JP2000217683A - Seating for flower arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prolong the lives of plants by constituting a seating for flower arrangement out of a continuous foaming body with a main component of a type of biodegradative plastic and setting the compression break strength of the seating in a state of saturated water content at a specific value or less and its compression initial elastic modulus at a specific value or more. SOLUTION: This seating for flower arrangement is constituted of a continuous foaming body using blowing agents such as dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, azodicarbonamide, p-toluene sulfonyl hydrazine and containing substances produced by microorganisms of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid such as a type of biodegradative plastic and Biopol(R) as main components. Then the compression break strength of such a seating in a state of saturated water content is set at 0.3 MPa or less, and its compression initial elastic modulus is set at 0.5 MPa or more. By this constitution, it is possible to prolong the lives of plants, and such seatings are decomposed in soil not to affect environments adversely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used for supporting and extending the life of plants used in fresh flowers using cut flower plants and the like, western flower arrangements, modern flower art, ornamental fresh flowers for ceremonial occasions, etc. It relates to a pedestal for flower arrangement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In Japan, fresh flowers using cut flower plants and the like have traditionally been actively used in Japan. These flowers are used not only in homes, but also for decorating venues such as ceremonial occasions and pachinko parlors. It is used to decorate stores, restaurants, etc., and entrances to modern architecture buildings. Recently, in addition to such traditional ikebana, western flower arrangements, modern flower arts, and the like have also been actively performed.

[0003] The various acts of aesthetically arranging the cut flowers and other plants described above are referred to as a flower arrangement in this specification, and Kenyama supports and fixes the cut flowers and other plants in the flower arrangement. As the (pedestal), a metal pedestal has been traditionally used, and even now, a metal pedestal is mainly used.

[0004] However, metal pedestals are not convenient because they are expensive and cannot be disposable. Therefore, Kenyama (pedestal) that can be used more easily, artificially, and for a wide range of applications
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-75193 discloses a phenolic resin foam, which is a so-called phenolic foam.

[0005] Such phenolic foam pedestals are so-called disposable and easy to use, but phenol foams cannot be recycled (recycled) and used because they are cross-linked. When this was done, there was a risk of generating bisphenol that was suspected to be an endocrine disruptor. In particular, such disposable products made of phenol foam are undesirable from the viewpoint of environmental protection, which has recently become a problem.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-53564 discloses that
A foam that is biodegradable by adding a biodegradable component to a phenol foam component as a secondary component is disclosed. However, even with such a biologically degradable foam, as long as it contains a phenol component, the problem of endocrine disrupters cannot be solved. On the contrary, by decomposing, the phenol component diffuses into the soil. Is promoted.

It has been widely proposed to apply the biodegradable plastic foam to plant cultivation applications such as nurseries and hydroponic beds. In this case, the biodegradable plastic contains water and nutrients. The purpose is to make the roots grow, and inevitably the required functional characteristics are different from those of the flower arrangement base. Therefore, the biodegradable plastic produced for the above-mentioned plant cultivation use did not have a function of retaining cut flowers and could not be applied to a flower arrangement pedestal.

[0008] One of the characteristics required for the pedestal is the effect of extending the life of fresh flowers, fresh plants, and the like. However, at present, there is no material that sufficiently satisfies this requirement. .

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In view of the above, the present invention can prolong the life of plants, decompose in the soil, and do not adversely affect the environment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flower arrangement pedestal that does not need to be separated and discarded.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides at least one
Composed of open cells composed mainly of various biodegradable plastics, and has a compressive breaking strength of 0.3 MPa in a saturated water-containing state.
A flower arrangement pedestal having a compression initial elastic modulus of 0.5 MPa or more. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The flower arrangement pedestal of the present invention is composed of an open-cell body containing at least one kind of biodegradable plastic as a main component. The biodegradable plastic is not particularly limited. Examples of the biodegradable plastic include polyhydroxybutyrate / valerate such as Biopol (manufactured by Monsanto Japan) and poly-green such as biogreen (manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company).
those produced by microorganisms such as β-hydroxybutyric acid;
Polybutylene succinate such as Cell Green PH (manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Bionole (manufactured by Showa Polymer Co., Ltd.), Lunare SE (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.) and polybutylene succinate / adipate, lacty ( Polylactic acid such as Shimadzu Corporation, Laceia (Mitsui Chemicals), Ecoplay (Cargill Japan), polyvinyl alcohol such as Poval (Kuraray), and ester such as Biostera (Sekisui Plastics) Chemically synthesized products such as amides; starch / synthetic biodegradable plastics such as Matterby (manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry), Nobon (manufactured by Chisso), Cell Green PC-A (manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries),
Cellulose acetate such as Lunare ZT (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.), chitosan / cellulose / starch such as Delon CC (manufactured by Aicello Chemical Co., Ltd.), evercorn (Nippon Cornstarch),
Examples include polysaccharides and the like utilizing natural products such as modified starch such as Eco-Foam (manufactured by Oji Seisakusho). Among these, polylactic acid and polysaccharide are preferable because they are easily available and easily processed. The biodegradable plastics may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The above-mentioned open-cell body has an open-cell structure, and the above-mentioned open-cell structure can be formed by using a foaming agent. The foaming agent is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine (DPT); azodicarbonamide (ADCA);
p-toluenesulfonylhydrazine (TSH);
P'-oxybisbenzenesulfonylhydrazine (OB
SH); sodium bicarbonate; volatile substances such as pentane; water and the like. Among them, those having an open-cell structure by water foaming are preferred from the viewpoint of water absorption and environmental impact. The amount of the foaming agent is 5 to 100 parts by weight of the biodegradable plastic.
15 parts by weight are preferred.

The open cell is preferably a crosslinked open cell. Examples of the cross-linked open-cell body include those obtained by forming cross-links by using a conventionally known cross-linking means on the open-cell body. Examples of the crosslinking means include acetylation crosslinking in polyvinyl alcohol, isocyanate crosslinking and peroxide crosslinking in polyesters, isocyanate crosslinking using phosphoric acid groups of glucose units, phosphoric acid crosslinking, and epichlorohydrin crosslinking.

The above-mentioned open-cell foam preferably contains natural cellulose. The natural fibrous material is not particularly limited, but a cellulosic fibrous material is preferable from the viewpoint of the porosity, water absorption and the like of the open-cell body. The cellulosic cellulose is not particularly limited, for example, wood pulp,
Waste paper pulp, cotton yarn, cotton powder, acetate and the like can be mentioned. The amount of the natural cellulose is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined in consideration of the amounts of other components such as biodegradable plastics and additives, and is usually preferably 5 to 20% by volume. .

The above-mentioned open-cell foam preferably contains an inorganic filler (hereinafter referred to as an inorganic filler) from the viewpoint of controlling mechanical non-destruction and destruction characteristics. The inorganic filler is added to the flower arrangement pedestal so that the stem of the plant can easily come into contact with the pedestal and that the stem of the plant can be fixed and held, that is, brittleness is imparted. The inorganic filler is not particularly limited,
For example, clay, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, zinc oxide and the like can be mentioned. Among these, clay and calcium carbonate are preferred from the viewpoint of environmental protection.
The amount of the inorganic filler is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined in consideration of the amounts of other components such as biodegradable plastics and additives, and is usually preferably from 10 to 100% by volume. .

[0016] In addition to the above-mentioned compounds, the above-mentioned open-celled foam may optionally contain compounds which are usually added to plastics, such as a foaming aid, a foam stabilizer, a surfactant and a colorant. And those excellent in biodegradability are preferred. The foaming aid is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include urea and urea compounds. The foam stabilizer is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include silicone oil.

The pedestal for flower arrangement of the present invention can easily insert stems such as cut flowers, and
It is necessary to exhibit the contradictory functions of being able to prevent shaking or displacement of cut flowers or the like due to vibration or wind and to fix them. Therefore, the pedestal for flower arrangement is limited to a compressive breaking strength of 0.3 MPa or less and a compression initial elastic modulus of 0.5 MPa or more in a saturated water-containing state.
The reason why the compressive breaking strength and the initial compression modulus are limited as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the correlation between the compressive breaking strength and the initial compression modulus of a flower arrangement pedestal according to the present invention in a saturated water-containing state and product performance.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the region A, that is, in the range where the compressive breaking strength in a saturated water-containing state exceeds 0.3 MPa, many cut flowers cannot be inserted into the flower arrangement base. Further, in the region B, that is, in the range where the initial compression modulus in a saturated water-containing state is less than 0.5 MPa, the fixation of cut flowers inserted into the flower arrangement base is insufficient. Therefore, the pedestal for flower arrangement of the present invention has a compressive breaking strength in a saturated water-containing state of 0.3.
MPa or less, and the initial compression modulus is 0.5 MP
a is not less than a (area C + D). Also,
Those having a compressive breaking strength of 0.15 MPa or less and an initial compression modulus of 1.0 MPa or more (region D) are preferable because cut flowers are easy to insert and the inserted cut flowers do not move.

The above-mentioned compressive breaking strength and the above-mentioned initial compression modulus change the combination of factors such as the molecular structure, cross-linked structure, cross-link density, and compounding agents such as fillers related to the rigidity and hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the polymer. Can be adjusted. Further, the compressive fracture strength and the initial compression modulus can be calculated from a compressive stress-strain curve obtained by performing a compression test.

The method for producing the pedestal for flower arrangement is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known method for producing a foam can be used. That is, it can be produced by a method of mixing or kneading the compound, placing the mixture in a mold and heating and foaming in the mold, a method of kneading and extruding, and then foaming by releasing the pressure.

The pedestal for flower arrangement having such a configuration is used for supporting and extending the life of plants used in fresh flowers using cut flowers, etc., western flower arrangements, modern flower arts, ornamental fresh flowers for ceremonial occasions, etc. It is suitably used for The pedestal for flower arrangement of the present invention can be disposed of in the soil together with plants such as fresh flowers by being decomposed by microorganisms and disposed of. In addition, composting is possible without separating from plants such as fresh flowers. Further, the pedestal for flower arrangement does not emit substances that have an adverse effect on the environment, and thus does not cause pollution. The compost is an organic fertilizer made from waste such as kitchen waste.

[0022]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. The unit of the compounding amount shown in Table 1 is "parts by weight".

Example 1 The blends shown in Table 1 were mixed, extruded and foamed using a twin-screw kneading extruder.
An open cell having a size of 100 mm x 50 mm square was cut out to obtain a test piece. For the obtained test pieces, the expansion rate, water absorption, water absorption rate, stem fixation, water retention after standing for 10 days, compressive breaking strength, initial compression modulus, and flower life were evaluated using the following evaluation methods. Was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0024]Evaluation method Foaming ratio  Ratio of volume after foaming to volume before foaming (body after foaming)
(Volume / volume before foaming).Water absorption  Ratio of weight after water absorption to weight before water absorption (weight after water absorption)
/ Weight before absorption) was measured.Water absorption speed  With the 100 mm x 100 mm surface of the obtained test piece facing down
Float on the water in a wet condition and completely wet to the top of the test piece.
The time (sec) required for the measurement was measured.

[0025]Stem fixation  Insert the stem into the obtained test piece, and
The ease of insertion and the fixation of the stem were evaluated according to the following criteria.
Was.Evaluation criteria Easy insertion of stem  ◎ Easy to insert ○ Some resistance when inserting △ Hard to insert × No insert at allStem fixation  ◎ Does not move even when pressed with a finger ○ Slight displacement occurs △ Displacement occurs and shakes × When pressed with a finger, it does not tilt back

[0026]Water retention after standing for 10 days  After measuring the weight of the obtained test piece, how to evaluate the water absorption rate
Thoroughly wet the specimen in the same manner as
With the test piece 100 mm x 100 mm face down,
It was left on the indoor table for 10 days. After 10 days,
Measure the weight of the test piece, and determine the water retention amount relative to the weight before water absorption.
Calculated as the percentage of weight after standing (weight after standing / weight before water absorption)
did.Compression breaking strength and initial compression modulus  The obtained test piece was completed in the same manner as the method for evaluating the water absorption rate.
Fully wet, 35 mm on a side from a completely wet specimen
Cut out cubes and compress them at a compression speed of 10 mm / min.
An experiment was performed to create a compressive stress-strain curve. Compression obtained
Using the stress-strain curve,
Calculate the initial compression modulus and the compressive fracture strength from the stress at fracture.
I did.Flower life  Insert the five carnations that bloomed on the day into the test piece
Measure the average number of days it takes for the petals to start discoloring.
Was.

Examples 2 to 8 Test pieces were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the compounds shown in Table 1 were used. About the obtained test piece, it evaluated using the same evaluation method as Example 1. Table 2 shows the results
It was shown to. FIG. 2 shows a compressive stress-strain curve obtained by the compression test performed in Example 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the stress at fracture was 0.0
6 MPa can be calculated, and this stress corresponds to the compressive breaking strength in the present specification. Further, an initial rise gradient of 1.868 can be calculated from the compressive stress-strain curve, and this gradient corresponds to a compression initial elastic modulus in the present specification.

[0028]

[Table 1]

Comparative Example 1 A test piece was evaluated using the same evaluation method as in Example 1 except that a phenolic resin foam was used as a test piece, and the compression breaking strength and the initial compression modulus were not evaluated. . The results are shown in Table 2.

[0030]

[Table 2]

As shown in Table 2, the test pieces obtained in Examples 2 to 4 have a higher water absorption, water retention, and longer flower life than the test pieces obtained in Example 1. It was excellent. The test piece obtained in Example 5 hardly swelled as compared with the test piece obtained in Example 3, and thus was excellent in stem fixation. The test pieces obtained in Examples 6 and 7 are the same as those in Example 3.
It was excellent in water retention as compared with the test piece obtained in. The test piece obtained in Example 8 was more rigid and more brittle than the test piece obtained in Example 3, and thus was excellent in stem fixation.

Further, the test piece obtained in Example 6 was buried in the soil, left for 3 months, and after the lapse of 3 months, the soil was dug up. As a result, the test piece was completely decomposed. In addition, the test piece obtained in Comparative Example 1 was buried in soil, and left for 3 months.
After 3 months, when the soil was dug up, the test piece was not decomposed at all and remained in its original form.

[0033]

The pedestal for flower arrangement of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, so that it is excellent in water retention and the like, can extend the life of the plant, is decomposed in the soil, and has a bad influence on the environment. Since it does not occur, it can be discarded and composted with plants such as ikebana, and there is no need to separate and discard.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the correlation between the compressive breaking strength and the initial compressive elastic modulus of a flower arrangement pedestal of the present invention in a saturated water-containing state and product performance.

FIG. 2 is a compressive stress-strain curve obtained by a compression test performed in Example 8.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An open-cell foam comprising at least one kind of biodegradable plastic as a main component, a compressive breaking strength in a saturated water-containing state of 0.3 MPa or less, and an initial compression modulus of 0.5 MPa. A flower arrangement pedestal characterized by the above. 2. The flower arrangement base according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable plastic contains a polysaccharide. 3. The flower arrangement pedestal according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable plastic contains polylactic acid. 4. The flower arrangement pedestal according to claim 1, wherein the open-cell foam is a cross-linked open-cell foam. 5. The flower arrangement base according to claim 1, wherein the open-cell body has an open-cell structure by water foaming. 6. The pedestal for flower arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising natural cellulose. 7. The flower arrangement pedestal according to claim 1, further comprising an inorganic filler.