in a safer, more homogeneous animal feed additive with reduced emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If oligoelements are added to animal feed in conventional forms, then nutritional requirements are met, but toxic emissions during handling and production increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a carrier material (such as bentonite, zeolite, or other inert matrices) as an intermediary substance to bind the oligoelements. This carrier acts as a mediator that holds the toxic oligoelements in a stable, low-dust form, preventing their release as inhalable particles during handling while still delivering the required nutritional quantity to animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs coating materials that form protective layers or films around the oligoelement-containing carrier particles. These coatings create a physical barrier that reduces dust generation and toxic emissions during production and handling, while maintaining the oligoelement delivery function.
2Ease of manufacture
If oligoelements are distributed in feed without specialized processing, then production is simple, but homogeneous distribution throughout the feed is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oligoelement delivery system into discrete, pre-formulated additive particles with controlled size and composition. By dividing the oligoelements into many small, uniform carrier-bound particles, the system achieves homogeneous distribution throughout the feed while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes physical parameters such as particle size distribution, surface area-to-volume ratio, and carrier particle morphology to enhance dispersion uniformity. By controlling these parameters during additive formulation, homogeneous oligoelement distribution is achieved without requiring complex processing equipment or procedures.
3Reliability
If conventional feed additives are used, then oligoelement supplementation is provided, but emissions during storage and transport increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the inherent toxicity and dust-generating properties of oligoelements into a beneficial low-emission formulation by binding them to carriers and applying coatings. This transformation maintains the nutritional reliability while converting the harmful dust-emission characteristic into a stable, controlled-release system that reduces environmental emissions during storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite additive structures combining carrier materials, oligoelements, and coating substances into integrated particles. This composite approach ensures reliable nutrient delivery through the carrier-oligoelement complex while the coating layer provides protection against emissions, achieving both reliability and reduced environmental impact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces oligoelement emissions and ensures homogeneous distribution within the feed, providing a standardized nutrient ration to animals while minimizing toxicity risks for handlers and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
improve adhesion of oligoelements to the matrix
Implementation Method 2
spraying the granule mixture with at least one first coating agent
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns an animal feed additive obtainable from a process comprising the following steps: a) providing granules of a mineral raw material; b) mixing said granules of mineral raw material with sepiolite granules, obtaining a granule mixture; c) spraying the granule mixture with at least one first coating agent; d) adding a compound selected from salts or oxides of at least one oligoelement and obtaining a granule mixture comprising at least one oligoelement; and e) spraying the granule mixture comprising at least one oligoelement with at least one second coating agent and obtaining the feed additive, wherein said at least one second coating agent is different from said at least one first coating agent, and said sepiolite comprises up to 5% by weight, with respect to its total weight, of granules having a size greater than 0.60 mm and up to 8% by weight, with respect to its total weight, of granules having a size smaller than 0.125 mm.