Water-Disintegrable Fibrous Core With Starch for Toilet Roll Drains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardboard cores used in toilet paper rolls disintegrate slowly in water, leading to clogging issues in toilet drains and are not environmentally friendly for disposal.
Innovation Solution
A fibrous sheet with a basis weight of 20-1000 g/m2, containing 10-70% starch, is developed to disintegrate in water within 15 seconds, maintaining mechanical strength comparable to cardboard, and is manufactured using processes that incorporate water-insoluble or water-soluble starch, ensuring rapid disintegration and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional cardboard cores are used, then mechanical strength is maintained, but disintegration time in water is excessive causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The core is made from a composite material consisting of fibrous material (paper or cardboard) combined with starch binder. This composite structure allows the core to maintain mechanical strength when dry while enabling rapid disintegration when exposed to water, as the starch binder dissolves and releases the fibrous material. The patent specifies using 5-20% starch by weight in the composite material to achieve the desired balance between strength and disintegration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the starch content (5-20% by weight) and the type of starch used to adjust the disintegration time to under 50 seconds while maintaining adequate mechanical strength. The fibrous material is also treated or selected to have specific properties that enhance water absorption and disintegration rate without compromising structural integrity during use.
2Duration of action of moving object
If starch is added to reduce disintegration time, then disintegration speed increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges the starch mixing step with the existing pulp preparation process. The starch is simply mixed with the fibrous material in the pulp slurry before forming the core, eliminating the need for separate coating or binding operations. This integration maintains simplicity while achieving rapid disintegration through the starch-fibre composite structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fibrous material with rapid disintegration is used, then environmental friendliness improves, but mechanical strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite of fibrous material and starch creates a material that is environmentally friendly as it fully biodegrades and dissolves in water without leaving harmful residues. The starch component acts as a temporary binder that provides structural support during manufacturing and use, then completely breaks down in water, releasing the fibrous material which also biodegrades naturally.
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 fibrous sheet core disintegrates quickly in water, preventing clogging and is environmentally friendly, with disintegration times under 15 seconds and residual wet strength less than 1%, meeting the requirements for rapid discharge and recyclability.
Implementation Method 1
drying the fibrous sheet containing the starch at a temperature high enough to gelatinize at least some of the starch
Data Source
AI summary
A fibrous sheet having a basis weight of between 20 and 1000 g/m2 that disintegrates in water, has 10% to 70% starch on the basis of the total weight of the dry fibrous sheet. The disintegration time in water, measured in accordance with standard NF Q34-020 applied to a specimen of the sheet of 9×8 cm2, is less than 50 seconds. A loss of strength of the sheet measured in accordance with a defined table test corresponds to a loss of strength of a specimen of said sheet forming an angle of at least 85° after having being wetted with water for a duration of 6 seconds, and/or a residual wet strength of the sheet relative to its dry strength, as measured according to a defined ring crush test, is less than 1%. The fibrous sheet may be used for the manufacture of a water disintegrable core in a roll of tissue paper.