Tea-Based Composite Board from Waste Residues
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Solution Overview
Problem
The tea industry in China generates significant waste, including tea residues and coffee residues, which are often disposed of or burned, leading to environmental pollution and underutilization of valuable resources.
Innovation Solution
A method for preparing a tea-based composite board using a mixture of waste tea residues, tea stems, straw powder, tea pectin cellulose, coffee residues, and other additives, which are processed and molded to create a biodegradable, high-strength material suitable for various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tea residues and coffee residues are disposed of or burned, then waste management is simplified, but environmental pollution increases and valuable resources are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful waste residues (tea stems, coffee residues) into beneficial building materials. The composite board transforms what would be polluting waste into a useful construction product, simultaneously solving waste management and environmental pollution issues while creating economic value.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers valuable components from discarded tea and coffee residues. Instead of disposing of these materials, the process extracts and utilizes their structural and functional properties in composite board manufacturing, turning waste recovery into a productive resource utilization system.
2Strength
If traditional wood products are used, then mechanical strength and durability are ensured, but environmental sustainability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system combining tea residues, coffee residues, and binding agents to achieve wood-like mechanical properties. This composite approach allows the material to attain sufficient strength for building applications while maintaining biodegradability and environmental sustainability that traditional wood lacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of agricultural residues through processing techniques (drying, grinding, mixing with binders) to transform them from weak, decomposable organic matter into a structurally sound building material capable of withstanding mechanical loads.
3Ease of repair
If tea residues are utilized for fertilizers or feeds, then resource recycling is achieved, but the volume of residues continues to increase with growing tea and coffee production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the utilization of tea and coffee residues from low-value applications (fertilizer, animal feed) to high-value construction materials. This dimensional shift in application hierarchy allows much larger volumes of residues to be productively employed in building sectors, significantly reducing the accumulated waste problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional use for agricultural residues by incorporating them into composite boards that can serve various purposes (furniture, construction panels, decorative elements). This universality allows the same waste material to replace multiple different products, maximizing resource utilization efficiency.
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 tea-based composite board exhibits excellent mechanical strength, bacteriostatic properties, and moisture absorption, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional wood products while effectively addressing waste management issues and providing diverse application possibilities.
Implementation Method 1
performing hydro-molding at 50-118° C. to obtain the tea-based composite board
Implementation Method 2
Soaking the tea stems in water at 60-80° C., performing through cleaning
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing tea-based composite board includes steps of: weighing raw materials as below: 60-70 parts of waste tea residues, 20-50 parts of tea stems, 12-30 parts of straw powder, 10-30 parts of tea pectin cellulose, 30-40 parts of coffee residues, 2-5 parts of a compatibilizer, 0.2-1.5 parts of a lubricant, 2-3 parts of a colorant, 0.1-3 parts of an antioxidant, and 0.1-3 parts of a stabilizer; soaking the tea stems in water at 60-80° C., performing through cleaning, drying in the air, and grinding to obtain tea powder with a mesh size of 10-20 meshes; mixing the waste tea residues, the tea powder, the straw powder, the tea pectin cellulose, the coffee residues, the compatibilizer, and the lubricant at 120-150° C. for 20-30 minutes; and lowering the temperature to 50-60° C., further adding and mixing colorant, antioxidant and stabilizer, and performing hydro-molding at 50-118° C. to obtain the tea-based composite board.