JP2022043900A - Pet excrement-treating materials and pet excrement-treating system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide pet excrement-treating materials and a pet excrement-treating system, the materials being manufactured with reduced apparatus loads and having high water resistance.SOLUTION: Pet excrement-treating materials contain 70.0 mass% or more of ground products of raw materials derived from plants, contain 1.0 mass% or more of synthetic resin, and contain 0.1 mass% or more and 5.0 mass% or less of calcium carbonate particles whose average particle diameter is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.1 μm or, instead of the calcium carbonate particles, contain 3.0 mass% or more and 5.0 mass% or less of calcium carbonate particles whose average particle diameter is 0.1 μm or more and 1 μm or less. Preferably, the pet excrement-treating materials further contain water-insoluble inorganic substances other than calcium carbonate particles. The invention also provides a pet excrement-treating system in which pet excrement-treating materials are laid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a pet excrement treatment material and a pet excrement treatment system using the same.

Various techniques for treating excrement of pets such as dogs and cats have been proposed. The present applicant has proposed a pet excrement treatment material containing a predetermined amount of each of a crushed plant-derived material, a synthetic resin and a tectosilicate for the purpose of improving the deodorizing effect (see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 2 discloses a pellet-shaped excrement treatment material for pets containing a predetermined amount of wood powder, a calcium compound, a paraffin wax and a binder for the purpose of suppressing the generation of mold and odor. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses animal toilet sand containing a crushed product of a plant-derived material, a synthetic resin, and a water-insoluble inorganic substance for the purpose of suppressing a bad odor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-345830 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-147964 JP-A-2015-133932

However, the excrement treatment materials for pets described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 may swell or disintegrate due to absorption of urine excreted from pets, and are improved in terms of water resistance. There was room. In addition, in manufacturing the excrement treatment material, there was room for improvement in reducing the load on the manufacturing apparatus.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pet excrement treatment material having a reduced device load during manufacturing and excellent water resistance, and a pet excrement treatment system using the same.

The present invention contains 70.0% by mass or more and 98.9% by mass or less of a pulverized product of a plant-derived material.
Contains 1.0% by mass or more and 29.9% by mass or less of synthetic resin
The present invention provides an excretion treatment material for pets, which contains calcium carbonate in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, and has an average particle size of calcium carbonate of 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.1 μm.

Further, the present invention contains 70.0% by mass or more and 96.0% by mass or less of a pulverized product of a plant-derived material.
Contains 1.0% by mass or more and 27.0% by mass or less of synthetic resin
Provided is an excretion treatment material for pets, which contains calcium carbonate in an amount of 3.0% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, and has an average particle size of calcium carbonate of 0.1 μm or more and 1 μm or less.

The present invention also includes the pet excrement treatment material, a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material, and an absorber for absorbing urine.
The present invention provides a pet excrement treatment system in which the porous member is arranged on the absorber and the pet excrement treatment material is laid on the porous member.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, there is provided a pet excrement treatment material and a pet excrement treatment system in which the load on the apparatus during manufacturing is reduced and the water resistance is high.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a disassembled state of an embodiment of the pet excrement treatment system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing an assembled state of an embodiment of the pet excrement treatment system of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pet excrement treatment system shown in FIG. 2 on the I-I plane.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the preferred embodiment thereof. The excrement treatment material for pets (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “excretion treatment material”) in the present embodiment includes a crushed product of a plant-derived material (hereinafter, also referred to as “plant crushed product”) and a synthetic resin. , Calcium carbonate and.

One of the features of the excrement treatment material of the present invention is that it contains calcium carbonate. By containing calcium carbonate in the excrement treatment material, the water resistance of the excrement treatment material including crushed plant matter is improved, and when the excrement treatment material and the excrement come into contact with each other, the water contained in the excrement is reduced. The present inventor has found that the resulting expansion and disintegration of the excrement treatment material can be reduced.

The shape of calcium carbonate can be granular, needle-like, plate-like, columnar, lump-like, or a combination thereof. Further, it may be crystalline or amorphous. From the viewpoint of handleability, the shape of calcium carbonate is preferably granular.

The content of calcium carbonate contained in the excrement treatment material can be adjusted according to the relationship with the particle size of calcium carbonate, so that the excrement obtained while reducing the equipment load during the production of the excrement treatment material can be obtained. It is preferable from the viewpoint of further improving the water resistance of the treated material. Specifically, the content of calcium carbonate contained in the excrement treatment material in one embodiment is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, still more preferably 0.3% by mass. The above is preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.0% by mass or less, and further preferably 3.0% by mass or less.
In this case, the average particle size of calcium carbonate contained in the excrement treatment material is preferably 0.01 μm or more, more preferably 0.02 μm or more, still more preferably 0.03 μm or more, and preferably less than 0.1 μm. , More preferably 0.09 μm or less, still more preferably 0.08 μm or less.

Further, the content of calcium carbonate contained in the excrement treatment material in another embodiment is preferably 3.0% by mass or more, more preferably 3.3% by mass or more, still more preferably 3.5% by mass or more. It is preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.7% by mass or less, and further preferably 4.5% by mass or less.
In this case, the average particle size of calcium carbonate contained in the excrement treatment material is preferably 0.1 μm or more, more preferably 0.2 μm or more, still more preferably 0.3 μm or more, preferably 1 μm or less, and more. It is preferably 0.9 μm or less, more preferably 0.8 μm or less.

For the average particle size of calcium carbonate, use a laser diffraction type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, model number: SALD-2300) to disperse about 100 ppm of calcium carbonate to be measured in ion-exchanged water. For the measurement, it can be obtained as the volume cumulative particle size D50 at the cumulative volume of 50% by volume by the laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measurement method.

As mentioned above, the excrement treatment material contains crushed plant material. Examples of such crushed products include crushed products derived from wood and herbs. By using materials derived from wood and herbs, it is possible to mask the odor caused by the fragrance of the material itself and to exert the deodorizing effect by adsorbing the odorous component to the material, and the manufacturing cost of the excrement treatment material. Can be suppressed. Further, by using these materials as pulverized products, the deodorizing effect caused by the increase in surface area can be effectively exhibited.

Examples of the plant crushed product include wood flour (woody or bark crushed product), seed oil residue, grain exodermis crushed product, and herbaceous crushed product. From the viewpoint of improving the water resistance and deodorizing properties of the excrement treatment material, the crushed plant is a wood flour derived from coniferous trees such as Taxodiaceae, Pinaceae or Cupressaceae (hereinafter, also referred to as coniferous wood flour). It is preferable to include it as a main body. Specifically, 60% by mass or more of coniferous wood flour is used as the content with respect to the total amount of crushed plant, and wood flour derived from broad-leaved trees such as Fagaceae, Ulmaceae or Betulaceae (hereinafter, also referred to as hardwood-derived wood flour). ) Is preferably used in an amount of 40% by mass or less, more preferably 75% by mass or more of wood flour derived from coniferous trees and 25% by mass or less of wood flour derived from broad-leaved trees, and 90% by mass or more of wood flour derived from coniferous trees and derived from broad-leaved trees. It is more preferable to use 10% by mass or less of wood flour.

From the viewpoint of enhancing the sustainability of the deodorizing effect and efficiently expressing the aroma peculiar to the plant-derived material, the content of the plant crushed material in the excrement treatment material is preferably 70.0 in terms of the total amount. By mass or more, more preferably 80.0% by mass or more, still more preferably 85.0% by mass or more. From the same viewpoint, in one embodiment, the content of the plant waste in the excrement treatment material is preferably 98.9% by mass or less, more preferably 95.0% by mass or less, still more preferably 93.0% by mass. % Or less.
From the same viewpoint, in another embodiment, the content of the plant waste in the excrement treatment material is preferably 96.0% by mass or less, more preferably 94.0% by mass or less, still more preferably 92. It is 0% by mass or less.

Examples of the shape of the crushed plant product include powder, granular, needle-like, plate-like, and aggregates thereof. From the viewpoint of improving the handling while reducing the load on the equipment during the production of the excrement treatment material, the shape of the crushed plant is preferably powdery.
From the same viewpoint, the average particle size of the crushed plant is preferably 0.01 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, still more preferably 0.07 mm or more, preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less. It is more preferably 2 mm or less.

The average particle size of the crushed plant can be measured by the following method, for example, using a multi-stage sieve shaker. For details, a multi-stage sieve shaker (manufactured by Verder Scientific Co., Ltd., AS200 Basic) with a nominal opening of 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1 mm, 2.36 mm, and 3.35 mm sieve (Tokyo). (Manufactured by Screen Co., Ltd.) is placed in this order, and 50 g of crushed plant is put into a sieve having a mesh size of 3.35 mm located at the top and shaken. The shaking width is 1.2 mm, the frequency is 3000 times / minute, the sieving time is 2 minutes, and the particle size distribution of the crushed plant is measured. After that, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the class value between the openings by the ratio is obtained, and the average particle size of the crushed plant is used. In the particle size distribution and the average particle size of the crushed material measured in this way, it is preferable that the ratio of the crushed plant material having an average particle size of 1 mm or more and less than 2.36 mm is the largest, and the ratio is 40 in total on a mass basis. It is more preferable to occupy% or more from the viewpoint of improving the deodorizing effect. In order to obtain such a particle size distribution, the crushed plant product may be further crushed, or the crushed plant product may be further screened to remove the crushed plant product having a large diameter.

The excrement treatment material of the present invention contains a synthetic resin. By containing the synthetic resin, it is possible to easily keep the excrement treatment material in a desired shape, increase the productivity of the excrement treatment material, and increase the water resistance of the excrement treatment material.
As the synthetic resin, a thermoplastic resin is preferably used. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamides, vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene, acrylic resins such as polyacrylic acid and polymethyl methacrylate, and ethylene-. Examples thereof include propylene copolymers, polyvinyl acetates, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, and polyvinyl alcohols. These synthetic resins can be used alone or in combination. In particular, from the viewpoint of enhancing the uniformity at the time of mixing with crushed plant products and calcium carbonate, developing water resistance due to the resin component, and further enhancing the water resistance as an excrement treatment material, ethylene-vinyl acetate It is more preferable to contain at least a copolymer (EVA).

From the viewpoint of improving the shape retention of the excrement treatment material while reducing the manufacturing load of the equipment during the production of the excrement treatment material, the content of the synthetic resin in the excrement treatment material is expressed by the total amount. It is preferably 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 3.0% by mass or more, and further preferably 5.0% by mass or more. From the same viewpoint, in one embodiment, the content of the synthetic resin in the excrement treatment material is preferably 29.9% by mass or less, more preferably 21.0% by mass or less, still more preferably 21.0% by mass or less in terms of the total amount thereof. Is 12.0% by mass or less.
From the same viewpoint, in another embodiment, the content of the synthetic resin in the excrement treatment material is preferably 27.0% by mass or less, more preferably 20.0% by mass or less, in terms of the total amount thereof. More preferably, it is 15.0% by mass or less.

The excrement treatment material having the above structure improves the water resistance of the excrement treatment material by containing calcium carbonate having a predetermined particle size in a predetermined content, and is used for a long period of time in the presence of water. It is possible to develop shape retention that can withstand. Further, by including the crushed plant product, it is possible to exhibit the masking of the odor caused by the fragrance of the material itself and the physical deodorizing effect by adsorbing the odorous component to the material. Further, by containing the synthetic resin, it is possible to improve the moldability of the excrement treatment material at the time of manufacturing and reduce the device load such as an unintended increase in the operating time at the time of manufacturing and an unintended change in the current in the device. In addition, the hydrophobicity of the synthetic resin can be expressed in the excrement treatment material to further improve the water resistance of the excrement treatment material.

From the viewpoint of improving the water resistance of the excrement treatment material and further enhancing the deodorizing performance of the excrement treatment material, the excrement treatment material contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance other than calcium carbonate in addition to calcium carbonate. Further, it is preferable to include it. The water-insoluble inorganic substance refers to an inorganic substance having a solubility in water (dissolved mass in 1 L of water at 1 atm and 25 ° C.) of less than 2 g. Calcium carbonate in the present invention is also a water-insoluble inorganic substance that satisfies the above-mentioned solubility in water, but in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when it is simply referred to as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, it is other than calcium carbonate. Refers to inorganic substances.

As the water-insoluble inorganic substance, for example, metal oxides, metal hydroxides and metal salts can be used, and specific examples thereof include calcium compounds such as calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide, and aluminum such as aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide. Examples thereof include compounds, zinc compounds such as zinc oxide, titanium compounds such as titanium oxide, and magnesium compounds such as magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and magnesium carbonate.
Further, as the water-insoluble inorganic substance, for example, inorganic minerals such as bentonite, diatomaceous earth, silicate clay, kaolin, zeolite, and sepiolite, and silicon compounds such as silica, white carbon, and talc can be used.
These water-insoluble inorganic substances can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The shape of these compounds can be granular, needle-like, plate-like, columnar, lump-like, or a combination thereof, and is preferably a powder from the viewpoint of handleability.

When the excrement treatment material further contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance, it is preferable to contain zinc oxide as the water-insoluble inorganic substance. By containing zinc oxide in the water-insoluble inorganic substance, the water resistance of the excrement treatment material is improved, and at the same time, lower saturation of propionic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid, which are unpleasant odor components contained in the excrement of pets. By physically or chemically adsorbing fatty acids, the deodorizing effect of odor can be more effectively exhibited, and the user of the excretion treatment material can be less likely to perceive the discomfort caused by the odor of excrement. .. In addition, the inclusion of zinc oxide increases the brightness of the ground color of the excrement treatment material, that is, the color of the excrement treatment material can be white or close to white, so that the user of the excrement treatment material can use it. It also has the advantage of giving a feeling of cleanliness.

When the excrement treatment material further contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the total content of calcium carbonate and the water-insoluble inorganic substance contained in the excrement treatment material is preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.0% by mass. % Or less, more preferably 3.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, still more preferably 0.3% by mass or more. By setting the content in such a range, the production load of the apparatus at the time of production can be further reduced, and a more water-resistant excrement treatment material can be obtained with high productivity.

When the excrement treatment material further contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the content of the water-insoluble inorganic substance contained in the excretion treatment material is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, and further. It is preferably 0.3% by mass or more, preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.0% by mass or less, and further preferably 3.0% by mass or less. When two or more water-insoluble inorganic substances are contained, the content is based on the total amount. By setting the content in such a range, in addition to being able to obtain a highly water-resistant excrement treatment material with high productivity, the shape retention and deodorizing performance due to the blending of water-insoluble inorganic substances are exhibited. It is possible to efficiently develop various good performances.

The average particle size of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 0.01 μm or more, from the viewpoint of more effectively exhibiting various good performances such as shape retention and deodorizing performance due to the blending of the water-insoluble inorganic substance. It is preferably 0.1 μm or more, more preferably 0.2 μm or more, preferably 1 μm or less, more preferably 0.9 μm or less, still more preferably 0.8 μm or less. The average particle size of the water-insoluble inorganic substance can be the volume cumulative particle size D50 measured by the same method as the above-mentioned measuring method. When the above-mentioned plurality of components are contained as the water-insoluble inorganic substance, it is preferable that the average particle size of each water-insoluble inorganic substance independently satisfies the above range.

As will be described later, the excrement treatment material can be produced by mixing the above-mentioned materials. The melting point of the synthetic resin is 60 ° C or higher from the viewpoint of making it easier to maintain the molten state of the synthetic resin, mixing it uniformly with other components, and obtaining a highly productive excrement treatment material in which the components are uniformly dispersed. It is preferably 65 ° C. or higher, more preferably 70 ° C. or higher, and even more preferably 70 ° C. or higher.
Further, from the viewpoint of preventing thermal decomposition of the synthetic resin, the temperature is preferably 160 ° C. or lower, more preferably 120 ° C. or lower, and further preferably 80 ° C. or lower. By using a synthetic resin having such a melting point, the crushed plant can be kept in a state where the aroma of the plant-derived material is maintained without being denatured by burning due to a temperature rise, and excrement treatment having an excellent deodorizing effect. It has the advantage of being able to manufacture wood.
The melting point of the synthetic resin can be, for example, a value measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. Further, the melting point of the synthetic resin can be appropriately adjusted by changing the molecular weight of the resin or the like.

From the viewpoint of increasing the uniform dispersibility during production and increasing the production efficiency, the melt flow rate (MFR) of the synthetic resin is preferably 0.1 g / 10 minutes or more, and preferably 1 g / 10 minutes or more. It is more preferably 10 g / 10 minutes or more, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 200 g / 10 minutes or less, more preferably 100 g / 10 minutes or less, and 50 g / 10 minutes or less. Is more preferable.
The melt flow rate can be measured according to JIS K 7210 under the conditions of a load of 2.16 kg and a temperature of 230 ° C. By including such a synthetic resin, the deodorant effect can be successfully exhibited by uniformly mixing with other components, and the formability and shape retention of the excrement treatment material are further improved. Is also played.

As long as the effect of the present invention is exhibited, the excrement treatment material may contain other components such as an antibacterial agent and a colorant, if necessary, in addition to the above-mentioned components. Examples of the antibacterial agent include sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, didecylmethylammonium, benzalkonium chloride, polyphenols, silver, copper and the like. The total content of the other components is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less.

Next, a suitable method for producing the excrement treatment material will be described below. First, a pulverized plant-derived material, a synthetic resin, calcium carbonate, and, if necessary, a water-insoluble inorganic substance are sufficiently mixed at the above-mentioned predetermined ratios to prepare a mixture (mixing step). ..

In the mixing step, the synthetic resin may be mixed as a solid such as powder or granules, or may be mixed in a state where the resin is melted in advance. In addition, components other than the synthetic resin can be mixed as a solid such as powder or granules. The mixing order of each raw material in the mixing step is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, batch mixing of each raw material or mixing by sequential addition.
When the synthetic resin is used as a solid, its particle size is preferably 0.01 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less from the viewpoint that it can be uniformly mixed with other constituent components. In any of the mixing methods, it is preferable that the mixture is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the synthetic resin.

The mixing step can be performed using a mixer such as a paddle mixer. Specifically, for example, when a ribbon paddle mixer (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.) is used as a mixer, the rotation speed is preferably 50 rpm or more, more preferably 80 rpm or more, and preferably 150 rpm or less. It can be mixed for 3 minutes or more and 10 minutes or less, preferably at 120 rpm or less. When heating is performed, the heating temperature can be a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the synthetic resin described above, and is preferably 60 ° C. or higher and 160 ° C. or lower. By mixing in this way, the constituent components can be uniformly mixed, and as a result, it is possible to easily develop the desired water resistance and deodorizing performance in the obtained excrement treatment material.

When the excrement treatment material further contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the BET specific surface area of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 3 m ² / g or more, more preferably 5 m, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the deodorizing performance of the excrement treatment material. It is ² / g or more, more preferably 7 m ² / g or more, preferably 100 m ² / g or less, more preferably 90 m ² / g or less, still more preferably 80 m ² / g or less. The BET specific surface area of the water-insoluble inorganic substance can be measured using, for example, a specific surface area measuring device using nitrogen gas (for example, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, model number: 3Flex).

When zinc oxide is contained as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the pH at 25 ° C. is preferably 7 or more, more preferably 7.5 or more, preferably less than 9, and further preferably 8.5 or less. Use. The pH of zinc oxide used is, for example, at 25 ° C. using a pH measuring device (for example, manufactured by HORIBA, Ltd., model number: F71S) for a dispersion in which 0.1 g of zinc oxide to be measured is dispersed in 10 mL of distilled water. Can be measured. Zinc oxide having such a pH has an oxygen lattice defect in its structure, and the presence of the lattice defect facilitates the adsorption of unpleasant odorous components caused by pet excrement, and thus the above-mentioned oxidation. By using zinc, it is possible to obtain an excrement treatment material capable of more effectively deodorizing the unpleasant odor caused by the excrement of pets. As such zinc oxide, commercially available zinc oxide can be used, for example, as shown in Examples described later.

When zinc oxide is contained as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, this zinc oxide is obtained by oxidizing zinc vapor in the air and cooling it, or by adding soda ash to an aqueous solution of zinc sulfate or zinc chloride. It is also preferable that it is obtained by burning the precipitated basic zinc carbonate. By using zinc oxide obtained through such a production method, it is possible to obtain an excrement treatment material capable of more effectively exhibiting the deodorizing effect of an unpleasant odor caused by pet excrement. .. Calcination refers to heating basic zinc carbonate to remove volatile components such as carbon dioxide to obtain zinc oxide.

It is practically impossible to analyze all of the particle structures and properties of zinc oxide obtained by the above-mentioned method to contribute to the effect of the present invention, and it is difficult to specify by the structure and properties. It requires significantly excessive economic spending and time. Therefore, it is impossible or almost impractical for the zinc oxide to be directly specified by its structure or characteristics at the time of filing of the present application, that is, "impossible / impractical circumstances". "Exists.

Next, the obtained mixture is granulated and molded using a molding machine such as a pelletizer (molding step). As the molding machine in this step, for example, an F-5 type molding machine (manufactured by Dalton Corporation) or the like can be used. By using such a molding machine, the mixture can be consolidated inside the molding machine, and as a result, it has a shape-retaining property to the extent that it does not easily disintegrate even when it comes into contact with a liquid such as urine. Moreover, it is possible to produce a porous excrement treatment material. In the molding process, the pressure applied during consolidation is 9.8 MPa or more from the viewpoint of facilitating granulation and molding of the obtained excrement treatment material into a desired shape and improving the shape retention after production. It is preferably 29.4 MPa or more, more preferably 196 MPa or less, and even more preferably 177 MPa or less.

The dimensions of the excrement treatment material produced in this way can be appropriately changed depending on the hole diameter of the extrusion port in the molding machine. For example, the diameter is about 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the height thereof is 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. It is preferably granulated into pellets of a certain degree. That is, it is preferable that the excrement treatment material is produced as columnar pellets whose height is larger than the diameter.

The above is the description of the excrement treatment material. Hereinafter, the excrement treatment system for pets (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “excretion treatment system”) using the excrement treatment material is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. It will be explained with reference to it.

The excrement treatment system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes the above-mentioned excrement treatment material 20, a porous member 30 for laying the excrement treatment material 20, and an absorber 40 for absorbing urine. ing. From the viewpoint of handleability, it is preferable that the excrement treatment system 10 has a container 50 in the lower layer thereof, and the container 50 has a tray 52 capable of accommodating the absorber 40.

The porous member 30 has a tray-like shape with a shallow bottom, and has a slatted porous portion 31 at the bottom thereof. The porous portion 31 is configured to have a plurality of wires extending in parallel with each other. There is a gap between the wires so that the excrement treatment material 20 does not fall. Further, the porous member 30 is configured to be removable from the container 50.

The absorber 40 is in the form of a sheet capable of absorbing a liquid such as urine. The absorber 40 is, for example, a mixture obtained by mixing (1) a substrate mainly composed of plant fiber or pulp with an antibacterial agent, a binder, a cross-linking agent, and at least one kind of water, and molding the mixture into a sheet shape. , (2) Clay minerals (kaolin, bentonite, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, etc.) crushed to a predetermined particle size, water and a binder are mixed to form a slurry, and the slurry is poured into a mold having a predetermined shape to have a predetermined water content. It can be prepared by drying it at a predetermined temperature and then removing the mold, or (3) a mixture of a pulp and a water-absorbent polymer wrapped in a sheet such as a non-woven fabric to form a sheet. Can be mentioned. In particular, it is preferable to use the absorber 40 made of the constituent raw material of the above (1) from the viewpoint of improving the absorbability of urine and facilitating the handling.

The container 50 has a bottomed shape with an open top, and has a volume capable of accommodating the bottom of the porous member 30 and the absorber 40. A substantially rectangular notch 51 is formed on one side surface of the container 50, and the tray 52 can be taken in and out of the container 50 through the notch 51. The tray 52 is a thin tray having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and can be accommodated in the container 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the tray 52 contains an absorber 40 that absorbs and holds excrement such as urine.

In the state of use of the excrement treatment system, as shown in FIG. 3, in the excrement treatment system 10, the porous member 30 is arranged on the absorber 40, and the excrement treatment material 20 is arranged on the porous member 30. Is laid. Specifically, in the accommodation state shown in the figure, the container 50 is vertically partitioned by the bottom of the porous member 30, and the upper layer portion of the container 50 is laid with the excrement treatment material 20 on the porous member 30. In addition, the absorber 40 is laid in the tray 52 in the lower layer portion of the container 50. From the viewpoint of effectively absorbing urine, the absorber 40 preferably has a size substantially equal to the area where the porous portion 31 of the porous member 30 is arranged.

When the excrement treatment material of the present invention is used in the excrement treatment system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, urine excreted from the pet passes between the excrement treatment materials 20 and under the porous member 30. It is quickly absorbed by the laid absorber 40. The odorous component of urine will be deodorized by the excrement treatment material 20 and the absorber 40 in contact with urine. Further, the feces excreted from the pet remain on the excrement treatment material 20 or mixed with the excrement treatment material 20, and the odorous component generated from the feces is adsorbed on the excrement treatment material 20 to exert a deodorizing effect. To.
Since the excrement treatment material 20 has high water resistance and does not expand or disintegrate even when it comes into contact with urine, the excrement treatment material can be used for a long period of time, and the labor for replacement is reduced. Further, even when the excrement treatment material is used for a long period of time, the treatment material does not collapse when it is replaced or when the pet walks on the treatment material, and the handling material is excellent.

According to the pet excrement treatment material having the above configuration and the pet excrement treatment system using the treatment material, the odor of excrement such as pet urine and feces can be effectively deodorized. .. These are particularly useful as excrement treatment materials for cats, but can also be used for treating excrement for other pets, such as small animals such as dogs.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiment thereof, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of the excrement treatment material has been described as a columnar shape, but the shape is not particularly limited, and the shape may be a polygonal columnar shape such as a triangular columnar column or a square columnar shape, or an elliptical columnar shape. can. The shape of the excrement treatment material can be appropriately changed by changing the shape of the extrusion port in the molding machine.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to such examples. Unless otherwise specified, "%" means "mass%". In the table below, "-" means that it is not contained.

[Examples 1 to 3]
Wood flour (manufactured by Dainichi Sangyo Co., Ltd., average particle size: 700 μm, 90% or more of coniferous tree-derived wood flour) as a crushed product of plant-derived materials, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) (Tosoh stock) as a synthetic resin Ultrasen (registered trademark) 710 manufactured by the company; melting point: 69 ° C., MFR: 18 g / 10 minutes), calcium carbonate A (manufactured by Shiraishi Kogyo Co., Ltd., Shiro Gloss Flower CC; average particle size: 0.04 μm) and water-insoluble. Zinc oxide (fine zinc oxide manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd .; average particle size: 0.28 μm, BET specific surface area: 11 m ² / g) was mixed as a sex inorganic substance in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. Mixing was carried out using a ribbon paddle mixer (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.) at a rotation speed of 95 rpm for 5 minutes. After that, using a pelletizer (F-5 type manufactured by Dalton Corporation) and a die with a hole diameter of 6 mm and a thickness of 40 mm at the extrusion port, a columnar pet having a bottom diameter of 6 mm and a height of 40 mm. Manufactured excrement treatment material.

[Example 4]
Calcium carbonate B (manufactured by Bikita Powder Industry Co., Ltd., Softon 3200; average particle size: 0.7 μm) was used instead of calcium carbonate A, and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. A pet excrement treatment material was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Comparative Example 1]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the content of calcium carbonate A was changed and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below.

[Comparative Examples 2 to 3]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the content of calcium carbonate B was changed and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below.

[Comparative Examples 4 to 7]
Example 1 except that calcium carbonate C (manufactured by Sankyo Seiko Co., Ltd., special grade; average particle size: 4.4 μm) was used instead of calcium carbonate A, and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. The same as above, the excrement treatment material for pets was manufactured.

[Reference Example 1]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that calcium carbonate was not contained and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below.

[Evaluation of water resistance]
The water resistance of the pet excrement treatment materials of Examples, Comparative Examples and Reference Examples was evaluated by the following method. First, 70 g of the excrement treatment material for pets to be measured was housed in a mesh sheave. As the mesh sheave, a stainless steel one manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd., having an inner diameter of 100 mm, a height of 45 mm, a wire diameter of 1.12 mm, and an opening of 2.8 mm was used. Next, the pet excrement treatment material contained in the mesh sheave was put into a water bath (AS ONE, EW-100RD) in which the water temperature was set to 25 ° C., and immersed for 20 minutes. Then, the mass of the excrement treatment material for pets after immersion was measured, and the water absorption rate (%) was calculated from the following formula (I). Those showing a water absorption rate lower than that of Reference Example 1 mean that the water absorption rate is excellent, and those showing a water absorption rate higher than that of Reference Example 1 mean poor water resistance. The results are shown in Table 1.
Water absorption rate (%) = 100 × [(mass of excrement treatment material for pets after immersion [g])-(mass of excrement treatment material for pets before immersion [g])] / (for pets before immersion Mass of excrement treatment material [g]) ・ ・ (I)

[Evaluation of equipment load during manufacturing]
In producing the excrement treatment materials for pets of Examples, Comparative Examples and Reference Examples, the load on the equipment during production was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1.
<Evaluation criteria>
◯: During manufacturing, the number of granulated particles per unit time is within the set value range, and unintended current / voltage changes in the device are not observed, which is excellent in reducing the device load.
X: During manufacturing, the number of granulated particles per unit time is reduced, or unintended current / voltage changes in the device are observed, resulting in a load on the device.

As shown in Table 1, the excrement treatment material of each example is water resistant as compared with the excrement treatment material of the comparative example by blending calcium carbonate having a predetermined particle size in a predetermined content. It can be seen that the shape retention is good and the load on the device is reduced in long-term use in the presence of water such as urine. It can also be seen that the excrement treatment materials of Comparative Examples 1 and 7 have good water resistance, but the equipment load during production becomes excessive and the production efficiency is inferior. In addition, the excrement treatment material of each example can exhibit a high deodorizing effect.

10 Pet excrement treatment system 20 Pet excrement treatment material 30 Porous member 40 Absorber 50 Container 51 Notch 52 Tray

Claims (7)

Contains 70.0% by mass or more and 98.9% by mass or less of crushed material derived from plants.
Contains 1.0% by mass or more and 29.9% by mass or less of synthetic resin
A pet excretion treatment material containing 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less of calcium carbonate, and the average particle size of the calcium carbonate is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.1 μm. Contains 70.0% by mass or more and 96.0% by mass or less of crushed material derived from plants.
Contains 1.0% by mass or more and 27.0% by mass or less of synthetic resin
A pet excretion treatment material containing 3.0% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less of calcium carbonate, and having an average particle size of the calcium carbonate of 0.1 μm or more and 1 μm or less. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a water-insoluble inorganic substance other than calcium carbonate. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 3, which contains zinc oxide as the water-insoluble inorganic substance. The excrement treatment material for pets according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the total amount of the calcium carbonate and the water-insoluble inorganic substance is 5% by mass or less. The pet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the synthetic resin has a melting point of 60 ° C. or higher and 160 ° C. or lower, and a melt flow rate of 0.1 g / 10 minutes or longer and 200 g / 10 minutes or lower. Excrement treatment material. The pet excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material, and an absorber for absorbing urine are provided.
A pet excrement treatment system in which the porous member is arranged on the absorber and the pet excrement treatment material is laid on the porous member.

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