JP2010252783A - Wood pellets and method of manufacturing them, and pet litter box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the deodorant effect of wood pellets A used for a pet litter box T or the like. <P>SOLUTION: Rather than a crushed wood portion of a needle tree alone, the crushed wood portion is mixed with crushed branch and leaf portions of the needle tree. The mixture is molded into pellets A by pelletizers B1 and B2 so that they may collapse by themselves by absorbing moisture. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wood pellet having an antibacterial effect and a deodorizing effect, a manufacturing method thereof, and a toilet for pet animals for deodorizing excrement of pet animals using the pellet.

  Conventionally, animal excrement processing materials such as cat sand have been used for processing excrement of pets such as cats and small animals. As this animal excrement disposal material, granulated and solidified materials such as bentonite, zeolite and other mineral substances and plant fiber substances such as pulp as main raw materials, and sand and other granular materials are used.

  Of these, animal excrement disposal materials mainly made of mineral substances are non-combustible, and can only be handled as non-combustible waste in ordinary households. Moreover, although the excrement disposal material for animals which uses a plant fiber substance as a main raw material can be processed as a combustible waste, there exists a difficulty that it is costly and wastes resources.

  In addition, since mineral substances and plant fiber substances do not have antibacterial and deodorant capabilities themselves, they must be separately subjected to antibacterial treatment or mixed with a deodorant.

  Therefore, conventionally, from the viewpoint of effective utilization of resources, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, as an animal excrement treatment material obtained by heating and compressing a ground material made of softwood sawdust with high antibacterial ability into a pellet form Wood pellets for pet toilets (cat litter) have been proposed.

Japanese Patent No. 3049253

  However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although it has antibacterial ability, the trunk (tree part) is pulverized and molded, so the deodorizing effect is weak, and excrement adheres and is absorbed first. When the time from the point of time to the disposal process becomes long, there is a problem that a bad odor is emitted during that time and it becomes unsanitary.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and its object is to improve the deodorizing effect of the wood pellets by improving the composition of the wood pellets used in toilets for pets. It is in.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, not only the pulverized product of a coniferous tree, but also the pulverized product of a coniferous tree in addition to the pulverized product of the xylem are mixed and molded, thereby forming the leaf. The deodorizing effect was enhanced by the part. In this case, when the pulverized product of branches and leaves (branches with leaves) is used as the pulverized product, the pulverized product of the branches is regarded as the same as the pulverized product of the xylem.

  Specifically, the wood pellet of the invention of claim 1 is formed so that the pulverized material of the coniferous tree and the pulverized material of the coniferous tree are uniformly mixed, and self-disintegrated by absorbing moisture. It is characterized by.

  Further, the wood pellet of the invention of claim 2 is obtained by uniformly mixing 100 parts by weight of a crushed product of a coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of a crushed product of a branch of a coniferous tree and absorbing moisture. It is formed so as to be self-disintegrating. The deodorizing performance is weakened if the pulverized material of the branches and leaves is less than 2.5 parts by weight, while the odor deodorizing performance is weaker than 100 parts by weight of the coniferous tree. 0.5 to 100 parts by weight is preferable.

  In the case of these inventions of claim 1 or 2, the conifer is divided into a xylem, a branch and a leaf, and the xylem and the branch are combined into a pulverized product of the xylem, and a predetermined amount is added to the pulverized product of the xylem You may make it mix the pulverized material of the leaf part. Moreover, you may make it mix the pulverized material of the branch leaf part of a predetermined amount of conifers with the pulverized material of the coniferous tree part. In this case, after pulverizing the branches and leaves, after roughly sieving with a coarse mesh of about 20 to 50 mm mesh, by applying a sieve of about 3 to 10 mm, the branches are selectively removed, and the dry weight is 20 to 70 by weight. It is possible to obtain a pulverized product of fine leaf parts (including pulverized products of branch parts) including about% leaf parts.

  In these inventions according to claims 1 and 2, since the pellet is formed by uniformly mixing the pulverized material of the xylem and the pulverized material of the leaf portion in the coniferous tree, the leaf has a deodorizing effect on the xylem of the coniferous tree. The deodorizing effect of the part is added, the deodorizing effect on ammonia is particularly remarkable, and the antibacterial performance and deodorizing performance of the pellet are improved.

  In addition, since the pellets self-disintegrate due to the absorption of moisture, the crushed material of the mixed coniferous leaves is newly exposed along with the self-disintegration, and the pulverized material of the exposed leaves is more efficient. In addition, continuous deodorization can be expected.

  Furthermore, since the pellets are mainly composed of softwood xylem and leaves, which can be treated as flammable waste, there are no disposal problems and no harm to the environment. In addition, the leaves or branches of conifers, which are mixed materials for pellets, are often pruned and abandoned in the forest as unnecessary forest residue, which can contribute to effective utilization of the forest residue.

  The toilet for pet animals of the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the wood pellets of claim 1 or 2 are spread on the bottom of the container.

  The toilet for pet animals of the invention of claim 4 is provided on a mesh member having a mesh-like opening of a size that allows the wood pellets of claim 1 or 2 to pass in a self-collapsed state without passing in a non-self-collapsed state. It is characterized by being laid down.

  In the inventions according to claims 3 and 4, a toilet for pet animals having high antibacterial performance and deodorizing performance can be obtained by the deodorizing effect of the wood part and the leaf part of the softwood in the pellet. Therefore, in a living space shared by humans and pet animals, it is possible to effectively deodorize the excrement odor of pet animals over a long period of time and provide a comfortable living space. In particular, when the wood pellets are spread on the mesh member as in the invention of claim 4, when the pellets are self-collapsed due to the absorption of moisture by the excrement of pet animals, the self-collapsed pellets are The crushed material of the new coniferous leaves is exposed, and efficient deodorization can be expected from the crushed material. In addition, since the pellets that have been self-disintegrated by absorbing moisture become the original pulverized product and fall to the lower side of the mesh member, pet sheets or the like are not required and disposal becomes easy.

  The method for producing the wood pellets of the invention of claim 5 comprises uniformly mixing 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous tree and 0.5 to 30 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous leaf, and mixing the mixture. The extrusion molding is performed by a ring die method or a flat die method so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C.

  In this invention of claim 5, 100 parts by weight of the pulverized material of the coniferous tree and 0.5-30 parts by weight of the pulverized material of the coniferous tree are uniformly mixed to produce a mixture, and the mixture is a ring. A wood pellet is obtained by extrusion molding using a die method or a flat die method. This makes it possible to reliably and easily obtain wood pellets having high antibacterial performance and deodorizing performance. When the pellet surface temperature immediately after the molding is less than 75 ° C., a molded product cannot be obtained after extrusion molding. On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds 120 ° C., the extrusion molded product may be burnt and the appearance may deteriorate. 75 to 120 ° C is desirable.

  The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the method for producing wood pellets of claim 5, a pulverized product dried to a moisture content of 8 to 30% by air drying is used as the pulverized product of the coniferous leaf. .

  In the invention of claim 6, by using the air-dried leaf part, the volatilization of the volatile component that exhibits the significant deodorizing effect contained in the leaf part is minimized, and a more effective deodorizing effect. Can be demonstrated. The blast drying is performed at normal temperature or low temperature. Blow drying at room temperature means air drying using only a blower, and the temperature conditions are different between summer and winter, so the drying conditions are adjusted so that a pulverized product with a desired moisture content can be obtained by adjusting the air volume and ventilation time. adjust. On the other hand, low-temperature air drying means drying with a ventilator whose temperature is adjusted to about 15 to 100 ° C. In this case, a pulverized product having a stable moisture content can be obtained throughout the year. In any case, the moisture content may be dried to about 8 to 30%.

  The method for producing a wood pellet of the invention of claim 7 comprises uniformly mixing 100 parts by weight of a pulverized product of a coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of a pulverized product of a branch of a coniferous tree, The extrusion molding is performed by a ring die method or a flat die method so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C.

  In this invention of claim 7, by using the pulverized material of the branches and leaves of conifers as a raw material, the branches and leaves that are normally left as forest land after pruning can be used effectively, which is extremely environmentally friendly. Useful.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in the method for producing wood pellets according to claim 7, a pulverized product dried to a moisture content of 8 to 30% by air drying is used as the pulverized product of the branches and leaves of the conifer. .

  In this invention of claim 8, by using the pulverized material of the branches and leaves that have been blown and dried, the volatilization of the volatile components that exert a remarkable deodorizing effect contained in the leaves can be minimized and more effective. Deodorizing effect can be demonstrated. Blow drying is performed at normal temperature or low temperature. As mentioned above, normal temperature means air drying only with a blower, and since the temperature atmosphere is different in summer and winter, drying conditions are adjusted so that a pulverized product with a desired moisture content can be obtained by adjusting the air volume and ventilation time. Adjust. Low temperature means drying with a ventilator whose temperature is adjusted to about 15 to 100 ° C. In this case, a pulverized product having a stable moisture content can be obtained throughout the year. In any case, the moisture content may be dried to about 8 to 30%.

  In invention of Claim 9, in the manufacturing method of the wood pellet of any one of Claims 5-8, it waters and extrudes beforehand to a mixture so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after shaping | molding may be 75-120 degreeC. It is characterized by.

  In this invention of Claim 9, it shape | molds, adding water to a mixture, The pellet temperature immediately after shaping | molding can be stably maintained at 75-120 degreeC.

  As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the wood pellets are formed such that the pulverized products of the coniferous wood and the leaf are uniformly mixed and self-disintegrated by absorbing moisture. In the invention of claim 2, the wood pellets are prepared by mixing 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the xylem and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the branches and leaves. According to these inventions, the deodorizing effect of the coniferous tree part and the leaf part is obtained synergistically, the antibacterial performance and the deodorizing performance of the pellet are improved, and the leaf part is pulverized due to self-disintegration due to moisture absorption of the pellet. An object can be newly exposed and an efficient and continuous deodorization can be expected. In addition to being able to treat the pellets as combustible waste, it is possible to effectively utilize the remaining forest land such as leaves or branches and leaves of conifers, which is a mixed material of the pellets, and thus contribute to the maintenance and development of the forest industry. it can.

  In the toilet for pet animals of the invention of claim 3, the wood pellet is spread on the bottom of the container. In the toilet for pet animals of the invention of claim 4, the wood pellets are spread on a mesh member having a mesh-like opening having a size to pass after self-collapse without passing before self-collapse. According to these inventions, a toilet for pet animals with high antibacterial and deodorant performance is obtained by the deodorizing effect of the wood part and the leaf part of the softwood in the pellet, and a comfortable living space shared by humans and pet animals is provided. Obtained stably. In particular, according to the invention of claim 4, when the wood pellet self-collapses due to the absorption of water by the excrement of pet animals, the self-collapsed wood pellet falls through the mesh member and pulverizes new leaves. The product is exposed, and efficient deodorization can be expected from the pulverized product, and the self-disintegrated pellet that absorbs this moisture becomes the original pulverized product, which eliminates the need for pet sheets and facilitates disposal. .

  According to the method for producing a wood pellet of the invention of claim 5, 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous tree and 0.5-30 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous leaf are uniformly mixed, and the mixture Is extrusion-molded by a ring die method or a flat die method so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C., so that wood pellets having high antibacterial performance and deodorizing performance can be obtained reliably and easily.

  According to the method for producing wood pellets of the invention of claim 6, since the pulverized product of the leaves of the coniferous tree of claim 5 is pulverized product dried to a water content of 8 to 30% by air drying, more deodorizing It is possible to provide wood pellets that can be expected to be effective.

  According to the manufacturing method of the wood pellets of the invention of claim 7, 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the branch of coniferous tree are uniformly mixed, and the mixture Is extruded by a ring die method or a flat die method so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C., so that not only forest residue can be used effectively, but also wood pellets with high antibacterial and deodorizing performance Is reliably and easily obtained.

  According to the manufacturing method of the wood pellets of the invention of claim 8, since the pulverized product of the branches and leaves of the softwood of claim 7 is pulverized product dried to a water content of 8-30% by air drying, more deodorizing It is possible to provide wood pellets that can be expected to be effective.

  According to the method for producing wood pellets of the invention of claim 9, the pellet temperature immediately after molding can be stably maintained at 75 to 120 ° C. by pre-hydrating the mixture and extrusion molding.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a wood pellet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a toilet for pet animals. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of a wood pellet. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing two types of pelletizers used in the pressure forming process of pellets. FIG. 5 is a view showing physical properties of Examples of wood pellets together with Comparative Examples. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the ammonia deodorizing effect of the wood pellet example together with a comparative example. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the ammonia deodorizing effect depending on the mixing ratio of the leaves of the coniferous tree in the wood pellet. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a state when branches and leaves are obtained from the main branches of cypress. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an ammonia deodorizing effect by mixing the pulverized branches and leaves together with a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing pellet disintegration performance.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following description of the embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use at all.

  In FIG. 1, A, A,... Are wood pellets (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as pellets) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Used. Therefore, the pellet A has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter (diameter) of about 4 to 8 mm and a length of about 3 to 30 mm so that the pet A is less scattered at the time of excretion of the companion animal and is not caught between the nails. It is said that.

  The pellet A is obtained by uniformly mixing a pulverized product of a coniferous tree and a pulverized product of a coniferous tree and press-molding it. It is desirable that 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product is uniformly mixed.

  In this method, a conifer is divided into a xylem, a branch, and a foliage, and the xylem and branches are combined to obtain a pulverized product of the xylem. May be mixed. Moreover, you may make it mix the pulverized material of the branch leaf part of a predetermined amount of conifers with the pulverized material of the coniferous tree part. More preferably, from the viewpoint of effective utilization of forest land residue, it is preferable to use a pulverized product of branches and leaves.

  At this time, particularly when the branches and leaves are pulverized, examples of the pulverizer include a cutter mill, a rotary mill and a hammer mill. Preferably, the branch is difficult to pulverize, and the hammer mill is apt to pulverize the leaves. Is preferred. For example, a referee manufactured by Komatsu is used.

  When the pulverized material of the branches and leaves is less than 2.5 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the pulverized material of the coniferous tree, the deodorizing performance is weakened. .

  The pellet A is pressure-molded so as to self-collapse due to moisture absorption. This self-disintegration means that the pellet A absorbs moisture and expands, so that the cylindrical shape of the pellet A collapses and returns to a pulverized product (pulverized).

  Examples of coniferous trees that are pulverized products of the above-mentioned xylem and leaves include cedar family, cypress family, pine family, etc., and those that excrete essential oil (phytoncide), which is a volatile component, are good. Is preferred. In addition, the coniferous leaf may be collected from the conifer as it is, but the branch and leaf abandoned in the forest can be used as it is as a residual forest. Further, the xylem is preferable because it is possible to use coniferous forest remnants, sawmill waste, old wood, and the like.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows a toilet T for a pet animal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toilet T is, for example, a rectangular box-shaped container 1 opened upward, and accommodated in the container 1. For example, a rectangular box-like net-like member 2 is provided. A flange portion 2a that can be locked to the upper end opening portion of the container 1 is formed at the upper end opening portion of the mesh member 2, and the mesh member is obtained by locking the flange portion 2a to the upper end opening portion of the container 1. 2 is accommodated in the container 1 with the bottom 2b of the mesh member 2 spaced apart from the bottom 1a of the container 1.

  A large number of rectangular mesh openings 3, 3,... Are formed through the bottom 2b of the mesh member 2, for example. The size of the mesh opening 3 is set so that the wood pellet A is not allowed to pass through in a state where the wood pellet A is not self-collapsed, but when the wood pellet A is self-collapsed and pulverized, the pulverized material is allowed to pass therethrough. ing. And many wooden pellets A, A,... That are not self-collapsed are spread on the bottom 2b of the mesh member 2.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the said wood pellet A is demonstrated. In this manufacturing method, as shown in FIG. 3, in the leaf crushing step P1, a leaf part of a coniferous tree, for example, a branch leaf residue, is crushed, and in the next leaf sieving step P2, the crushed product is sieved (size). (Length) After removing the leaf and leaf pulverized material of a size that does not pass through a 40 mm mesh mesh, a pulverized product of branch and leaf that does not pass through a 4 mm mesh of mesh is left, and this is removed in the drying step P3. The leaf pulverized product is dried to a water content of 10 to 40%, and this is used as the pulverized product of the leaf part.

  In the leaf sieving step P2, specifically, after pulverizing the branches and leaves, after roughly sieving with a coarse mesh of about 20 to 50 mm mesh, the branches are selectively applied by applying a sieve of about 3 to 10 mm. By removing, a pulverized product of fine leaf parts (including pulverized products of branch parts) containing about 20 to 70% of leaf parts by dry weight can be obtained. For example, in the case of Japanese cypress, the branches and leaves having a diameter of less than 50 mm are selected, pulverized after removing the main branches, the obtained pulverized product is passed through a 40 mm mesh wire mesh, and the passed pulverized product is further passed through a 5 mm mesh wire mesh. By passing, if the leaf is in the early summer, the leaf portion is about 50-70% by dry weight, and if the leaf is in winter, the leaf is 20% by dry weight. About 40% pulverized product can be obtained.

  In this case, the pulverized product preferably has a small difference in the length direction, the width direction, and the height direction, and is preferably granular or powdery rather than a long and thin bar. This is because a granular or powdery material is more likely to generate frictional heat evenly during extrusion molding than a long and narrow rod-like material, and can be uniformly extruded, and the amount of swelling during water supply increases and collapses. It is because it becomes easy. As the wood powder having such a shape, it is preferable to use planer scraps and sawdust generated during processing of wood from a wood processing factory.

  In addition, when used as a toilet for pets, it absorbs water from human waste, swells, and easily disintegrates, so that it is easy to clean up these.

  Thereafter, the pulverized product is dried so as to have a water content of 10 to 25%. At this time, for example, it is blown by an industrial fan or the like into a pulverized product that has been thinly expanded with a thickness of about 20 mm to 50 mm. By stirring for an appropriate time, a pulverized product having a uniform water content can be obtained.

  The blast drying is performed at normal temperature or low temperature. Blow drying at room temperature means air drying using only a blower, and the temperature conditions are different between summer and winter, so the drying conditions are adjusted so that a pulverized product with a desired moisture content can be obtained by adjusting the air volume and ventilation time. adjust. Low-temperature air drying means drying with a ventilator whose temperature is adjusted to about 15 to 100 ° C. In this case, a pulverized product having a stable moisture content can be obtained throughout the year. In any case, the moisture content may be dried to about 8 to 30%.

  Next, in the mixing step P4, the pulverized material of the leaf part is mixed with the pulverized material of the coniferous tree part. In the mixing step P4, 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of the pulverized product of the branch and coniferous part of the conifer are uniformly mixed. At this time, about 20 to 75% of the leaf portion is contained in the pulverized product of the branch and leaf portion used. In this way, the deodorizing and antibacterial effects are high due to the essential oil component (phytoncide) volatilized from the pulverized leaves.

  As the pulverized product of the xylem, the crushed material of the xylem may be roughly crushed and sieved to make a pulverized wood product, which may be dried, or the coniferous sawmill waste or The old material may be crushed as it is to form chips. Preferably, the use of sawdust and planer scraps and other milled scraps makes it easy to obtain a pulverized product having a low moisture content and suitable for extrusion molding.

  Finally, in the pressure molding process P5, the mixture of the pulverized material of the leaf part and the pulverized material of the wood part is extruded by ring die type or flat die type pelletizers B1 and B2, and a number of wood pellets A, Get A, ...

  As shown schematically in FIG. 4 (a), the ring die type pelletizer B1 is rotatably arranged on the base 10, and a large number of holes 11, 11,... An annular ring die 12 formed, and at least one (two in the illustrated example) disposed on the base 10 inside the ring die 12 so that the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the ring die 12. ), And the mixture w charged on the base 10 in the ring die 12 is pressed between the inner peripheral surface of the ring die 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 13 to thereby provide holes in the ring die 12. Extrusion molding is performed from 11, 11,.

  On the other hand, as shown schematically in FIG. 4B, the flat die type pelletizer B2 is a rotatable disc-shaped flat die 16 in which a large number of holes 15, 15,... And at least one (two in the illustrated example) press roller 17 disposed on the upper side of the flat die 16 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis in the horizontal direction and with the outer peripheral surface being in contact with the upper surface of the flat die 16. And pressurizing a mixture (not shown) placed on the upper surface of the flat die 16 between the upper surface of the flat die 16 and the outer peripheral surface of the press roller 17, so that the holes 15, 15, Extrusion molding from ...

  4 (a) and 4 (b), 14 is a cutter that forms what is extruded from the holes 11 and 15 from the outer peripheral surface of the ring die 12 or the lower surface of the flat die 16 to form pellets A. is there. The inner diameters of the holes 11 and 15 of the dies 12 and 16 become the outer diameter of the molded pellet A.

  In the pressure molding process using the pelletizers B1 and B2, it is desirable that the surface temperature of the pellet A immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C. When the surface temperature of the pellet A immediately after molding is 75 ° C., the shape retention after molding is poor. On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds 120 ° C., the obtained wood pellet may be burnt and the appearance may be deteriorated. Because. For this reason, water may be added to the mixture in advance so that the temperature of the pellet A immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C., and then subjected to a hydrolytic treatment for extrusion molding.

  That is, when the pellet A is formed, the pulverized material is solidified by the pressure by which the rollers 13 and 17 push the mixture of the pulverized material into the holes 11 and 15 of the dies 12 and 16 to form the pellet A. Heat is generated and the temperature of the pellet A rises. And if this temperature is too low or too high, a good quality pellet A cannot be obtained, so the surface temperature of the pellet A is set to 75 to 120 ° C.

  The hardness of the pellet A is adjusted by changing the thickness of the dies 12 and 16. The thickness of the dies 12 and 16 is proportional to the time that the pulverized material stays in the dies 12 and 16, and when the dies 12 and 16 are thick, pressure is applied for a long time, so that a hard pellet A is obtained. However, if it is too thick, the pellet A may be burnt by the generated heat, and the appearance may be deteriorated.

  In addition, you may add a binder to a mixture by the said pressure forming process P5. The binder is not particularly limited, but when a natural binder such as starch or starch is used, solidification of the crushed material of the conifer can be further facilitated without impairing the deodorizing performance and antibacterial properties inherent to the conifer.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the pulverized branches and leaves are used as the pulverized leaves, but only the leaves are selectively collected, powdered, and mixed with the pulverized xylem. Also good. In this case, while it becomes very expensive, since the content of the leaf portion can be strictly controlled, there is an advantage that the quality of the pellet is stabilized.

  In the above embodiment, a pet animal toilet T is provided with a large number of wooden pellets A, A,... Laid on the bottom 2b of the mesh member 2. However, a pet animal with wooden pellets laid on the bottom of the container. It may be a toilet.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the wood pellet A is used for the toilet T for pet animals, of course, you may use it for another use.

  Next, specific examples will be described.

(Deodorization effect)
As shown in FIG. 5, Example 1 was obtained by press-molding a mixture obtained by adding old wood chips of coniferous trees to pulverized xylem and adding 20% of crushed tomato pine leaves. Similarly, Example 2 was obtained by press molding a mixture of 20% cedar leaf pulverized product, and Example 3 was obtained by press molding a mixture of 20% cypress leaf crushed material. . Further, Example 4 was obtained by pressure-molding a mixture obtained by adding 20% of a pulverized portion of Todomatsu leaves to a pulverized portion of Todomatsu. As Comparative Example 1, a pressure-molded product of only old coniferous wood powder was prepared.

  And the ammonia deodorizing effect was compared about these 5 types of pellets. As a test method for the ammonia deodorizing effect, 3 ml of 0.3% ammonia water was dropped on 20 g of pellets, and the ammonia concentration after a predetermined time was measured. The result is shown in FIG.

  According to FIG. 6, in Example 1, the ammonia concentration became 0.9 ppm after 0.5 hours, and became 0.8 ppm after 1 hour. In both Example 2 and Example 3, the ammonia concentration was 0.5 ppm after 4 hours, and in Example 4, the ammonia concentration was 0.8 ppm after 8 hours. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the ammonia concentration was 3.5 ppm after 8 hours, and decreased to 1.0 ppm even after 24 hours. From this, it can be seen that the deodorizing effect of the pellet mixed with the coniferous leaf is higher than the pellet without mixing.

(Mixing ratio of pulverized leaves)
Further, Example 5 was a pellet manufactured using a coniferous tree of a pine family at a mixing ratio of 90% pulverized xylem and 10% pulverized leaf. Similarly, the deodorization effect of ammonia on these two types of pellets was made as Example 6 using pellets produced using a coniferous pine family with a mixing ratio of 80% pulverized xylem and 20% pulverized leaf. Compared. The test method for the ammonia deodorizing effect is the same as described above. The result is shown in FIG.

  According to FIG. 7, in Example 5, the ammonia concentration decreased to 1 ppm after 24 hours, but in Example 6, it became 1 ppm in 30 minutes. When the mixing ratio of the leaf pulverized product is high, the ammonia deodorizing performance is high.

(Mixing of crushed branches and leaves)
Further, as shown in FIG. 8, branches having a diameter of 50 mm or less of the main branch are selected and cut off as shown by a broken line A in FIG. Similarly, this was pulverized using a broken line B) to obtain a pulverized product of branches and leaves adjusted to a moisture content of 15%. When a part of this branch and leaf powder was taken out, only the leaf portion was separated and the weight of the leaf component was measured, about 40% was the leaf portion.

  A pellet obtained by mixing 3 parts by weight of the pulverized branches and leaves thus obtained and 97 parts by weight of the old wood flour used in Comparative Example 1 was used as Example 8. Moreover, the pellet obtained by mixing 5 parts by weight of the pulverized branches and leaves with 95 parts by weight of the old wood flour used in Comparative Example 1 and making it extrusion-molded was designated as Example 9. About these Examples 8 and 9, the ammonia deodorizing effect was compared with the pellet of the comparative example 1. The test method for the ammonia deodorizing effect is the same as described above. The result is shown in FIG. In this case, in Example 8, the leaf part is 1.2% by weight, and in Example 9, the leaf part is 2.0%.

  According to FIG. 9, in Example 8 and Example 9, the ammonia concentration rapidly decreased and decreased to 2 ppm after 8 hours, whereas in Comparative Example 1, it decreased only to 5 ppm.

(Pellet self-disintegrating)
In addition, prepare a sieve with 4 mm mesh (screen), place a 10.8 cm diameter x 11.1 cm through cylinder on top of the sieve, pack the pellets, and pour about 100 ml of water into it. The water absorption was measured. After the water absorption, the volume was measured by allowing the pellets to stand until they expanded. Subsequently, the powder that was self-disintegrated by water absorption and pulverized was dropped from the sieve, and the weight, volume, and moisture content were measured. There are two types of pellets, Comparative Example 2 consisting only of pulverized cypress wood and Example 7 in which 95% by weight of the pulverized xylem and 5% by weight of pulverized cypress leaf were mixed. The result is shown in FIG.

  According to FIG. 10, the cypress leaf-filled pellets have a higher water absorption than the xylem-only pellets, and when the leaves are added, the pellets have better water absorption and quickly suck in a large amount of water. It can be seen that the smell of pet animals immediately after urination can be reduced.

  In addition, the expansion rate of the pellets is 24% for the cypress leaves and 18% for the pellets containing only the cypress. By adding the leaves, the pellets expand more greatly when water is absorbed. I know that In this way, by expanding greatly, the leaf portion is more efficiently exposed and comes into contact with the malodorous component, and a higher deodorizing effect can be expected.

  The present invention can improve the antibacterial performance and deodorization performance of the pellets by the synergistic deodorization effect of the coniferous tree and leaves, and also provides efficient and continuous deodorization with self-disintegration due to moisture absorption of the pellets. Since it can be expected, it is extremely useful and has high industrial applicability.

A Wood pellet T Pet animal toilet B1, B2 Pelletizer 1 Container 2 Mesh member 3 Mesh opening

Claims (9)

  A wood pellet, characterized in that a pulverized product of a coniferous tree and a pulverized product of a coniferous leaf are uniformly mixed and molded so as to self-disintegrate by absorbing moisture.   100 parts by weight of crushed material of coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of pulverized material of branch of coniferous tree are uniformly mixed and formed so as to self-disintegrate by absorbing moisture. Wood pellets.   A toilet for pet animals, wherein the wood pellets of claim 1 or 2 are spread on the bottom of the container.   3. The pet animal according to claim 1, wherein the wood pellets are spread on a mesh member having a mesh-like opening having a size that does not pass in a self-collapsed state but passes in a self-collapsed state. toilet.   100 parts by weight of the pulverized material of the coniferous tree and 0.5-30 parts by weight of the pulverized material of the coniferous tree are uniformly mixed, and the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C. A method for producing wood pellets, characterized in that it is extruded by a ring die method or a flat die method. In claim 5,
A method for producing wood pellets, comprising using a pulverized product dried to a moisture content of 8 to 30% by air drying as a pulverized product of a coniferous leaf.   100 parts by weight of the crushed material of the coniferous tree and 2.5 to 100 parts by weight of the crushed material of the coniferous branch are uniformly mixed, and the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C. A method for producing wood pellets, characterized in that it is extruded by a ring die method or a flat die method. In claim 7,
A method for producing wood pellets, characterized in that a pulverized product dried to a moisture content of 8 to 30% by blow drying is used as a pulverized product of branches and leaves of a conifer. In any one of Claims 5-8,
A method for producing wood pellets, wherein the mixture is pre-hydrated and extruded so that the pellet surface temperature immediately after molding is 75 to 120 ° C.

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