Starch-Bound Paper Roll Tube That Resists Crushing Yet Flushes Away
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardboard tubes used in sanitary and domestic roll products, such as toilet paper, are not biodegradable and can clog wastewater systems when disposed of, as they disintegrate slowly in water, forming plugs.
Innovation Solution
A paper sheet with a grammage of 80-400 g/m2, formed by bonding paper fibers with a water-soluble starch binder, allowing the tube to disintegrate in water within 10-40 seconds, while maintaining crush resistance comparable to cardboard, is used to create a roll tube that can be easily flushed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional cardboard is used for the roll tube, then the tube provides sufficient mechanical strength and crush resistance, but it does not disintegrate rapidly in water and can form plugs in wastewater systems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the tube material by incorporating water-soluble polymers (polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, or starch) in specific quantities (5-50% by weight) into the cardboard structure. This parameter change enables the tube to disintegrate rapidly in water (within seconds to minutes) while maintaining adequate mechanical strength for its function as a roll support.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system combining traditional cardboard fibers with water-soluble polymers. This composite structure allows the tube to exhibit both the mechanical properties of cardboard (crush resistance, structural integrity) and the water-solubility characteristics of the polymer components, enabling rapid disintegration in wastewater without forming plugs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the tube is made to disintegrate rapidly in water, then it can be flushed easily without forming plugs, but it may lose structural integrity and crush resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the concentration of water-soluble polymers within specific ranges (5-50% by weight) to achieve the desired balance. At these controlled concentrations, the polymers provide sufficient water-solubility for rapid disintegration while the remaining cardboard matrix (50-95% by weight) maintains the necessary structural integrity and crush resistance for the tube's mechanical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The water-soluble polymer components are distributed throughout the cardboard structure, creating local water-soluble pathways that enable rapid disintegration when exposed to water, while the overall composite structure retains the mechanical strength characteristics of cardboard for supporting the roll and withstanding crushing forces during normal use.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If starch binder content is increased to improve water solubility, then the tube disintegrates faster in water, but the dry strength of the paper sheet may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention carefully controls the starch binder content within the specific range of 30-70% by weight in the paper sheet structure. This parameter optimization ensures that sufficient starch is present to provide water-solubility and enable rapid disintegration (10-40 seconds), while the remaining paper fibers (30-70% by weight) maintain adequate dry strength for the tube's mechanical functions during manufacturing and handling.
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 enables a roll tube that disintegrates rapidly in water, preventing clogging and maintaining structural integrity, while being environmentally friendly and cost-effective, similar to traditional cardboard tubes.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble binder comprising starch, the amount of the binder in the sheet being between 30 and 70%
Data Source
AI summary
A water degradable paper sheet has a basis weight of 80 to 400 g/m2 and is dry-formed from paper fibers bound together by a water-soluble binder including starch, the amount of binder in the sheet being 30 to 70%. Additionally, a tube is formed by a cylinder having a wall that includes at least one dry-formed paper sheet including paper fibers bound together by a water-soluble binder.