JPH0740844B2 - Urine-absorbing particles for domestic animals - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to urine-absorbing particles used for urine / feces bed coverings for small animals kept indoors, so-called pets.

The term "laying material" as used herein means not only toilet bowls for small breeding animals, but also those laid on the bottom surface of breeding boxes, birdhouses, baskets, etc. for small breeding animals . Urine-absorbing particles are particles for laying in a toilet bowl or the like among such floor coverings to absorb and retain urine. In addition, the domestic small animals are cats, dogs, and other animals generally kept as pets.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art The above-mentioned urine absorbing particles are disclosed in, for example, JP-A-60-9
4042, JP-A-63-102618, JP-A-2-
It is known from, for example, Japanese Patent No. 92223. JP-A-60
No. 94042 discloses a fibrous plant material, a binder,
A technique for granulating a mixture with a mineral raw material is disclosed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-102618 discloses a technique of attaching bentonite to the surface of a granular material composed of paper-making sludge and absorbent polymer. In addition, JP-A-2-
Japanese Patent No. 92223 discloses a granular material in which the surface of a pulp-based granular material is coated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

[0004]

If the urine absorbing particles are aggregated after absorbing urine, it is easy and convenient to dispose of them when they are discarded. Looking at the above-mentioned known technique in this respect, in the technique of mixing and granulating a fibrous raw material and a mineral raw material (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-94042), both raw materials are sufficiently pulverized and mixed prior to granulation. In addition to the labor required, the particles obtained are difficult to agglomerate after urine collection and are awkward to discard. According to the technique of adhering bentonite to the surface of the granular material (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-102618), particles after urine absorption are easily agglomerated because bentonite is sticky and easy to handle when discarded. However, these particles before urine absorption are not easy to handle in that sense because bentonite falls off during transportation and powdered to generate dust. Moreover, the appearance of these particles is a grayish black or brown clay color peculiar to bentonite, and it is uncomfortable to use indoors because it lacks in cleanliness. On the other hand, a technique for coating the surface of a pulp-based granular material with CMC (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI-2)
-92223), this granular material is a CM close to white.
There is a feeling of cleanliness covered by C. Also, when the amount of urine is small, the absorbed CMC is weak but viscous, and the particulate matter may stick to each other and agglomerate. It will run off and the granules will not clump.

Therefore, the present invention is applied to the outside of the core of urine absorbing particles.
An object of the present invention is to provide a urine-absorbing particle which is provided with a bentonite layer and a water-soluble polymer layer and which is clean in appearance and easily aggregates after urine absorption regardless of the amount of urine.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]
The means of the present invention comprises a core containing 60% by weight or more of at least one of pulp and wood fragments having a diameter of 2 mm or less, a bentonite layer that coats the core, and a water-soluble highly soluble layer that coats the bentonite layer. in the molecular layer thus shepherd
The purpose is to construct urine absorbing particles for small animals .

[0007]

In the urine absorbing particles having the above-mentioned structure, the polymer layer covers the brittle bentonite layer and prevents the bentonite from falling off. When the amount of urine absorption is small, the polymer layer absorbs water and becomes sticky, and the particles agglomerate.When the amount of urine absorption is large and the polymer layer flows down, bentonite exerts a strong adhesive force, and this bentonite layer The particles agglomerate through. Since the urine absorbing particles have a layered structure, a difficult mixing technique of mixing pulp having a low specific gravity and bentonite having a high specific gravity is unnecessary.

[0008]

The details of the urine absorbing particles according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the urine absorbing particles 1 according to the present invention. The urine absorbing particles 1 are cores 2 made of pulp,
It is composed of a bentonite layer 3 that covers this core, and a carboxymethyl cellulose layer 4 that covers this layer 3. The urine-absorbing particles 1 thus configured have a carboxymethyl cellulose layer 4 before absorbing urine.
Forms a relatively strong coating to prevent the brittle bentonite layer 3 from falling off, and also to prevent moisture absorption of the pulp by moisture in the air. When there is urination on the particles 1, the urine penetrates the layers 4, 3 to reach the pulp and is mainly retained there. Carboxymethylated cellulose gels when urinating and becomes sticky although it is weak or melts and runs off. On the other hand, bentonite has a strong adhesive force. Therefore, urine absorbing particles 1, carboxymethylated cellulose - either by the adhesive strength of the scan, or a lump sticking together by the adhesive force of the bentonite layer 3. The aggregated urine absorbing particles 1 can be easily discarded as one aggregate.

As pulp used to make core 2
Is made by crushing wood, but not limited to that type,
So-called crushed pulp is preferred. Further, in place of this pulp, a dried product containing 60% by weight or more of pulp obtained by dehydrating and drying the sludge discharged in the paper manufacturing process can be used. This dry solid contains a raw material for papermaking such as a filler in addition to pulp, and can be used as a raw material for the core 2 if the pulp content is 60% by weight or more. Further, instead of the wood fragments having a diameter of 2 mm or less with pulp, or
It can be used as a mixture with pulp. An example of this debris is sawdust from a sawmill. Sawdust , which depends on the type of wood, contains abundant cellulose fibers like pulp, has a lot of fluff on the surface, is excellent in water absorption and water retention, and is suitable as a material for urine absorption.

The type of bentonite is not limited, but those having fine particles are used as much as possible.

When carboxymethyl cellulose having a degree of polymerization of 50 or more and a degree of substitution of 0.6 to 1.5 is used , particularly high water absorption can be obtained. Carboxymethylated cellulose can be replaced with a water-soluble polymer such as soluble starch or polyvinyl alcohol. Of the required color
Water-soluble polymer masks the color of bentonite
be able to. For example, carboxymethylated cellulose
Is used, white urine absorbing particles are obtained. Further, this water-soluble polymer is capable of forming a film on the bentonite layer, and it is preferable that the film be tacky when urinating.

It is generally preferred that the urine absorbing particles 1 have an average particle size of 2 to 17 mm. Although the optimum particle size differs depending on the breeding animal, for example, in the case of cats, if the particle size is smaller than 2 mm, it may get into the nail. If the particle size is larger than 17 mm, it is not economical because the urine absorbing particles are often discarded while leaving a surplus capacity for the amount of urine absorbing.

The composition of the urine absorbing particles 1 has a core of 30% by weight.
The bentonite accounts for 20 to 60%, and the water-soluble polymer such as carboxymethyl cellulose is 10% or more, which is less than that of bentonite. However, the falling prevention bentonite primarily intended for water-bentonite
When it is not necessary to completely hide the color of the toner, the lower limit of the amount used can be lowered from 10% to 0.5%. When carboxymethyl cellulose is used in an excessively large amount, the surface of the particle 1 only becomes sticky and the adhesive strength is weak, which is not preferable.

To make the urine absorbing particles 1, crush in a wet state
Put pulp and sawdust in a container with a relatively shallow bottom and apply vibration.
And granulate. Furthermore, after sieving, bentonite and
Ruboxymethylated cellulose, etc. are sprinkled in sequence and finally dried.
It can be dried .

As an example of utilizing sludge,
After crushing the dry matter obtained from the sludge, the water content is 60 to 7
Adjusted to 0% or directly from sludge water content 60 ~ 7
A 0% pulp mixture is prepared, and the mixture is extruded into pellets having a diameter of 2 to 10 mm and a length of 3 to 10 mm, and then dried to a water content of 30 to 40%, and then bentonite and carboxymethyl cellulose are sequentially coated. Finally, the urine absorbing particles can be obtained by drying to a water content of 10% or less.

[0017]Table 1 shows various compositions having an average particle size of 5 to 10 mm.
The results of comparative evaluation of the urine absorbing particles of
You 1. Amount of urine absorbing particles 390ml 2. Urine particle container 500ml glass beaker
- 3. Supply of urine to urine absorbing particles Replace 50 ml of 0.9% saline with 1 ml / s instead of actual urine.
Sprinkle water evenly in the beaker at a rate of ec. 4. Volume of urine particles Remove the urine-absorbing particles sprinkled with water from the beaker according to item 3.
Then, the ratio between the weight increase of the particles and the weight before watering is calculated.
When the ratio (R) is R> 1, 1 ≧ R ≧ 0.5, 0.5> R
Good, good and bad respectively. 5. Degree of clumping of urine absorbing particles After leaving the urine-absorbing particles sprinkled in accordance with paragraph 3 for 1 minute,
Car to JIS 25.4 mm sieve (ASTM 1 inch
Ash screen) and lump the urine absorbing particles
The degree of is visually determined. Urine particles are large lumps
It is preferable that 6. Degree of powderization of urine absorbing particles Use a glass rod with a diameter of 5 mm to collect the urine-absorbing particles before sprinkling in item 3.
, Stir at 120 rpm for 0.5 minutes, and place in a glass beaker
The degree of dirt on the inner surface is visually determined. Beaker
The stain is preferably light. 7. Whiteness of urine absorbing particles Judging by visual inspection, carboxymethyl cellulose
The color (white) is excellent, and the color of bentonite (gray black)
Is a color that is close to it, and the middle of them is gray
The white with the color is good. The color of bentonite is hidden
Is preferred.

As is clear from Table 1, the urine absorbing particles are
60% by weight of pulp and 30 to 3 of bentonite
9% by weight, 1 to 10 times carboxymethyl cellulose
A good result is shown when the amount is%. 10 weight of pulp
% And 80% by weight do not give good results. Bentona
The urine absorption rate is 80% by weight.
Is low and does not contain carboxymethylated cellulose.
The urine absorbing particles are easy to be powdered, and the color is grayish black.
It

[0019]

[Table 1]

[0020]

Effects of the Invention urine drainage particles according to the invention, when urine suction, from agglomerating through the water-soluble polymer or bentonite, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, easy to handle when discarded. Bentonite is coated with a water-soluble polymer
It does not fall off because it is available. Water with the required color
If you use a soluble polymer, you can hide the color of bentonite,
You can make urine absorbing particles of your favorite color. Also urine
If the particles are colored so that the color of urine is conspicuous, it is possible to determine whether urination is occurring.
Recognition becomes easier. Its color is white or close to it
Color is preferred.

Since the urine absorbing particles have a layered structure, the difficult mixing technique of mixing pulp having a low specific gravity and bentonite having a high specific gravity, which is required in the prior art, becomes unnecessary.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of urine absorbing particles according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Urine-absorbing particles 2 Nucleus 3 Bentonite layer 4 Water-soluble polymer layer (carboxymethylated cellulose layer)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A core containing 60 wt% or more of at least one of pulp and wood fragments having a diameter of 2 mm or less, a bentonite layer coating the core, and a water-soluble polymer layer coating the bentonite layer. Characterized by consisting of
Urine absorbing particles for breeding an animal in. 2. The urine absorbing particles according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer layer is a carboxymethyl cellulose layer.