JP2006097187A - Method for producing fiber molded product and plant cultivation material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a fiber molded product by which the fiber molded product by molding, etc., can be homogenized to prevent production of the fiber molded product with low mechanical strength resulting in a high product yield and a mixture scarcely sticks to a metal mold, etc., with excellent operation efficiency due to good mold release properties, excellent flexibility due to moldability into various kinds of shapes and further excellent productivity due to a drying time that can be shortened when the mixture is molded, etc., because a fibrous material can uniformly be mixed with a gel-like material of glucomannan by mixing water in an amount necessary and sufficient for gelation of the glucomannan, producing the gel-like material and mixing the gel-like material with the fibrous material. <P>SOLUTION: The method for producing the fiber molded product comprises the following steps; a gel-like material producing step of mixing the glucomannan with a basic curing agent and water and providing the gel-like material; a mixing step of mixing the gel-like material with the fibrous material and providing the mixture; a molding step of molding the resultant mixture into a prescribed shape and affording the molded product; and a drying step of drying the molded product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a fiber molded body and a plant cultivation material.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fiber molded body such as a particle board, which is suitable as a building material such as a vehicle interior material or a soundproof material, a housing or a soundproof material of a household electric appliance, or a heat insulating material, has been used. Particleboard is a board that is pressure-molded hot using an adhesive with wood chips as the main raw material, and is excellent in heat insulation and soundproofing, etc., but because the wood pieces are bonded with adhesive, Incineration is required when disposing, and there is a problem of lack of energy conservation, and when landfilled, there is a problem of lack of environmental conservation because of poor biodegradability.
Therefore, a fiber molded body having biodegradability, which is mainly composed of plant fibers such as pulp fibers and easily decomposes in soil or compost, has been studied.
As a conventional technique, for example, in (Patent Document 1), “plant fiber such as pulp fiber, thermoplastic resin that can be heat-fused, and agricultural waste such as tea husk and coffee extraction residue in a dry-type fiber method. A fiber structure in which fibers are mixed and heat-treated to fuse the fibers together into a sheet is disclosed.
(Patent Document 2) includes a “mixing and stirring step of mixing and stirring glucomannan, a fibrous body, a basic curing agent, a saccharide, and water to obtain a mixed solution, and a mixed solution obtained in the mixed stirring step. The manufacturing method of the fiber molded object provided with the shaping | molding process which isolate | separates a solution from the above and the drying process which dries the molded object obtained at the said shaping | molding process is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-137631 JP 2004-225230 A

However, the above conventional techniques have the following problems.
(1) Since the technology disclosed in (Patent Document 1) combines plant fibers and agricultural waste using a thermoplastic resin, even if a biodegradable resin is used, it can be used in soil or compost. The degradation rate is slow, and the load on the microorganisms in the soil is large and the environmental conservation is poor. Therefore, it has the subject that it cannot be used as plant cultivation materials, such as a plant cultivation mat.
(2) The technology disclosed in (Patent Document 2) is an invention of a fiber molded body developed by the present inventors, and binds fibrous bodies such as pulp fibers with glucomannan, so that it has excellent moldability and productivity. In addition, the obtained fiber molded body is excellent in biodegradability. The fiber molded body of the present invention is excellent in moldability because a large amount of water can be mixed in the mixing and stirring step to improve the fluidity of the mixed solution used for molding. However, glucomannan has low solubility in water and gels, so if a large amount of water is added in the mixing and stirring process, the molded product will retain a lot of free water, and it takes a long time to dry and is produced. When the molded body is hot-pressed with insufficient dryness and insufficient drying, a large amount of free water held in the molded body rapidly vaporizes and expands to the surface of the fiber molded body. In some cases, swelling occurred and the molded body was damaged.
(3) In order to prevent this, the amount of water in the mixing and stirring step may be reduced to reduce the amount of free water retained in the molded body, but if the amount of water in the mixing and stirring step is reduced, The fluidity of the liquid mixture decreases and the moldability decreases, and the gelation and mixing of glucomannan are performed at the same time, making it difficult to uniformly mix the fibrous material and the gelled glucomannan. The homogeneity of the body was lowered, and glucomannan was unevenly distributed at the contact points between the fibrous bodies, so that the mechanical strength of the fiber molded body was sometimes lowered.

The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and mixes a sufficient amount of water necessary for gelation of glucomannan to produce a gel-like body, and then mixes the gel-like body and the fibrous body. Thus, the fibrous body and the gel body of glucomannan can be mixed uniformly, so that the molded fiber molded body is homogenized to prevent the production of a fiber molded body with low mechanical strength. The product yield is high, and when molding a mixture, it has good releasability, so it is difficult to stick to a mold, etc., and it has excellent workability. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that can shorten the drying time and is excellent in productivity.
In addition, the present invention can effectively use food residues that are generated in large quantities in food factories and most of them are discarded, and is excellent in resource saving, and is decomposed by microorganisms such as sunlight, rain, and soil. An object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivating material that is biodegradable, excellent in environmental conservation, useful for the healthy growth of plants, and also suitable as a medium for rooftop greening because it is lightweight.

In order to solve the above conventional problems, the method for producing a fiber molded body and the plant cultivation material of the present invention have the following configurations.
The method for producing a fiber molded body according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a gel-like body producing step of obtaining a gel-like body by mixing glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water, and the gel-like body. And a mixing step of mixing the fibrous body to obtain a mixture, a molding step of forming the mixture into a predetermined shape to obtain a molded body, and a drying step of drying the molded body. ing.
With this configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water are mixed in the gel-like body production step to obtain a gel-like body, the fibrous body is mixed in the mixing step, and the resulting mixture is formed into a predetermined shape in the molding step. Since it is molded, in the gel-like body production step, a sufficient amount of water necessary for gelation of glucomannan is mixed to produce a gel-like body, and in the mixing step, the gel-like body and the fibrous body are mixed, Since the fibrous body and the gel body of glucomannan can be mixed uniformly, the molded fiber molded body can be homogenized to prevent the production of a fiber molded body with low mechanical strength. .
(2) Since the mixture obtained in the mixing step is a mixture of a gel-like body and a fibrous body, the mixture has plasticity but poor adhesion, so various shapes are formed when the mixture is formed in the molding step. After the gel-like mixture has solidified, it exerts a bonding force between the fibrous bodies by heating, pressurization or humidification, but it is difficult to adhere to other than the fibrous bodies, Good releasability and difficult to stick to molds etc.
(3) Since it has a drying step, it is possible to maintain the shape of the molded body by evaporating the free water held in the gel-like body, and it is necessary and sufficient for the gelation of glucomannan in the gel-like body producing step. Since a gel-like body is produced by mixing an appropriate amount of water, the amount of free water retained in the gel-like body can be reduced, so that the drying time in the drying step can be shortened and the productivity is excellent.

  Here, as a gel-like body production | generation process, what mixes and stirs a predetermined amount of glucomannan, a basic hardening | curing agent, and water in a container is used.

  As the glucomannan, those obtained from konjac potato rhizomes, elephant palm endosperm, orchid bulbs, spruce hemicellulose and the like are used. Of these, konjac mannan contained in konjac potato rhizomes and lily bulbs is preferably used. As konjac mannan, konjac potato grated, dried powder, konjac potato sliced to an appropriate thickness and crushed from sun-dried can be used.

  Basic curing agents include metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, barium carbonate, Metal carbonates such as ammonium hydrogen carbonate or ammonium carbonate, basic amino acids such as L-arginine and L-lysine, amines such as amylamine, diethylamine and 2-aminoethanol, ammonium borate, calcium borate, sodium metaborate, four Any one or more of borate salts such as sodium borate and methylammonium hydrogen tetraborate are used.

  As a mixing process, what mixes a predetermined amount of fibrous bodies with the gel-like body obtained at the gel-like body production | generation process is used.

  Fibrous materials include wood pulp, linter pulp, rag pulp, bamboo pulp, bagasse pulp, kenaf pulp, hemp pulp, straw pulp, plant fibers constituting bast fiber pulp such as mulberry and mitsumata, sawdust, kana waste, etc. C-shaped and L-shaped cross-sections using vegetable fibers such as wood scrap, fruit fibers such as coconut fibers, seed hair fibers such as cotton and kapok, cellulose fibers such as rayon, polyester, nylon and acrylic. Hydrophilic fiber that has increased its specific surface area by increasing the number of atypical shapes and fine pores, etc., and the extraction of tea leaves and coffee after collecting useful materials such as tea, coffee and soy milk at food factories, etc. Any one or more of residues, food residues such as okara, and hulls of beans such as coffee beans, soybeans and red beans are selected and used depending on the application. Among them, plant fibers constituting pulp, plant fibers such as wood waste, seed hair fibers such as cotton and kapok, cellulose fibers such as rayon, food residues such as tea husk, coffee extract residue, okara, etc. Etc. are preferably used. Since these are natural fibers and cellulose fibers, and waste materials are used and can be produced in large quantities, they are easily decomposed by microorganisms in the ground when discarded, and they are extremely excellent in environmental conservation and can be stably supplied easily. is there.

  As the molding step, a product obtained by molding the mixture obtained in the mixing step into a predetermined shape by plastic molding using the plasticity of the mixture to obtain a molded body according to the application. For example, the mixture is extruded from a die using an extruder and molded into a pellet shape, the mixture is molded into a mat shape like a kneaded clay, and filled into a mold as necessary. For example, a material that is pressed into a mat shape or a sheet shape is used.

  As the drying step, a product obtained by heating and drying the molded product obtained in the molding step at a predetermined temperature or evaporating the free water of the molded product to be solidified is used. The molded body can be dried simultaneously with molding using an extruder or the like.

The fiber molded body obtained by drying can be used for various applications depending on the type of the fibrous body and the shape and size of the molded body. For example, as a fibrous body, plant fiber constituting wood pulp, vegetable fiber such as wood waste, fruit fiber such as coconut fiber, tea leaves, coffee extraction residue, food residue such as okara, coffee beans, soybeans, By using a shell of beans such as red beans and the like, it is optimal for a plant cultivation material or the like that becomes a medium for cultivating plants on a rooftop or the like by forming it into a mat or sheet.
Moreover, the optimal fiber molded object can be manufactured as a waste-absorbing material which absorbs excrement, such as a pet, by shape | molding in granular form, such as a pellet form. In this case, it is preferable to use tea husk or okara as the fibrous body. This is because tea husk containing catechin has a deodorizing effect, and okara having a flavonoid effect also has a deodorizing effect. In order to enhance the deodorizing effect, plant extract such as hinoki oil, bamboo vinegar, and wood vinegar can be impregnated. In addition, since the granular fiber molded object, such as a pellet shape containing a tea husk, is easily spoiled by soil fungi, it is also suitable as a fertilizer.
Further, by using okara as a fibrous body and molding it into a pellet or the like, an optimal fiber molded body can be produced as a bait for pets and the like. Okara is rich in plant proteins, crude fibers and other active ingredients and is rich in nutrients, and activates intestinal activities such as pets.

The method for producing a fiber molded body according to claim 2 of the present invention includes a gel-like body producing step of obtaining a gel-like body by mixing glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water, and the gel-like body. A mixing step of mixing the fibrous body to obtain a mixture, and a crushing step of drying and crushing the mixture or crushing the mixture and drying to obtain a crushed product. Have.
With this configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since a gel body is obtained by mixing glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water in the gel body production step, and a fibrous body is mixed in the mixing step, a gel of glucomannan in the gel body production step A gel-like body is produced by mixing a sufficient amount of water necessary for crystallization, and the fibrous body and the gel-like body of glucomannan are uniformly mixed by mixing the gel-like body and the fibrous body in the mixing step. Can be mixed.
(2) Since the mixture obtained in the mixing step is a mixture of a gel-like body and a fibrous body, the mixture has plasticity but poor adhesion, so it is difficult to stick in the crushing step and has excellent workability. .
(3) Since it is dried in the crushing step, it is possible to maintain the shape of the crushed material by evaporating the free water retained in the gel-like body, and further necessary for gelation of glucomannan in the gel-like body producing step Since a gel-like body is produced by mixing a sufficient amount of water, the amount of free water retained in the gel-like body can be reduced, so that the drying time can be shortened and the productivity is excellent.

  Here, since it is the same as that of what was demonstrated in Claim 1 as a gel-like body production | generation process, a mixing process, a glucomannan, a basic hardening | curing agent, and a fibrous body, description is abbreviate | omitted.

As the crushing step, those obtained by drying and crushing the mixture obtained in the mixing step or crushing and drying the mixture to obtain a crushed product are used.
The crushed material can be obtained by using a means for crushing the mixture by cutting, shearing, etc. by rotating a cutter or the like, a means for crushing the mixture by friction, shearing, etc. like a mortar or a stone mortar.
Drying in the pulverization step is performed by heating the mixture or pulverized product at a predetermined temperature and evaporating the free water of the mixture or pulverized product to solidify. In particular, it is preferable that the mixture obtained in the mixing step is dried and then crushed to obtain a crushed product. This is because, since the mixture is dried, the gel is solidified and the adhesiveness is poor, so that it is difficult to stick to a cutter or a mortar used for crushing and is excellent in workability. In addition, when drying a mixture, it is preferable to dry, after dividing a mixture into a suitable magnitude | size. This is to make it easy to evaporate the free water held by the gel-like body and shorten the drying time.

  The fiber molded body obtained by pulverization includes plant fibers that constitute wood pulp, plant fibers such as wood waste, fruit fibers such as coconut fibers, tea leaves, coffee extraction residues, food residues such as okara, By using the hulls of beans such as coffee beans, soybeans, and red beans as fibrous bodies, it is optimal as artificial soil and fertilizer for growing plants. In particular, by using tea leaves or coffee extraction residue, it can be mixed with soil to reduce the odor after fertilizer is applied or used as fertilizer.

Invention of Claim 3 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the fiber compact | molding | casting of Claim 2, Comprising: The gel-like body mixture obtained by mixing the said crushed material and the said gel-like body is a predetermined shape. A gel-like body molding step for obtaining a gel-like body molded body, and a drying step for drying the gel-like body molded body.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the second aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) Since the crushed material is dried, it is excellent in preservability but does not have plasticity. Therefore, by mixing the gel-like body, the gel-like body mixture can be made plastic and molded into various shapes. Excellent formability.

  Here, since the gel-like body molded body, the gel-like body molding step, and the drying step are the same as the molded body, the molding step, and the drying step described in claim 1, the description thereof is omitted.

Invention of Claim 4 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the fiber molded object of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3, Comprising: The said molded object dried by the said drying process, or the said crushed material Or it has the structure provided with the pressure molding process which pressurizes the said gel-like body molded object and shape | molds it in a predetermined shape.
According to this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 3, the following action is obtained.
(1) The compacted body, crushed material, and solidified gel of the gel-like body molded body are bonded and molded by being pressurized, but the molded body is dried and the amount of moisture retained inside is reduced. Since the amount of water held in the molded body etc. is small, it prevents vaporization / expansion suddenly in the pressure molding process and causes the surface of the fiber molded body to swell or break, thereby increasing the product yield. be able to.
(2) Since a molded body or the like is pressurized in the pressure molding step, a fiber molded body having high hardness and mechanical strength can be obtained. In particular, when using a pulverized product that has been finely pulverized, filling the pulverized product into a mold or the like and pressurizing it can easily obtain a fiber molded body according to the shape of the mold or the like, and productivity Excellent flexibility.

Here, as the pressure molding process, one or more kinds of a molded body and a gel-like body molded body are put in a mold such as a mold, or one or more kinds are placed in a mold such as a mold. The crushed material is filled and pressurized at room temperature or hot or while the inside of the mold is decompressed. It is possible to pressurize after moisturizing the interface of the shaped body, the gel-like shaped body, and the crushed material.
Of these, hot-pressure molding in which hot molding is performed is preferable. This is because high mechanical strength can be obtained.
In addition, 90-200 degreeC is used as a heating temperature of hot press molding, and 1-10 MPa is used suitably as a molding pressure. As the heating temperature is lower than 90 ° C. or the molding pressure is lower than 1 MPa, the tendency of the hot-pressed fiber molded body to have lower hardness and lower mechanical strength is observed, and as the heating temperature becomes higher than 200 ° C. Since there is a tendency that the molded body or the like is burnt and becomes brittle and the mechanical strength of the fiber molded body is lowered, neither is preferable. Further, as the molding pressure becomes higher than 10 MPa, the hardness increases, but the flexibility is lost, and the tendency to become brittle is observed.

  The pressure-molded fiber molded body is optimal as a building material such as an interior material or a soundproof material of a vehicle, a housing or soundproof material of a home electric appliance, or a heat insulating material.

Invention of Claim 5 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the fiber molded object of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4, Comprising: In the said gel-like body production | generation process, the structure by which saccharide | sugar was mixed. have.
With this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 4, the following action is obtained.
(1) Since the saccharide is mixed in addition to glucomannan, the basic curing agent, and water in the gel-like body production step, the rate of water incorporation into glucomannan is slowed because the saccharide hydrates. The amount of gelled glucomannan per unit amount of the gel-like body can be increased and homogenized to make the gel-like body tough and improve the surface smoothness.
(2) Since the saccharide dissolved in water covers the fibrous body of the dried fiber molded body, when the flame approaches, the saccharide melts and extinguishes, so the fiber molded body does not spread by burning up the flame. Self-extinguishing can be improved. Moreover, a flame retardance can be improved by using metal carbonates, such as sodium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, etc. as a basic hardening | curing agent.

  Here, as sugars, sugars such as glucose, sucrose, sugar, fructose, invert sugar, sugars such as polysaccharides, wheat starch, rice starch, potato starch, starch such as corn starch, and modified starches such as carboxymethyl starch Any one or more of carboxymethylcellulose and the like are used. Of these, sugars such as glucose, sucrose, sugar, fructose and invert sugar, modified starches such as carboxymethyl starch, carboxymethylcellulose and the like are preferably used. This is because it is soluble in cold water and has excellent workability.

In addition to carbohydrates, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the aqueous solution to 6 to 12, preferably 7 to 12, by adding a pH adjusting agent. This is because the pH of the aqueous solution is not too high and is excellent in safety, and even when carboxymethyl cellulose that decomposes when the acidity becomes strong is used as a saccharide, it is excellent in stability without being decomposed.
As the pH of the aqueous solution becomes smaller than 7, the gelation of glucomannan tends to be inhibited, and the desired mechanical strength tends not to be obtained. As the pH becomes higher than 12, the safety during the work tends to decrease. In particular, when the pH is less than 6, this tendency is remarkable, which is not preferable.
As the pH adjuster, at least one of organic acids such as acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and glycine and salts thereof, and inorganic acids such as boric acid, phosphoric acid and aluminate is used.

Invention of Claim 6 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the fiber molded object of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5, Comprising: The said fibrous body is a tea-shell, coffee extraction residue, okara It has the structure which is any 1 type or more.
With this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 5, the following action is obtained.
(1) Since the fibrous body is at least one of tea husk, coffee extraction residue, and okara, it is possible to effectively utilize food residues that are generated in large quantities in food factories and the majority are discarded. It is excellent in resource saving.
(2) By using tea leaves, coffee extraction residues, and okara food residues as fibrous bodies, they are easily decomposed by microorganisms in the soil and the like, and are excellent in biodegradability and environmental conservation.
(3) Since the tea leaves and the coffee extraction residue have antibacterial properties, deodorizing properties, and hygroscopic properties, these functions can be imparted to the fiber molded body.
(4) By using okara as the fibrous body, it is possible to produce a fiber molded body that can also be used as feed for pet food or the like.

Here, tea leaves include tea leaves for fermented teas such as black tea, tea leaves for semi-fermented teas such as oolong tea and baked tea, tea leaves for post-fermented teas such as puer tea, and tea leaves for non-fermented teas such as green tea. For example, tea leaves after decocting tea are used.
The tea leaves, coffee extraction residue, and okara contain tea or coffee extract, soy milk, etc., and any of those that are moist or dried can be used. In addition, since the dried thing is excellent in preservability and adjustment of a moisture content is easy, it is used suitably.

Invention of Claim 7 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the fiber molded object of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6, Comprising: The said mixture is the said glucomannan 10 weight part, and the said basicity Curing agent 0.05 to 5 parts by weight, preferably 0.1 to 2 parts by weight, 500 to 5000 parts by weight of water, preferably 700 to 4000 parts by weight, and 500 to 20000 parts by weight of fibrous body, preferably 800 to 10,000. And a weight part.
With this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 6, the following action is obtained.
(1) The size and porosity of the fiber molded body can be adjusted depending on the amount of the fibrous body per unit amount, and the bulk density, mechanical strength, soundproofing effect, etc. of the fiber molded body can be adjusted. It can be used and has excellent flexibility.

  Here, the basic curing agent is high in mechanical strength by being 0.05 to 5 parts by weight, preferably 0.1 to 2 parts by weight with respect to 10 parts by weight of glucomannan, depending on the type. In addition, a fiber molded body having little long-term stability such as strength can be obtained. As the basic curing agent becomes less than 0.1 parts by weight, the glucomannan is not sufficiently cured, and the mechanical strength of the fiber molded body after the curing tends to decrease. Although it depends on the above, there is a tendency that carbon dioxide and the like in the atmosphere are absorbed and easily deteriorated due to the reaction of the basic curing agent remaining in the fiber molded body. In particular, when the amount of the basic curing agent is less than 0.05 parts by weight or more than 5 parts by weight, these tendencies become remarkable, so that neither is preferable.

  By setting the water to 500 to 5000 parts by weight, preferably 700 to 4000 parts by weight with respect to 10 parts by weight of glucomannan, a fiber molded body having high mechanical strength and having a fibrous body uniformly dispersed can be obtained. As the amount of water is less than 700 parts by weight, the viscosity of the aqueous solution of glucomannan tends to be high and it becomes difficult to uniformly mix the fibrous body. As the amount exceeds 4000 parts by weight, the gel-like body increases the water content. The tendency to decrease the mechanical strength of the fiber-molded body, the tendency to increase the drying time in the subsequent process and the productivity, and the swelling of the water retained in the gel-like body in the subsequent hot-pressure molding process There is a tendency that things that generate or break are easily generated. In particular, when the amount of water is less than 500 parts by weight or more than 5000 parts by weight, these tendencies become remarkable, which is not preferable.

  Although a fibrous body is based also on the kind, a fiber molded object with high mechanical strength is obtained by setting it as 500-20000 weight part with respect to 10 weight part of glucomannan, Preferably it is 800-10000 weight part. As the fibrous body becomes less than 800 parts by weight, the amount of the fibrous body present as the substrate of the obtained fiber molded body tends to decrease, and the mechanical strength of the fiber molded body tends to decrease, and the amount exceeds 10,000 parts by weight. Accordingly, the amount of glucomannan present at the contact point between the fibrous bodies is small, and the mechanical strength of the fiber molded body tends to decrease. In particular, when the fibrous body is less than 500 parts by weight or more than 20000 parts by weight, these tendencies become remarkable, which is not preferable.

  When a saccharide is mixed in an aqueous solution of glucomannan, the content of the saccharide in the mixture is 9 to 7000 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 200 parts by weight, based on 10 parts by weight of glucomannan. As a result, a fiber molded body having high mechanical strength and high surface smoothness can be obtained. As the amount of saccharide is less than 15 parts by weight, the glucomannan gelation (hydration) becomes insufficient, so the amount of water must be increased, the mechanical strength after curing is reduced, and the surface of the fiber molded body There is a tendency for the smoothness of the fiber to decrease, and as the amount exceeds 200 parts by weight, the mechanical strength and lubricity of the fiber molded body tend to decrease. In particular, when the sugar content is less than 9 parts by weight or more than 7000 parts by weight, these tendencies become remarkable, and thus neither is preferable.

  The weight of glucomannan or fibrous body means the weight after drying.

The plant cultivation material according to claim 8 of the present invention is a plant cultivation material produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the glucomannan coagulated with a basic curing agent and the glucomannan. It has a configuration comprising a tea husk combined with mannan, a coffee extraction residue, and one or more of okara.
With this configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since tea husk, coffee extraction residue, and okara are combined with glucomannan, it is possible to effectively use food residues that are generated in large quantities in food factories and most of them are discarded, saving resources. Excellent in properties.
(2) Glucomannan combined with tea husk, coffee extraction residue and okara has higher shape retention compared to plant cultivated material formed using starch or the like as a binder, and is exposed to sunlight, wind and rain for a long period of time. In addition to being softened, the tea husk and the like are decomposed by microorganisms such as soil, so that the biodegradability is excellent and the environmental conservation is excellent.
(3) Tea husk and okara are useful as a fertilizer for plants, and the coffee extract residue has a repellent effect on pests such as slugs, so it is beneficial for the healthy growth of plants and has water retention and is lightweight. It is also suitably used as a medium for greening.
(4) By laying a sheet or mat on the surface of a field or the like, it is possible to prevent the field or the like from being exposed to sunlight, so that the field or the like is cured while preventing weeds from growing. When cultivating a plant, it can be used as a fertilizer by planting it in soil.

  Here, the glucomannan and the basic curing agent are the same as those described in the first aspect, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Since the tea leaves, coffee extraction residue, and okara are the same as those described in claim 6, the description thereof is omitted.

Invention of Claim 9 of this invention is a plant cultivation material of Claim 8, Comprising: The food residue layer by which the said tea-shell and / or the said okara were couple | bonded with the said glucomannan, The said coffee extraction residue Has a configuration in which the food residue layer and the coffee extract residue layer are laminated.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the eighth aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) Since the coffee extraction residue layer having a repellent action such as slugs and the food residue layer useful as fertilizer are laminated, the one formed into a sheet shape or mat shape, etc. It is possible to cultivate plants while preventing the seedlings of slugs and the like from being devastated by laying them on the surface of a farm or rooftop and sowing or planting the seeds or seedlings of plants on the tea husk layer. it can.

  Here, a plant cultivation material can be manufactured using the manufacturing method of the fiber molded object described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7. For example, a method of hot-pressing a molded body in which tea husk and okara are combined with glucomannan and a molded body in which coffee extraction residue is bonded with glucomannan, a molded body in which tea husk and okara are combined with glucomannan, A method in which a coffee extract residue is bonded to a molded product bonded with glucomannan or pressed and laminated, and a crushed product in which tea husk and okara are combined with glucomannan and a crushed product in which coffee extract residue is combined with glucomannan Can be manufactured by a method in which each crushed material is layered in a mold such as a metal mold and hot pressed.

As described above, according to the method for producing a fiber molded body and the plant cultivation material of the present invention, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
According to the invention of claim 1,
(1) A gel-like body is produced by mixing a sufficient amount of water necessary for gelation of glucomannan in the gel-like body producing step, and the gel-like body and the fibrous body are mixed in the mixing step to produce fibers. Can be uniformly mixed with the gel and the glucomannan gel, so that it is possible to prevent the production of a fiber molded product having low mechanical strength by homogenizing the molded fiber molded product. It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body having a high product yield.
(2) When molding a mixture in the molding process, because it has good releasability, it is difficult to stick to a mold and the like, has excellent workability, and can be molded into various shapes to produce a fiber molded body with excellent flexibility. A method can be provided.
(3) It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that can shorten the drying time in the drying step and is excellent in productivity.

According to invention of Claim 2,
(1) A gel-like body is produced by mixing a sufficient amount of water necessary for gelation of glucomannan in the gel-like body producing step, and the gel-like body and the fibrous body are mixed in the mixing step to produce fibers. It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body capable of uniformly mixing a gel-like body and a glucomannan gel-like body.
(2) It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that is difficult to stick in the crushing step and has excellent workability.
(3) Since the free water retained in the gel-like body can be reduced, the drying time can be shortened and a method for producing a fiber molded body having excellent productivity can be provided.

According to invention of Claim 3, in addition to the effect of Claim 2,
(1) By mixing the gel-like body, the gel-like body mixture can be made plastic, and can be molded into various shapes, and a method for producing a fiber molded body excellent in moldability can be provided.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 3,
(1) The moisture retained in the molded body is prevented from suddenly evaporating and expanding in the pressure molding process and causing the surface of the fiber molded body to swell or break, thereby increasing the product yield. The manufacturing method of the fiber molded object which can be provided can be provided.
(2) It is possible to obtain a fiber molded body having high hardness and high mechanical strength, and it is also possible to easily obtain a fiber molded body according to the shape of a mold or the like, which is excellent in productivity and flexibility. The manufacturing method of can be provided.

According to invention of Claim 5, in addition to the effect of any one of Claims 1 to 4,
(1) Provided is a method for producing a fiber molded body that can increase the amount of gelled glucomannan per unit amount of the gel-like body and homogenize it to make the gel-like body tough and improve the smoothness of the surface. be able to.
(2) It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that can improve self-extinguishing properties without raising the flame and spreading of the fiber molded body.

According to invention of Claim 6, in addition to the effect of any one of Claims 1 to 5,
(1) It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that can effectively utilize food residues that are generated in large quantities at a food factory or the like and are mostly discarded, and is excellent in resource saving.
(2) It is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body which is easily decomposed by microorganisms such as soil and has excellent biodegradability and excellent environmental conservation.
(3) Since the tea husk and coffee extraction residue have antibacterial properties, deodorant properties, and hygroscopic properties, it is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body that can impart these functions to the fiber molded body.
(4) By using okara as the fibrous body, it is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body from which a fiber molded body that can be used as a feed for pet food or the like can be obtained.

According to the invention described in claim 7, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 6,
(1) The size and porosity of the fiber molded body can be adjusted depending on the amount of the fibrous body per unit amount, and the bulk density, mechanical strength, soundproofing effect, etc. of the fiber molded body can be adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to provide a method for producing a fiber molded body having excellent flexibility.

According to the invention described in claim 8,
(1) Because tea leaves and coffee extraction residues are bound by glucomannan, food residues that are generated in large quantities in food factories and mostly discarded can be used effectively, saving resources. An excellent plant cultivation material can be provided.
(2) Glucomannan combined with tea leaves and coffee extraction residues has high shape retention, and is softened by prolonged exposure to sunlight and wind and rain, and tea shells and coffee extraction residues are degraded by microorganisms such as soil. Therefore, the plant cultivation material excellent in biodegradability and excellent in environmental conservation can be provided.
(3) Tea husk and okara are useful as a fertilizer for plants, and the coffee extract residue is effective for healthy growth of plants because it repels pests such as slugs. A plant cultivation material suitable also as a medium for the purpose can be provided.
(4) By laying a sheet or mat on the surface of a field or the like, it is possible to prevent the field or the like from being exposed to sunlight, so that the field or the like is cured while preventing weeds from growing. When cultivating a plant, it is possible to provide a plant cultivation material that can be used as a fertilizer by planting it in soil.

According to the invention described in claim 9, in addition to the effect of claim 8,
(1) By laying a sheet-like or mat-like one on the surface of a farm or rooftop with the coffee extraction residue layer facing down, and planting or planting plant seeds or seedlings in the tea-shell layer It is possible to provide a plant cultivating material that can grow plants while preventing slugs and the like from ruining plant seedlings.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described by way of examples. The present invention is not limited to these examples.
Example 1
30 parts by weight of sugar as a saccharide, 0.3 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide as a basic curing agent, and 0.7 parts by weight of boric acid as a pH adjuster were placed in 2000 parts by weight of water and mixed and stirred. 10 parts by weight of glucomannan was added and mixed to obtain 2041 parts by weight of a gel body of glucomannan (gel body production step).
Next, 5540 parts by weight (1100 parts by weight after drying) of wet tea husk (dehydrated using centrifugal force) was mixed with 2041 parts by weight of this gel-like body (mixing step).
The obtained kneaded clay-like mixture is molded into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped mat having a thickness of about 100 mm to form a molded body (molding process), and the molded body is dried for 2 to 3 hours with a hot air dryer at 100 ° C. A fiber molded body of Example 1 was obtained.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 1 was only dried, the fiber molded body was soft and had water absorption and water retention, and was suitable as a plant cultivation material.

(Example 2)
After 20 parts by weight of sugar as a saccharide, 0.5 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide as a basic curing agent, and 0.5 parts by weight of boric acid as a pH adjuster are mixed and stirred in 2200 parts by weight of water, 10 parts by weight of glucomannan was added and mixed to obtain 2231 parts by weight of a gel body of glucomannan (gel body production step).
Next, 2231 parts by weight of this gel-like body was mixed with 12,000 parts by weight of wet tea husk (dehydrated using centrifugal force) (2380 parts by weight after drying) to obtain a mixture (mixing step).
The obtained mixture was extrusion molded using an extruder to obtain a pellet-shaped molded body having a length of 5 mm and a diameter of 4 mm (molding step).
The molded body was dried with a hot air dryer at 100 ° C. for 2 to 3 hours to obtain a fiber molded body of Example 2.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 2 has deodorizing properties and water absorbency, it was suitable as an excretion absorbing material that absorbs excrement such as pets.

(Example 3)
After mixing and stirring 50 parts by weight of sugar as a saccharide, 0.8 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide as a basic curing agent, and 1.2 parts by weight of citric acid as a pH adjuster in 2500 parts by weight of water Then, 10 parts by weight of glucomannan was added and mixed to obtain 2562 parts by weight of a glucomannan gel-like body (gel-like body production step).
Next, 1025 parts by weight of dried okara was mixed with 2562 parts by weight of this gel-like body to obtain a mixture (mixing step).
The obtained mixture was extruded using an extruder and heated and dried in a molding machine to obtain a pellet-shaped molded body having a length of 5 mm and a diameter of 4 mm (a molding process and a drying process). As described above, a fiber molded body of Example 3 was obtained.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 3 contained edible okara, it was suitable as a feed for pets and the like.

Example 4
20 parts by weight of sugar as a saccharide, 0.3 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide as a basic curing agent, and 0.7 parts by weight of boric acid as a pH adjuster were placed in 2000 parts by weight of water and mixed and stirred. 10 parts by weight of glucomannan was added and mixed to obtain 2031 parts by weight of a glucomannan gel (gel formation process).
Subsequently, 2031 parts by weight of this gel-like body was mixed with 5000 parts by weight of wet tea husk (dehydrated using centrifugal force) (990 parts by weight after drying) to obtain a mixture (mixing step).
The obtained mixture was dried with a hot air dryer at 100 ° C. for 2 to 3 hours, and then crushed using a stone mortar to obtain a crushed product having a length of 5 to 20 mm (pulverization step). As a result, a fiber molded body of Example 4 was obtained.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 4 contained tea shells, it was most suitable as a fertilizer to reduce odor after mixing with soil and spreading fertilizer.

(Example 5)
The crushed material obtained in Example 4 was mixed with the gel material prepared in the same manner as in the gel-like material producing step of Example 1, to prepare a gel-like material mixture. The weight ratio between the crushed material and the gel-like material was 1: 1. The obtained gel-like body mixture was extruded using an extruder to obtain a pellet-like gel-like body compact having a length of 5 mm and a diameter of 4 mm (gel-like body molding step).
This gel-like molded body was dried with a hot air dryer at 100 ° C. for 2 to 3 hours to obtain a fiber molded body of Example 5.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 5 has deodorizing properties and water absorbency, it was suitable as an excretion absorbing material that absorbs excrement such as pets. Moreover, since the plasticity was imparted and molded by mixing the crushed material with a gel-like material, the flexibility was excellent.

(Example 6)
After 35 parts by weight of sugar as a saccharide, 0.3 parts by weight of calcium hydroxide as a basic curing agent, and 0.7 parts by weight of boric acid as a pH adjuster are mixed and stirred in 1500 parts by weight of water, 10 parts by weight of glucomannan was added and mixed to obtain 1546 parts by weight of a gel body of glucomannan (gel body production step).
Next, 1546 parts by weight of this gel-like body was mixed with 5000 parts by weight (1400 parts by weight after drying) of a moist coffee extraction residue (dehydrated using centrifugal force) (mixing step).
The obtained mixture was dried with a hot air dryer at 100 ° C. for 2 to 3 hours, and then crushed using a mixer rotating with a cutter to obtain a crushed product having a size of 2 to 15 mm (pulverization step).
The crushed material was filled in a 20 × 20 cm square mold, the mold was heated to 100 ° C. and pressurized at 3 MPa for 5 to 10 minutes (pressure forming step), Example 6 A flat fiber molded body was obtained.
The fiber molded body of Example 6 is biodegraded because glucomannan combined with the coffee extraction residue is softened by sunlight or wind and rain, and the coffee extraction residue is decomposed by microorganisms such as soil by laying in the field or the like. It is suitable as a plant cultivating material because it is excellent in environmental properties and excellent in environmental conservation, and the coffee extraction residue repels pests such as slugs. Moreover, since the crushed material was dried, the moisture retained by the gel-like body did not expand and did not swell or break during hot-press molding, indicating that the product yield was very high.

(Example 7)
The crushed material containing the coffee extraction residue obtained in Example 6 was first filled in a square-shaped mold having a size of 20 × 20 cm, and the tea cake obtained in Example 4 was added thereto. After filling the crushed material, the mold was heated to 100 ° C. and pressurized at a pressure of 3 MPa for 5 to 10 minutes (pressure molding step) to obtain a flat fiber molded body of Example 7. The fiber molded body of Example 7 is formed by laminating a food residue layer in which tea shells are bound by glucomannan and a coffee extraction residue layer in which coffee extraction residues are bound by glucomannan.
Since the fiber molded body of Example 7 is formed by laminating a coffee extraction residue layer having a repellent effect such as slugs and a food residue layer useful as a fertilizer, the one formed into a sheet shape, mat shape, etc. By laying the extraction residue layer on the bottom surface of the farm, rooftop, etc., and planting seeds and seedlings on the tea husk layer and planting them, while preventing the seedlings of the plant from being devastated by slugs, etc. A plant can be grown, and it was suitable as a plant cultivation material.
In addition, it turned out that it is suitable as a plant cultivation material when the food residue layer was formed using okara instead of the tea husk, and the same fiber molded object was created.

  In addition, using the manufacturing method similar to having described in Examples 1-7, 0.05-5 weight part of basic hardening agents, such as calcium hydroxide, and 500-5000 weight of water with respect to 10 weight part of glucomannans. In the range of 500 to 20000 parts by weight of a fibrous body such as a tea part, a tea husk and a coffee extraction residue, various fiber molded bodies were produced, all of which are excellent in moldability and can shorten the drying time. It was confirmed to be excellent.

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a fiber molded body and a plant cultivated material, and a gel-like body is produced by mixing a sufficient amount of water necessary for gelation of glucomannan, and then the gel-like body and the fibrous body. By mixing, the fibrous body and the gel body of glucomannan can be mixed uniformly, so that a fiber molded body with low mechanical strength can be produced by homogenizing the molded fiber molded body. The product yield is high, and when molding a mixture, etc., it has good releasability, so it is difficult to stick to a mold etc., and it has excellent workability, and it can be molded into various shapes. Excellent, further drying time can be shortened, and a production method of fiber molded products with excellent productivity can be provided, and food residues generated in large quantities at food factories etc. Can save resources, is excellent in resource saving, sunlight, wind and rain Because it is decomposed by moderate microorganisms, it is biodegradable, has excellent environmental conservation, is beneficial for healthy growth of plants, and is light in weight, so it provides a suitable plant cultivation material as a medium for rooftop greening, etc. be able to.

Claims (9)

A gel-like body producing step of obtaining a gel-like body by mixing glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water;
A mixing step of mixing the gel-like body and the fibrous body to obtain a mixture;
A molding step of molding the mixture into a predetermined shape to obtain a molded body;
A drying step of drying the molded body;
A method for producing a fiber molded body, comprising: A gel-like body producing step of obtaining a gel-like body by mixing glucomannan, a basic curing agent, and water;
A mixing step of mixing the gel-like body and the fibrous body to obtain a mixture;
Crushing step of drying and crushing the mixture or crushing the mixture and drying to obtain a crushed product;
A method for producing a fiber molded body, comprising:   A gel-like body forming step for obtaining a gel-like body molded body by forming a gel-like body mixture obtained by mixing the crushed material and the gel-like body into a predetermined shape, and a drying step for drying the gel-like body formed body And a method for producing a fiber molded body according to claim 2.   4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure molding step of pressing the molded body dried in the drying step, or the crushed material or the gel-like body molded body into a predetermined shape. The manufacturing method of the fiber molded object of any one of them.   The method for producing a fiber molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a saccharide is mixed in the gel-like body generating step.   The method for producing a fiber molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fibrous body is at least one of tea husk, coffee extraction residue, and okara.   The mixture contains 10 parts by weight of the glucomannan, 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of the basic curing agent, 500 to 5000 parts by weight of the water, and 500 to 20000 parts by weight of the fibrous body. The method for producing a fiber molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   A plant cultivation material produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the glucomannan coagulated with a basic curing agent, the tea husk combined with the glucomannan, a coffee extraction residue, okara 1 or more of the above, The plant cultivation material characterized by the above-mentioned.   A food residue layer in which the tea leaves and / or the okara are bound by the glucomannan; and a coffee extraction residue layer in which the coffee extraction residue is bound by the glucomannan, the food residue layer and the coffee extraction The plant cultivation material according to claim 8, wherein a residue layer is laminated.