JPH05310271A - Degradable buffer material and production thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a buffer material which does not cause environmental pollution and which can be returned to the earth after use, by integrating a lot of swelled grains and molding them to form an appropriate shape. CONSTITUTION:Food grains such as coan, rice, many kinds of barley, soybeans, red beans, etc., for instance which retain appropriate water and swell and foam by the steam pressure on heating are utilized. Swelling is a phenomenon that the water content in the structure of the sereals is evaporated when they are suddenly released to a lower pressure after they are retained in a high temperature and pressure vessel until the temperature is sufficiently raised and the structure swells by the expansive pressure of the steam at the moment and the swelling is carried out by means of devices like a batch type buff gun. The grains swelled in such a way are integrated by use of an adhesive like gum arabic to obtain a required degradable buffer material by molding them with a mold frame 2 comprising upper and lower frames 3, 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Object of the Invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention uses a grain produced as a result of large-scale cultivation as a raw material, and after use, returns it to the soil and decomposes it without pollution. It is a truly earth-friendly, environment-friendly, degradable buffer. The present invention relates to a material and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Since synthetic resins are excellent in mass productivity, moldability and durability, they have achieved technological development and accompanying consumption expansion at a remarkable rate in this century. However, since the amount of these synthetic resins discarded has become enormous, many synthetic resin products are also present in the dust that floats on the sea and rushes to the coastline. At the refuse incineration plant, various problems have come to be raised due to the waste of synthetic resin. That is, since the synthetic resin has a very strong intermolecular bonding force, it emits high heat during incineration to damage the furnace wall, and the combustion gas contains a large amount of harmful gas. In addition, it does not rust even if it is exposed, and it does not decompose with light or ozone, and there is no choice but to wait for it to be abraded by mechanical energy such as wind and rain and waves.
In particular, in the case of highly foamed packaging cushioning materials, heat insulating materials, packaging trays, etc., this requires only a large volume, and separate collection is not cost-effective, so that it may occur at sea or on the coastline. Was an embarrassing entity, as it was white in color.

Under such circumstances, a recycling movement has been carried out, and degradable resins have been put on the market, and technical development of degradable resins has been remarkable recently.
Consumption is also expanding. However, the decomposable resin has a problem that the cost tends to be high and it is difficult to highly foam the resin.

[0004]

[Technical Items Attempted to Develop] Therefore, the present invention uses a grain obtained in large quantities by large-scale cultivation as its raw material, and after using it, decomposes it into a pollution-free cushioning material and its production. It is intended to provide a method.

[0005]

[Constitution of the invention]

[Means for Achieving the Object] That is, the degradable cushioning material according to the first invention of the present application is characterized in that a large number of swollen grain grains are aggregated and shaped as a whole into an appropriate shape. Further, the method for producing a degradable cushioning material according to the second invention of the present application has a step of expanding the cereal grains and a step of collecting a large number of the expanded cereal grains obtained thereby and integrating the whole. Is characterized by. These inventions are intended to achieve the above object.

[0006]

In the present invention, the grain as a raw material is expanded under appropriate conditions, and its volume is significantly expanded and foamed. The puffed grain grains are bulky and have a buffering property even when viewed as a single grain, and a large number of puffed grain grains are aggregated together with an adhesive component and the like if necessary. By adhering, mechanically entangled with each other, or solidifying and confining the outermost shell, an integrated specific shape is imparted, and the whole exhibits cushioning properties.

[0007]

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, after describing its constituents, grain and puffing. Grains in the present invention, corn,
Rice, wheat, barley, rye, dough, soybeans, adzuki beans, and other commonly called grains themselves, which are often used as raw materials for snack foods, have a proper amount of water, and are heated during heating. Those that expand and foam due to the water vapor pressure are suitable for being obtained in large quantities at relatively low cost by large-scale cultivation. Further, puffing means that when these grains, which have an appropriate amount of water, are held in a high-temperature and high-pressure container until the product temperature rises sufficiently and then suddenly released to a low pressure, the water in the grain tissue undergoes instantaneous evaporation. It is a phenomenon that causes the tissue to swell due to the expanding pressure of steam at that time.
It is performed by various types of devices such as a gun, a belt conveyor type, and a fluidized bed type. Some special varieties of grain such as explosive corn may rupture due to water vapor pressure in the tissue and swell the tissue, even if it is heated and the product temperature rises sufficiently. It can be done only by heating means.

In the present embodiment, explosive corn, so-called popcorn raw material corn, is used as the grain grain, and in the process of gathering a large number of the puffed grain grains thus obtained, that is, popcorn, to integrate the whole. As a bonding component, a spray-type commercially available glue containing gum arabic as a main component was applied to strengthen the bond.

First, in the step of expanding the grain grains and the corn grains, in this embodiment, since the corn is explosive corn and has the property of expanding itself only by heating, the heating container is put under pressure. No need to depressurize or decompress. For this reason, simply put it in an ordinary pot,
It was heated from below with a gas stove. When the product temperature rises, it expands, that is, becomes a popcorn, so take them out before burning and use them in the next step.
Simply put, you get tasteless popcorn in a pot.

In the case of non-explosive seed corn, it is necessary to seal the heating container to make it pressurizable and then heat it with a device capable of discharging under low pressure. Also,
In the step of swelling, it is desirable to leave it in a temperature-controlled room for an appropriate time as a pretreatment so that the water content in the grain is constant and the product temperature is appropriate. In addition, in this example, one grain of corn was used as it is, but it is free to use, for example, crushing the corn to remove the skin and the germ part, or to use the crushed pulp part with the same grain size. Is. In this way, by removing the skin and germ parts, or by using grain grains with a uniform crushed grain size, the quality of puffed grain grains is improved and the grain size becomes finer,
It can be finished as a high quality degradable cushioning material.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the next step of gathering a large number of puffed grain grains to integrate them is as follows.
When the popcorn 1 obtained as the puffed grain particles was assembled in the mold 2, after applying a commercially available glue as an adhesive component as described above, the whole was slightly pressurized. In addition, as this adhesive component, starch paste, sushi, gum arabic,
Stick glue, casein, linseed oil, starch derivatives such as starch acetate and carboxymethyl starch, fibrin derivatives such as methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, locust bean gum, vinyl synthetic adhesives such as polyvinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate acrylic acid copolymer Vinyl-based copolymer synthetic glue such as, acrylic synthetic glue such as sodium polyacrylate, styrene synthetic glue such as styrene-maleic acid copolymer, natural, semi-synthetic, synthetic glue, etc.
Not only the adhesive, but also a solution prepared by dissolving various resins in a solvent as appropriate, a thermoplastic resin, a powder of decomposable resin having a low melting point, or the like can be used. Further, it may be adhered and adhered by an adhesive elastomer such as silicone gel or urethane gel. If a natural product or biodegradable adhesive component is used as this adhesive component, a completely pollution-free degradable cushioning material can be obtained.

That is, the popcorn 1, which is the expanded grain grain obtained through the above-mentioned steps in FIG. 1, is placed in the lower die 4 of the forming die 2 in an appropriate amount determined in consideration of the expected filling rate. In this molding die 2, an upper die 3 and a lower die 4 are vertically movable by being guided by guide pins 5 and 5, and as shown by a two-dot chain line A, the upper die 3 and the lower die 4 are closed. Thus, a space having a thick-walled cross section is formed inside, and the entire molding die 2 is installed between a base and a pressure plate in a press machine (not shown). Therefore, by pressing the molding die 2 with a pressing machine and closing the upper die 3 and the lower die 4, the popcorn 1 as the expanded grain grains inside is partially crushed and interlocks with each other, In particular, the portion that comes into contact with the inner wall of the molding die is deformed along it, and the outer contour becomes a single molded product shaped into the spatial shape of the molding die 2. After that, the pressed state is maintained for a while to ensure the adhesion inside, and then the pressing by the press machine is stopped to release the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 4 to remove the molded product inside. If taken out, the aggregate of popcorn 1 which is a puffed grain can be obtained as a thick angular bar. At this time, in order to ensure the adhesion inside, heating or cooling during pressurization can be appropriately performed. In this case, a heating means is provided in the molding die or a press machine is used. A vulcanizing press machine is used as.

The thick-angled rods, which are the aggregated products of the popcorn 1 as the expanded grain grains thus obtained, can be used as corner support materials for packages in corrugated cardboard boxes. Even if it is illegally dumped, it decomposes, so even if it floats on the sea or hits the coastline, it will decompose after a while, and even if it is left on the ground it will Since it absorbs moisture and decomposes, there is no need to dispose of it at a refuse incineration plant. Moreover, this is obtained as a relatively high foamed product,
Further, it can be obtained without the need for a special chemical foaming agent.

Incidentally, the puffed grain particles generally have water absorption,
Moreover, since it is also weak against insect worms, as a post-treatment, a water-repellent or water-resistant paint such as a silicone-based paint or a colored paint is applied to the obtained molded product, or in these paints or during the above process. Insect repellents or insecticide components may be added.

In the above examples, corn was used for the grain and the adhesive component was added, but the present invention is not limited to these, and other grains such as rice may be used. Needless to say, it can be applied, and it is also possible to appropriately mix not only the expanded grains but also the conventional synthetic resin foam material such as expanded polystyrene as a disintegrating cushioning material. Further, in the present invention,
In addition to the thick-walled angle shape of the embodiment, a sheet-shaped material is obtained between flat plate-shaped molding dies, shaped like a tray, and various cushioning materials for crockery, glass products, precision instruments, high-grade fruits, etc. It can be shaped in conformity with the shape of the product, or can be used in the same manner as in the case where a conventional foam such as expanded polystyrene is used. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the molding is performed batchwise by the molding die once. However, when a continuous rod-shaped aggregate molding having a predetermined cross section is required, a so-called grain powder is used, You may make it shape continuously by heating and pressurizing while extruding this water-kneaded product with an extruder. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the step of expanding and the step of integrating the expanded grain particles may be performed almost simultaneously in the same heating container.

[0016]

Industrial Applicability As described above, according to the present invention, a degradable cushioning material that is decomposed in a pollution-free manner by using a grain obtained in large quantities by large-scale cultivation as a raw material and returning it to soil after use, and a method for producing the same. As a substitute for conventional styrofoam and the like, it can contribute to the reduction of dust pollution, which is now an important issue.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a molding die showing a state of steps in an embodiment of the method for producing a degradable cushioning material of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Popcorn as a puffed grain grain 2 Mold 3 Upper mold 4 Lower mold 5 Guide pin

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A degradable cushioning material, characterized in that a large number of expanded grains are gathered and the whole is shaped into an appropriate shape. 2. A method for producing a degradable cushioning material, comprising: a step of expanding puffed grains and a step of collecting a large number of puffed grains thus obtained to integrate the whole.