JP2023155740A - Low dust emission pet urination treatment material - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pet urination treatment material having excellent dust emission suppression function, and hardly decreasing dust emission suppressibility, even when receiving an impact by transportation or the like.SOLUTION: A pet urination treatment material has a dust suppressant as a surface treatment agent on the surface of the urination treatment material. In the pet urination treatment material, the dust suppressant contains an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal, and a water-soluble organic substance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a pet urine disposal material, and more specifically, a low-dusting pet urine disposal material that has excellent dust generation suppression ability and whose dust generation suppression ability does not easily deteriorate even when subjected to impact during transportation etc. Concerning materials and their manufacturing methods.

Pet urine disposal materials (also called cat litter, toilet litter, etc.) have been known for some time, and are used by filling pet toilet containers such as urination trays. It is something that When a pet urinates in a toilet lined with such pet urine disposal material, the urine is absorbed by the urine disposal material, and the owner gradually replenishes the lost amount by removing only the used areas that have absorbed urine with a shovel, etc. used. The raw materials and composition of pet urine disposal materials vary widely depending on the product, but typical ones include clay-based materials, wood-based materials, paper-based materials, etc., and the required properties Examples include water absorbency, coagulation and solidification properties, deodorizing properties, and deodorizing properties.

Now, until about a few decades ago, pet toilets were often placed in areas where it was okay to get a little dirty, such as on dirt floors, but in recent years, due to changes in housing conditions, the number of housing complexes such as condominiums and apartments has increased. As a result, more and more people are keeping pets indoors, and as a result, more and more pet toilets are being placed indoors. As pet toilets are now placed indoors, hygiene issues have arisen due to the fine particles that fly from the packaging bag being scattered around the toilet container when pet urine disposal materials are transferred into the pet toilet container. As attention has been focused on the health problems caused by people and pets inhaling scattered fine particles, there is now a need for dust suppression effects, which had not previously been given much importance in pet urine disposal materials. ing.

Conventionally, the raw materials for pet urine disposal materials include (1) natural bentonite, or a clay-based raw material made from natural bentonite and activated bentonite containing an alkaline component;
(2) Wood-based raw materials made of wood-derived materials such as wood flour (sawdust) or wood chips (fine chips);
(3) Paper-based raw materials made from paper-derived materials such as recycled paper or recycled pulp;
etc. are known, and in addition to these, in recent years,
(4) Vegetable fibrous raw materials derived from soybeans, corn, etc. such as okara,
The number of pet urine disposal materials that utilize these materials is increasing, and many of the pet urine disposal materials are made from one of these materials (1) to (4) as the main raw material.
And these base materials are
(A) clay-based base material containing (1) as the main raw material;
(B) a plant-derived cellulosic base material containing any of (2) to (4) as the main raw material;
The urine treatment material base material to which the dust generation suppression treatment of the present invention is applied also belongs to either of the (A) or (B) classifications.

The degree of generation of fine powder varies depending on the shape and raw materials of the pet urine disposal material, but even if the pet urine disposal material is in the form of granules or flakes of a certain size, it may be susceptible to vibrations, shocks, etc. during transportation. As a result, parts of the product may chip or crumble, resulting in powdered products getting mixed into the packaging bag. Since products are transported through the hands of various companies, it is practically difficult to suppress the generation of fine powder by improving handling during the transport process.

As an invention that focuses on such a dust generation suppressing effect, Patent Document 1 discloses that by treating the surface of a granular molded body formed from water-swellable clay mineral with polyalkylene glycol, paraffin wax, higher fatty acid, etc. A technique has been disclosed that improves the powdering prevention properties of the granular molded body. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that a granulated material containing any one of coal ash, wood flour, clay, etc. is coated with cellulose, water-absorbing polymer powder, fibrous material, gypsum, etc. to scatter the granulated material. Techniques have been shown to make it more difficult. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique of surface treating the surface of a urine treatment material base material with a dust generation suppressant containing sodium silicate, glycerin, and diol-type or triol-type polypropylene glycol.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-42798 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-211018 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-84727

However, in the inventions described in Cited Documents 1 to 3, although dusting etc. are suppressed to some extent immediately after manufacture, when the pet urine disposal material is subjected to impact, the ability to suppress dusting is significantly reduced. was there. In other words, after pet urine disposal materials are manufactured, they are packaged in bags and transported to warehouses and retail stores, but due to vibrations during transportation and shocks such as when the bags are thrown into storage after being purchased, they may actually be damaged. When used at home, the ability to suppress dust generation is often reduced.

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to have an excellent dust generation suppressing function, and to prevent the dust generation suppressing ability from decreasing even when subjected to impact during transportation etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pet urine disposal material that is hard to clean and has low dust generation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a low-dust emitting pet urine disposal material having the above-mentioned performance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust generation suppressant for use in a low dust generation pet urine treatment material.

Other objects and effects of the present invention will be easily understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following description.

In order to meet current and future needs from the standpoint of a supplier of this product and to further increase customer satisfaction, the inventors of the present application have made further improvements in the important dust suppression performance required for pet urine disposal materials. Through these efforts, we have arrived at the present invention.

That is, the low dust generation pet urine treatment material according to the present invention is a low dust generation pet urine treatment material having a dust generation inhibitor as a surface treatment agent on the surface of the urine treatment material base material, The dust suppressant is characterized by containing at least an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and a water-soluble organic substance.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to obtain a pet urine disposal material that has an excellent dust generation suppressing ability and whose dust generation suppressing ability does not easily deteriorate even when subjected to impact during transportation or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal is preferably at least one of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and aluminum chloride. According to such a configuration, a low dust-emitting pet urine treatment material having an excellent dust generation suppressing effect can be obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-soluble organic substance preferably has a solubility of 30 g or more per 100 g of water. According to such a configuration, a low dust-emitting pet urine treatment material having an excellent dust generation suppressing effect can be obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-soluble organic substance preferably has a hydroxy group.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-soluble organic substance having a hydroxy group is preferably a saccharide.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saccharide is preferably glucose. According to such a configuration, a low dust-emitting pet urine treatment material having an excellent dust generation suppressing effect can be obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the urine treatment material base material includes:
(A) natural bentonite, or a clay-based raw material made from activated bentonite containing an alkaline component;
(B) Plant-derived cellulosic raw materials such as okara, pulp, and wood flour;
It is preferable that either or both of (A) and (B) are included.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dust generation inhibitor contains the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal at a concentration of 5 to 30 weight percent, the water-soluble organic substance at a concentration of 10 to 55 weight percent, and Contains the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal and the glucose in a weight ratio of 1:0.33 to 1:11,
When the urine treatment material base material is (A) natural bentonite or a clay-based raw material made from the bentonite and made of activated bentonite containing an alkaline component, 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material is It is used in a range of 0.1 to 2 parts by weight,
When the urine treatment material base material is (B) a cellulosic raw material derived from plants such as okara, pulp, and wood flour, 0.1 parts by weight or more based on 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material. It is preferable to use the range of .

Moreover, the present invention can be regarded as an invention of a dust generation suppressant.

The dust generation inhibitor according to the present invention is a dust generation inhibitor used in the base material of pet urine treatment materials, and includes an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal at a concentration of 5 to 30 weight percent, and a water-soluble organic substance at a concentration of 10 to 55 percent by weight. The inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance are contained in a weight percent concentration of 1:0.33 to 1:11, and the water-soluble organic substance is 30g per 100g of water. It has a solubility of 0.1 part by weight or more based on 100 parts by weight of the pet urine treatment material base material.

According to such a configuration, a dust generation suppressant can be obtained that can obtain a high dust generation suppressing effect when used for clay base materials such as natural bentonite, okara base materials, pulp base materials, etc. .

Further, the present invention can be regarded as a method for manufacturing a pet urine disposal material with low dust generation.

The method for producing a low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to the present invention includes:
a step of preparing a urine disposal material base material;
preparing a dust suppressant;
comprising the step of surface treating the surface of the urine treatment material base material with the dust generation inhibitor,
The urine treatment material base material is
(A) natural bentonite, or a clay-based raw material made from activated bentonite containing an alkaline component;
(B) Plant-derived cellulosic raw materials such as okara, pulp, and wood flour;
Contains either or both of (A) and (B) raw materials,
The dust generation inhibitor contains at least a polyvalent metal ion and a water-soluble organic substance, the polyvalent metal ion is a magnesium, calcium or aluminum ion, and the water-soluble organic substance is 30g or more per 100g of water. It is characterized by having a solubility of .

The pet urine disposal material according to the present invention has an excellent ability to suppress dust generation, and the ability to suppress dust generation does not easily deteriorate even when subjected to impact during transportation or the like.

2 is a chart showing the configuration and amount of dust generated in Example 1. 3 is a chart showing the configuration and amount of dust generated in Example 2. 3 is a chart showing the increase and decrease in the amount of dust generated before and after vibration in Example 3. 2 is a chart (part 1) showing changes in the amount of dust generated after the container is put into the container. FIG. 2 is a chart (part 2) showing changes in the amount of dust generated after the container is put into the container. It is a figure showing an example of the vibrator used for a vibration test. It is a graph which shows the verification result of the preparation procedure of a dust generation inhibitor. It is a graph showing verification results regarding polyvalent metal salts. It is a graph showing verification results regarding water-soluble organic substances. It is a graph which shows the verification result about a compounding ratio. It is a graph (part 1) showing the verification result about a base material. It is a graph (part 2) which shows the verification result regarding a base material.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the low-dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to the present invention will be described in detail.

As mentioned above, the low dust generation pet urine treatment material according to the present invention is obtained by surface-treating the urine treatment material base material with a dust generation inhibitor.

[Dust generation suppressant]
First of all, the dust generation suppressant will be explained. The dust suppressant used in the present invention contains at least an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and a water-soluble organic substance. Inorganic salts of polyvalent metals do not have the effect of suppressing dust generation by themselves, and some water-soluble organic substances have the effect of suppressing dust generation by themselves. The effect of suppressing dust generation is improved compared to the case where it is used. At present, it is unclear at present what mechanism of action improves the dust generation suppression effect when an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and a water-soluble organic substance are used together.

In the present invention, an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal is used as a dust suppressant. Although the details will be described later, according to verification by the inventors of the present invention, monovalent metal salts such as lithium, sodium, and cesium generate dust from water-soluble organic substances even when used in combination with water-soluble organic substances. Only an inhibitory effect was obtained, and no synergistic effect was observed. The same was true for organic acid salts, and no improvement in dust suppression effect was observed by using a water-soluble organic substance and an organic acid salt of a polyvalent metal in combination.

The inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium nitrate, aluminum chloride, aluminum nitrate, etc. are preferred from the viewpoint of ease of acquisition and handling, non-coloring of the coated surface, etc. Furthermore, although the mechanism of action is unknown, there are many examples in which inorganic salts of polyvalent metals having deliquescent properties significantly improve the dust generation suppression effect when used in combination with water-soluble organic substances.

The amount of the polyvalent metal inorganic salt to be blended is preferably in the range of 5 to 30 parts by weight, more preferably in the range of 20 to 30 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the dust generation inhibitor.

In the present invention, a water-soluble organic substance is used as the dust suppressant. The water-soluble organic substance used here is not particularly limited, but ethanol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, glucose, sorbitol, ε-caprolactam, sugars, and other compounds having a hydroxyl group are preferred.

In the present invention, the water-soluble organic substance preferably has a solubility of 30 g or more per 100 g of water. The amount of the water-soluble organic substance to be blended is preferably in the range of 10 to 55 parts by weight, more preferably in the range of 30 to 45 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the dust generation inhibitor.

Further, in the present invention, the blending ratio of the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance is preferably in the range of 1:0.3 to 11 (inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal: water-soluble organic substance).

In the dust generation inhibitor of the present invention, raw materials other than the inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance may be added to the extent that the object of the invention is not impaired.

In addition, in the present invention, the dust generation suppressant is added to the urine treatment material by spraying it onto the surface of the urine treatment material base material, rather than kneading the dust generation inhibitor into the raw material of the urine treatment material base material. It is preferable to use a method that allows uneven distribution on the surface of the base material.

[Base material for urine treatment material]
Next, the base material for the urine treatment material will be explained. As the urine disposal material base material used in the pet urine disposal material of the present invention, various types of urine disposal material base materials that are likely to generate dust can be used. Specifically, (A) natural bentonite , or a clay material made of activated bentonite containing an alkaline component using the bentonite as a raw material, (B) a cellulose material derived from plants such as bean curd curd, pulp, and wood flour, etc. It is possible to use a base material for a urine treatment material that has been prepared.

Further, when a clay-based raw material is used as a raw material, natural bentonite or activated bentonite obtained by treating the bentonite with an alkali is used. The natural bentonite and activated bentonite that make up the clay raw material are naturally made from natural Ca-type smectite because they are made from natural raw materials and can express better water absorption and coagulation solidification properties. It is often used as a raw material, and is often preferred as such. Here, Ca-type smectite is a clay mineral that generally exists in the middle layer of smectite clay deposits, and there are many exchangeable cations such as Ca ions and Mg ions between the layers of the smectite structure. It's about clay. Although the urine treatment material base material containing such Ca-type smectite as the main raw material has excellent properties such as water absorption and coagulation and solidification properties, it has the problem of being brittle and easily chipped. By performing surface treatment with the dust generation inhibitor of the present invention, dust generation can be suppressed even in the urine treatment material base material made of such brittle raw materials.

[Production method]
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a low-dust emitting pet urine treatment material according to the present invention will be described. For the dust suppressant, a polyvalent metal salt is added to a predetermined amount of water and stirred while heating. Once the polyvalent metal salt is dissolved, a water-soluble organic substance is added and the mixture is further heated and stirred to obtain an aqueous solution as a dust generation inhibitor. There is no difference in effectiveness even if the water-soluble organic substance is added first and the polyvalent metal salt is added once it has dissolved. Although it depends on the type of polyvalent metal salt and water-soluble organic substance used, it is often a viscous, colorless and transparent solution. By spraying the obtained liquid dust generation inhibitor onto the surface of the urine treatment material base material, the low dust generation pet urine treatment material according to the present invention can be obtained.

The amount of dust suppressant to be sprayed is 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of the dust suppressant solution per 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base when the base material for the urine treatment material is clay-based raw material. When the urine treatment material base material is a cellulosic raw material derived from plants, the dust generation inhibitor solution is preferably used in a range of 0.1 part by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material. It is preferable to use it in In the case of urine treatment materials made from clay-based raw materials, solidification is important, so it is preferable to use the material within a range that does not impede solidification. On the other hand, for cellulosic materials derived from plants, solidification is not as important as clay-based materials, and they generally do not have solidification properties to begin with. Since there is almost no effect on the dust, etc., it is possible to increase the amount of spraying to have a dust suppression effect. Note that the amount of sprayed herein also includes the weight of water.

[About the surface treatment process]
Next, in the present invention, the step of surface treating the urine treatment material base material with a dust generation inhibitor will be described. For surface treatment with a dust suppressant, general coating methods can be used as appropriate, such as spraying a liquid dust suppressant onto the base material of the urine treatment material, then putting it in a case and shaking it. From the perspective of evenly adhering the dust generation inhibitor to the surface of the urine treatment material base material, while shaking the entire urine treatment material base material in a container, drop or spray the liquid dust generation inhibitor onto the surface of the urine treatment material base material. A preferred method is to transfer the material to a suitable container as necessary and to homogeneously process it by vibration or rotation. As an example, surface treatment can be performed in the following procedure. A stainless steel drum is placed on a pot mill rotary table, and the urine treatment material base material is placed in the stainless steel drum, and the aqueous solution dust suppressant is dripped while rotating at a speed of about 5 to 30 rpm and shaking the whole thing. After sealing the stainless steel drum, by rotating it at a predetermined rotational speed for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes, an appropriate amount of dust generation inhibitor can be deposited on the surface of the urine treatment material base material.

As mentioned earlier, the low dust generation pet urine disposal material of the present invention not only generates a small amount of dust immediately after production, but also exhibits little decrease in dust generation suppression ability after being subjected to impact. It is characterized by this. In order to evaluate both of these, in the present invention, it was decided to look at the amount of dust generation and the amount of change in the amount of dust generation.

In the present invention, the method for measuring the amount of dust generated will be described later, but if the amount of dust generated is 100 cpm or less, most people will not feel the generation of dust, and if the amount of dust generated is about 100 to 300 cpm, For most people, the dust is at a level that does not bother them, and if the amount of dust generated is about 300 to 500 cpm, it is at a level that some dust can be felt. Therefore, in the present invention, the amount of dust generated by the pet urine treatment material is preferably 300 cpm or less, more preferably 100 cpm or less. When using a regular-sized pet toilet, the amount of pet urine disposal material to be refilled each time is generally about 100 to 250 g, so the amount of dust generated per 1 kg is 400 cpm or less. If so, the amount of dust generated during replenishment would be less than 100 cpm, which is considered to be at a level where most people will not feel the generation of dust.

In the present invention, when the dust suppressant is a clay-based raw material, it is preferably used in an amount of 0.1 to 2 parts by weight, and preferably 0.4 to 1 part by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material. A range of .2 parts by weight is more preferable. By using the dust generation inhibitor within the above-mentioned range, sufficient dust generation suppression ability can be obtained without impairing the urine absorption and solidification properties of the pet urine treatment material.

On the other hand, when the urine treatment material base material is a cellulosic raw material derived from plants, it is preferable to use the dust suppressant solution in a range of 0.1 part by weight or more based on 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material. , more preferably in the range of 0.1 to 2 parts by weight. This is because plant-derived cellulosic raw materials have a light bulk specific gravity and have a large volume per 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material, so in order to obtain a sufficient effect, it is necessary to spray a larger amount than clay-based raw materials. This is because it is preferable.

[Basic performance as pet urine disposal material]
As mentioned earlier, the low dust emitting pet urine treatment material of the present invention is mainly aimed at suppressing dust generation, but on the other hand, it has a high water absorption ability (urine absorption ability) and solidification strength. It is constructed to meet the basic performance requirements as a urine treatment material.

Here, the solidification strength of the pet urine disposal material means the strength of solidified lumps after urine absorption.If the solidification strength is high, it will not self-destruct when removing the solidified lumps after urine absorption, and at this time, Even if you accidentally drop it on the floor, it will maintain its shape, allowing you to hygienically remove solidified lumps after absorbing urine. Furthermore, if the pet urine disposal material has a high water absorption capacity, urine can be absorbed quickly with a small amount of pet urine disposal material, which prevents urine from flowing downward, and reduces the amount of urine used per use, making it more economical. It is also preferable.

Examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to the following configuration.

[Manufacture of urine treatment material base material]
Dioctahedral-type smectite clay mined from subbentonite deposits located in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture was used as a raw material, and water was added as needed to obtain a crushed material with a water content of 33%. 10 kg of the crushed material (calculated as dry matter at 150°C) and 300 g (=5.7 equivalents) of sodium carbonate powder as an active bentonitizing agent as Na ₂ CO ₃ were placed in the same polyethylene bag, shaken well, and then placed in a bag with a pore size of 10 mm. Mix and knead three times using a single-screw horizontal extrusion granulator equipped with a forming plate. The coarse granules were granulated using a desk pelleter (rotating roll vertical extrusion granulator) equipped with a forming plate with a hole diameter of 3 mm, dried at 170°C in a small rotary drying oven, and then pulverized using a crusher. A urinary treatment material base material having self-adhesive properties was obtained by passing through a sieving machine.

[Manufacture of dust suppressant]
Example 1-1 was carried out by adding 247.09 g of magnesium chloride in terms of anhydride to 100 g of water and stirring while heating to dissolve it. Next, 231.4 g of ethanol was added and further heating and stirring was performed. Such an aqueous solution dust suppressant was obtained.

[Manufacture of low-dust emitting pet urine disposal material]
Place a stainless steel drum (diameter 300 mm x height 200 mm) on a pot mill rotary table, put 2 kg of the urine treatment material base material into the stainless steel drum, rotate it at a speed of about 10 rpm, shake the whole thing, and add 20 g of dust generation suppressant. (1.0 weight percent) dropwise. Next, by rotating at a rotational speed of about 10 rpm for about 1 minute, the low dust generation pet urine according to Example 1-1 was impregnated with 1.0 weight percent of the dust generation inhibitor on the surface of the urine treatment material base material. A treated material was obtained.

Next, by changing some of the formulations in Example 1-1 to the configuration shown in FIG. A dusty pet urine disposal material was obtained. In Example 1 and each subsequent example, EtOH represents ethanol, PEG represents polyethylene glycol, PG represents propylene glycol, GL represents glycerin, Glc represents glucose, Sor represents sorbitol, CPL represents ε-caprolactam, and the type of PEG The number in the name represents the average molecular weight.

[Measurement of dust generation amount: Measured after 1 minute]
Regarding the low dust generation pet urine treatment materials according to each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, prepare 2 kg of the material after spraying the dust generation inhibitor and leave it for at least one night to absorb the dust generation inhibitor, and use it as a sample. . A semi-airtight wooden container for homemade dust measurement measuring approximately 45 cm in height, approximately 35 cm in length, and approximately 35 cm in width, with a circular flat-bottom vat installed inside and connected to a dust meter, and a manual opening/closing circle with a diameter of 5 cm at the bottom. Prepare a round-bottomed container with a hole in it, transfer 1 kg of sample into the round-bottomed container, open a hole in the bottom of the round-bottomed container in a self-made semi-sealed container for dust measurement, and transfer the entire amount of the sample into the round-bottomed container. Let it fall naturally 30 to 40 cm to the bat. After leaving it for 1 minute, the atmosphere inside the self-made semi-sealed container for dust measurement was sucked for 1 minute using a dust meter (light scattering method, digital dust measuring device LD-5D, manufactured by Shibata Scientific Co., Ltd.). Measure the amount of dust (unit: cpm). This measurement was performed twice, and the average value was defined as the amount of dust generated (cpm). Note that the amount of dust here is strictly expressed as the amount of light scattered by the type of dust (cpm value), but the amount of light scattered by the type of dust is expressed as the concentration of dust suspended in the air (quantity per unit space). ), this value was taken as the dust generation amount (cpm/kg) representing the dust generation property of each sample. In addition, in the "immediate measurement" described below, the amount of dust is measured immediately after the drop, without leaving it for one minute.

[Dust generation suppression rate]
How much the amount of dust generated by the low-dusting pet urine treatment materials of each Example and Comparative Example is reduced compared to the amount of dust generated before attachment of each Example and Comparative Example, which corresponds to a blank sample. The dust generation suppression rate I (%) is expressed by the following formula. Note that here, DX represents the amount of dust generated by the target sample (after impregnation), and DB represents the amount of dust generated from the untreated material (before impregnation).
I=(1-DX/DB)×100...Formula (1)
In other words, the dust generation suppression rate obtained from the above formula (1) indicates the rate of dust generation suppression, and if I is 60, 60% of the amount of dust generated when untreated is suppressed, and the dust generation of the sample is suppressed. This means that the amount of dust is 40% of the amount of untreated dust DB.

[Vibration test]
In this vibration test, the amount of dust generated after transporting a given sample was measured in advance, and a comparison test was conducted to determine how much vibration should be applied to the same sample to achieve the same amount of dust as after transport. The vibration treatment conditions were set based on the results of the comparative test above. That is, each sample after the vibration test was subjected to the same degree of vibration as after transportation.
The structure of the vibrator used for the vibration test is shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 is a homemade vibrator, 2 is a vibration generator (small electromagnetic feeder CF-2, manufactured by Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.), and 3 is a controller (small electromagnetic feeder controller C8-1VF, made by Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.). ), 4 is a mounting table, and 5 is a sample bag. Use the low-dust emitting pet urine disposal materials according to each example and comparative example as samples, and put 2 kg of each into a commercially available nylon polybag (length 330 mm x width 260 mm x thickness 0.095 mm, outer layer nylon/inner layer polyethylene). , close the mouth of the nylon plastic bag to obtain a sample bag 5. The sample bag 5 is placed on the mounting table 4 and vibrated for 10 minutes using a half-wave drive method at an output voltage of 190 V and a vibration frequency of 50 Hz, and then the amount of dust generated is measured, and this is defined as the amount of dust generated after vibration (cpm).

[Verification results for Example 1]
Example 1 is an example using magnesium chloride, which is an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal, and various water-soluble organic substances, and the results are shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 1, in Comparative Example 1-1, in which only magnesium chloride was used as a dust suppressant, the amount of dust generated increased after surface treatment; In Examples 1-1 to 1-12 in which magnesium and various water-soluble organic substances were used in combination, the amount of dust generation was significantly reduced. Further, the dust generation suppression effects of Examples 1-1 to 1-12 were all higher than that of Comparative Example 1-2, which is the applicant's prior art.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 2]
In Example 1-1, by changing the composition of the polyvalent metal inorganic salt and the water-soluble organic substance to the composition shown in FIG. 2, Examples 2-1 to 2-6 and Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2 were obtained. A low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to No.-5 was obtained.

[Verification results for Example 2]
Example 2 is an example in which inorganic salts of various metals other than magnesium chloride and various water-soluble organic substances were used, and the results are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in Examples 2-1 to 2-5, the amount of dust generation was significantly reduced. Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-4 using inorganic salts of monovalent metals all showed a decrease in the amount of dust generated, but the reduction was smaller compared to Examples 1 and 2-1 to 2-5. The results were almost the same as those of Comparative Examples 1-2 and 2-5 in which a water-soluble organic substance alone was used. From this result, it is considered that even if an inorganic salt of a monovalent metal is used in combination with a water-soluble organic substance, a synergistic effect in suppressing dust generation cannot be obtained.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 3]
In Example 1-10, by changing the blending amount of glucose in the dust generation inhibitor to the composition shown in FIG. 3, the low dust generation pet urine disposal material according to Examples 3-1 and 3-2 I got it. Furthermore, Comparative Example 3-1 is a so-called blank sample in which no dust generation inhibitor was used.

[Verification results for Example 3]
Example 3 is an example for verifying the change in the amount of dust generated before and after vibration treatment when vibration is applied to the low dust generation pet urine treatment material. FIG. 3 shows the change in the amount of dust generated before and after the vibration treatment. In Comparative Example 3-1, which is a blank sample, the amount of dust generated increased significantly after the vibration treatment. On the other hand, in the samples of Examples 3-1 and 3-2 according to the present invention, the amount of dust generated was small even before the vibration treatment, and the amount of dust generated increased even after the vibration treatment. is relatively suppressed, and even when vibrations are applied during transportation, etc., the dust generation suppression ability is unlikely to decrease, and a certain degree of dust generation suppression effect is maintained even when it reaches the user. It is assumed that. Figures 4 and 5 show the results of actually verifying powder formation when users use low-dust emitting pet urine disposal materials. This was verified by measuring the amount of dust generated every 30 seconds from immediately after charging. Figure 4 shows the amount of dust generated by the low-dust generation pet urine treatment material before vibration treatment, and Figure 5 shows the amount of dust generation from the low-dust generation pet urine treatment material after vibration treatment. has been done. Generally, if the amount of dust generated is 100 cpm or less, it is considered to be at a level that does not bother humans, but Example 3-2, which is a low dust generation pet urine treatment agent according to the present invention, is In the case of the former, there was a level of powder that was not noticeable immediately after being added, and even after the vibration treatment, the level of powder that was not noticeable was reached within about 30 seconds. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 3-1, which did not contain any additives, it took 180 seconds before the vibration treatment and about 210 seconds after the vibration treatment, which is longer than the product of the present invention, until the powder dust settled down.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 4]
In the preparation procedure of the dust generation suppressant of Example 3-1, the low dust generation pet urine treatment according to Example 4-1 can be obtained by adding glucose first, dissolving it, and then adding magnesium chloride. I got the material.

[Verification results for Example 4]
Example 4 is an example for verifying whether there is a difference in the effect of the dust generation inhibitor depending on the order in which the inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance are added during the preparation of the dust generation inhibitor. The results of Example 4 are shown in FIG. The amount of dust generated in Examples 3-1 and 4-1 is approximately the same, and it is considered that the order in which the inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance are added does not affect the performance of the dust generation inhibitor. .

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 5]
A low dust emitting pet urine treatment material according to Example 5-1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3-1 except that the amount of impregnation was changed to 0.8% by weight. In Example 5-1, by changing 20 weight percent of magnesium chloride in the dust generation inhibitor to 20 weight percent of magnesium acetate, a low dust generation pet urine treatment material according to Comparative Example 5-1 was obtained.

[Verification results for Example 5]
Example 5 is an example for comparing and verifying the dust generation suppressing effect of an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal with the effect of an organic acid salt of a polyvalent metal. The results of Example 5 are shown in FIG. Although the reason is not clear, magnesium chloride, which is an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal, has a high dust generation suppressing effect when used in combination with a water-soluble organic substance (Example 5-1). With magnesium acetate, which was a blank sample, no dust generation suppressing effect was obtained (Comparative Example 5-1), and the results were comparable to those of Comparative Example 3-1, which was a blank sample. Based on this result, it was decided to use an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal in the present invention.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 6]
In Example 5-1, glucose in the dust generation inhibitor was changed to fructose to obtain a low dust generation pet urine treatment material according to Example 6-1. In Example 5-1, the low dust generation property according to Comparative Example 6-1 was achieved by changing 30 weight percent of glucose in the dust generation inhibitor to 20 weight percent of lactose and changing the amount of impregnation to 1.0 weight percent. A pet urine disposal material was obtained. The reason why the amount of lactose blended is smaller than that of glucose and fructose is that it was impossible to blend 30% by weight due to the low solubility of lactose.

[Verification results for Example 6]
Example 6 is an example for verifying the influence of differences in the type and solubility of water-soluble organic substances on the dust generation suppression effect. The results of Example 6 are shown in FIG. Glucose and fructose are both sugars with high solubility in water, and both showed a high dust generation suppressing effect when used in combination with an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal (Examples 5-1 and 6-1). On the other hand, Comparative Example 6-1, in which lactose was blended, had a lower result than Examples 5-1 and 6-1, although the amount of dust generation was reduced. This is thought to be due to the fact that the solubility of lactose in water is as low as 16.4 g/100 g at 20° C., making it impossible to increase the amount of lactose blended. From the results of Example 6, it is considered that a water-soluble organic substance having a solubility in water of more than 30 g/100 g at room temperature is preferable as the water-soluble organic substance used in the present invention because it can easily achieve the object of the present invention.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 7]
In Example 1-10, by changing the blending amounts of magnesium chloride and glucose in the dust generation inhibitor to the composition shown in FIG. 10, the low dust generation pet products according to Examples 7-1 to 7-8 Urinary disposal material was obtained.

[Verification results for Example 7]
Example 7 is an example for verifying an appropriate blending ratio of an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and a water-soluble organic substance. The results of Example 7 are shown in FIG. Example 7-4 using a ratio of magnesium chloride: glucose = 30:10 and Example 7-7 using a ratio of magnesium chloride: glucose = 5:55 were compared with Comparative Example 1-2, which is a conventional technology. It showed remarkable dust suppression effect. On the other hand, in Example 7-5, in which 35% by weight of magnesium chloride was blended, the magnesium chloride was not completely dissolved and could not be put to practical use. Further, in Example 7-8 in which 60% by weight of glucose was blended, glucose was dissolved once but then precipitated, and this also could not be put to practical use. Based on these results, the blending ratio of the polyvalent metal inorganic salt was set in the range of 5 to 30 weight percent, and the blending ratio of the water-soluble organic substance was set in the range of 10 to 55 weight percent. Further, the appropriate blending ratio of the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance was set to be in the range of 1:0.333 to 1:11.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 8]
The following example was applied to 1 kg of pet urine treatment material made from okara (okara cat litter green, manufactured by Hitachi Kako Co., Ltd.) after drying it in a dryer set at 90°C overnight. Example 8-1: 0 weight percent, Example 8-2: 0.2 weight percent, Example 8-3: 0.4 weight percent, and Example 3-1 contained a dust generation suppressant having the same structure as 3-1. 8-4: 0.6 weight percent, Example 8-5: 0.8 weight percent, Example 8-6: 1.0 weight percent, to produce a low dust generating pet product according to Example 8. Urinary disposal material was obtained. The pet urine disposal material made of okara used in this example is of a type that does not solidify even if urine is absorbed and is flushed into the toilet after use.

In Example 8 and Example 9 described later, when measuring the amount of dust generation, in addition to the above-mentioned "measurement after 1 minute", "measurement immediately after" was also performed. This is because in Examples 8 and 9, which used okara base materials and pulp base materials, the time during which dust was flying was shorter than in other examples where clay base materials were used. This is because when the dust was left to stand for 1 minute, the dust had almost subsided and it was difficult to see any difference.

[Verification results for Example 8]
Example 8 is an example for verifying the effect of using the dust generation suppressant according to the present invention in a pet urine treatment material made of okara. The results of Example 8 are shown in FIG. As is clear from the results shown in FIG. 11, by using the dust generation suppressing agent according to the present invention, a dust generation suppressing effect was also obtained with the pet urine treatment material made of okara. Regarding the amount of impregnation, in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 weight percent, the dust generation suppression effect improved as the amount of impregnation increased.

[Manufacture of low dust emitting pet urine disposal material according to Example 9]
After drying pulp pet urine disposal material (Deosand multiple cat paper sand, manufactured by Unicharm Co., Ltd.) overnight in a dryer set at 90°C, Example 3 was applied to 1 kg of pet urine disposal material. Example 9-1: 0% by weight, Example 9-2: 0.2% by weight, Example 9-3: 0.4% by weight, and Example 9 contained a dust generation suppressant having the same composition as in Example 9-1. -4: 0.6 weight percent, Example 9-5: 0.8 weight percent, Example 9-6: 1.0 weight percent, resulting in low dust generation pet urine according to Example 9. A treated material was obtained. The pet urine disposal material made of pulp used in this example is of a form that solidifies after absorbing urine.

[Verification results for Example 9]
Example 9 is an example for verifying the effect of using the dust generation suppressant according to the present invention in a pulp pet urine treatment material. The results of Example 9 are shown in FIG. As is clear from the results shown in FIG. 12, by using the dust generation inhibitor according to the present invention, the effect of suppressing dust generation was obtained even in the pet urine treatment material made of pulp. Regarding the amount of impregnation, the dust generation suppressing effect improved as the amount of impregnation increased up to 0.6% by weight, but after that it reached a plateau.

As explained above, the low dust-emitting pet urine disposal material of the present invention has excellent dust generation suppression ability with little reduction even when the pet urine disposal material is subjected to impact during transportation or the like. It can be expected to have a good ability to suppress dust generation.

Claims (10)

A pet urine treatment material having a dust generation inhibitor as a surface treatment agent on the surface of the urine treatment material base material,
The pet urine treatment material is characterized in that the dust generation suppressant contains at least an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and a water-soluble organic substance. The pet urine disposal material according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal is at least one of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and aluminum chloride. The pet urine disposal material according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble organic substance has a solubility of 30 g or more per 100 g of water. The pet urine disposal material according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble organic substance has a hydroxyl group. The pet urine treatment material according to claim 4, wherein the water-soluble organic substance having a hydroxyl group is a saccharide. The pet urine disposal material according to claim 5, wherein the saccharide is glucose. The urine treatment material base material is
(A) natural bentonite, or a clay-based raw material made from activated bentonite containing an alkaline component;
(B) Plant-derived cellulosic raw materials such as okara, pulp, and wood flour;
The pet urine disposal material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it contains either or both of the raw materials (A) and (B). The dust generation inhibitor contains the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal at a concentration of 5 to 30 percent by weight, the water-soluble organic substance at a concentration of 10 to 55 percent by weight, and the inorganic salt of the polyvalent metal and the glucose. Contains in a weight ratio of 1:0.33 to 1:11,
When the urine treatment material base material is (A) natural bentonite or a clay-based raw material made from the bentonite and made of activated bentonite containing an alkaline component, 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material is It is used in a range of 0.1 to 2 parts by weight,
When the urine treatment material base material is (B) a cellulosic raw material derived from plants such as okara, pulp, and wood flour, 0.1 parts by weight or more based on 100 parts by weight of the urine treatment material base material. The pet urine disposal material according to claim 1, wherein the pet urine disposal material is used within the following range. A dust generation suppressant used in a pet urine treatment material base material, which contains an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal at a concentration of 5 to 30 weight percent, a water-soluble organic substance at a concentration of 10 to 55 weight percent, and the above-mentioned It contains an inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and the water-soluble organic substance in a weight ratio of 1:0.33 to 1:11, the water-soluble organic substance has a solubility of 30 g or more per 100 g of water, and the pet A dust generation inhibitor characterized in that it is used in an amount of 0.1 part by weight or more based on 100 parts by weight of a base material for a urine treatment material. a step of preparing a urine disposal material base material;
preparing a dust suppressant;
comprising the step of surface treating the surface of the urine treatment material base material with the dust generation inhibitor,
The urine treatment material base material is
(A) natural bentonite, or a clay-based raw material made from activated bentonite containing an alkaline component;
(B) Plant-derived cellulosic raw materials such as okara, pulp, and wood flour;
Contains either or both of (A) and (B) raw materials,
The dust generation inhibitor contains at least a polyvalent metal ion and a water-soluble organic substance, the polyvalent metal ion is a magnesium, calcium or aluminum ion, and the water-soluble organic substance is 30g or more per 100g of water. A method for producing a low-dust emitting pet urine disposal material characterized by having a solubility of

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