JP2020141587A - Excrement treatment material for pet - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an excrement treatment material for a pet which effectively gets rid of an odor of excrement of a pet and has high shape-retaining properties, and an excrement treatment system for a pet.SOLUTION: An excrement treatment material 20 for a pet contains ground products of materials derived from plants of 70.0 mass% or more and 98.9 mass% or less, a synthetic resin of 1.0 mass% or more and 29.9 mass% or less, and water-insoluble inorganic substances of 0.1 mass% or more and 5.0 mass% or less. The water-insoluble inorganic substance has an average particle diameter of 0.01 μm or more and 1 μm or less and a BET specific surface area of 3 m2/g or more and 100 m2/g or less. A ratio of the BET specific surface area relative to the average particle diameter is 5×106 m/g or more. In an excrement treatment system 10 for a pet, a porous member 30 for laying the excrement treatment material for a pet on an absorber 40 for absorbing urine is arranged, and the excrement treatment material for a pet is laid on the porous member.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 have been proposed to facilitate the treatment of excrement of pets such as dogs and cats. Patent Document 1 describes a material having a deodorizing function, which is made of paper dust that adheres copper or zinc or carboxymethyl cellulose that holds a compound of copper and zinc. It is described that this material can be used for the core of animal excrement treatment material, pet sheets and the like.

Patent Document 2 describes animal toilet sand containing 20 to 70% by mass of crushed plant-derived material, 2 to 30% by mass of synthetic resin, and 1 to 50% by mass of water-insoluble inorganic substances such as calcium carbonate. Is disclosed. It is described in the same document that this toilet sand can secure a long period of use and prevent the generation of foul odor due to putrefaction of urine adhering to the surface.

For the purpose of improving shape retention and deodorizing effect, the applicant applied for 70 to 98.9% by mass of crushed plant-derived material, 1 to 20% by mass of synthetic resin, and 0.01 of tectate silicate. A material for treating excrement for pets containing ~ 5% by mass is disclosed (see Patent Document 3). Further, the applicant contains 50 to 80% by mass of a pulverized product of a plant-derived material, 10 to 40% by mass of a synthetic resin, and 10 to 40% by mass of wax, and is composed of a molded product having a predetermined shape and has a porosity. Disclosure of excrement treatment material for pets, which is 30 to 50% (see Patent Document 4).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-321332 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-133932 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-345830 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-79622

However, the pet excrement treatment materials of Patent Documents 1 to 4 are mainly intended for deodorizing urine, and no mention is made of deodorizing feces. In particular, urine is absorbed by an absorber and has a deodorizing effect, while feces remain on the excrement treatment material, so that the odor of feces is uninterrupted and volatilizes in the human living space, causing discomfort. I could feel it. Further, the materials and pet sands described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have poor shape retention during storage and use, and improvement in shape retention has been desired.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pet excrement treatment material that solves the drawbacks of the prior art 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
Contains 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less of water-insoluble inorganic substances
The water-insoluble inorganic substance has a BET specific surface area of 3 m ² / g or more and 100 m ² / g or less, an average particle size of 0.01 μm or more and 1 μm or less, and a ratio of the BET specific surface area to the average particle size of 5 ×. It provides an excrement treatment material for pets having a diameter of 10 ⁶ m / g or more.

Further, the present invention is a pet excrement treatment system including the pet excrement treatment material, a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material, and an absorber for absorbing urine. ,
It provides a pet excrement treatment system in which the perforated member is arranged on the absorber and the pet excrement treatment material is laid on the perforated member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pet excrement treatment material and a pet excrement treatment system that can effectively deodorize the odor of pet excrement and have high shape retention during storage and use.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the pet excrement treatment system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing 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 its preferred embodiment. The pet excrement treatment material (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “excrement treatment material”) in the present embodiment contains a pulverized plant-derived material, a synthetic resin, and a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

Examples of the crushed product of the plant-derived material 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 odor component to the material, and to manufacture 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, and the molding of excrement treatment materials such as pellet molding by extrusion becomes easy.

Examples of the crushed product of the plant-derived material include wood flour (crushed wood or bark), seed oil residue, crushed grain exodermis, and crushed herbaceous material. From the viewpoint of improving the moldability and deodorant property of the excrement treatment material, 60% by mass or more of wood flour derived from coniferous trees such as Taxodiaceae, Pinaceae or Cupressaceae (hereinafter, also referred to as coniferous wood flour) is used. , 40% by mass or less of wood flour derived from broad-leaved trees such as Beech, Taxodiaceae or Cupressaceae (hereinafter, also referred to as wood flour derived from broad-leaved trees) is preferably used, and 75% by mass or more of wood flour derived from coniferous trees is used. It is more preferable to use 25% by mass or less of cypress-derived wood flour, 90% by mass or more of softwood-derived wood flour, and 10% by mass or less of cypress-derived wood flour.

Examples of the shape of the pulverized product of the plant-derived material include powder, granular, needle-like, plate-like, and aggregates thereof, but the shape is preferably powder-like from the viewpoint of moldability and handling. .. From the same viewpoint, the average particle size of the pulverized product of the plant-derived material is preferably 0.01 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, and further preferably 0.07 mm or more. It is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less, and even more preferably 2 mm or less. The average particle size of the pulverized product of the plant-derived material can be measured by the following method using, for example, a multi-stage sieve shaker.

The method for measuring the average particle size of the pulverized product of a plant-derived material using a multi-stage sieve shaker is as follows. Multi-stage sieve shaker (manufactured by Verder Scientific Co., Ltd., AS200 basic) with nominal opening of 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1 mm, 2.36 mm, and 3.35 mm sieve (manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd.) ) Was placed in this order, and 50 g of a crushed product of a plant-derived material was put into a sieve having a mesh size of 3.35 mm located at the uppermost stage and shaken. The shaking width was 1.2 mm, the frequency was 3000 times / minute, and the sieving time was 2 minutes, and the particle size distribution of the pulverized product was measured. Then, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the class value between the openings by the ratio was obtained and used as the average particle size of the pulverized product. In the particle size distribution and the average particle size of the pulverized material measured in this way, it is preferable that the ratio of the pulverized 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 of the whole on a mass basis. It is more preferable to occupy% or more from the viewpoint of improving the deodorizing effect.

The content of the pulverized product of the plant-derived material in the present embodiment is preferably 70.0% by mass or more, preferably 70.0% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of sustaining the deodorizing effect and expressing the aroma peculiar to the plant-derived material. It is more preferably 0% by mass or more, further preferably 90.0% by mass or more, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 98.9% by mass or less, and 98.0% by mass or less. Is more preferable, and 97.0% by mass or less is further preferable. Specifically, the content of the pulverized product of the plant-derived material in the present embodiment is preferably 70.0% by mass or more and 98.9% by mass or less, and 80.0% by mass or more and 98.0% by mass. It is more preferably 90.0% by mass or more and 97.0% by mass or less.

The excrement treatment material of the present invention contains a synthetic resin. By containing the synthetic resin, the shape retention of the excrement treatment material can be enhanced. As the synthetic resin, a thermoplastic resin is preferably used. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefins 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-propylene. Examples thereof include copolymers, polyvinyl acetates, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, and polyvinyl alcohols. These synthetic resins may be used alone or in combination. In particular, it is preferable to use at least one polypropylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer from the viewpoint of enhancing the mixability of the plant-derived material with the pulverized product.

From the viewpoint of enhancing the shape retention of the excrement treatment material, the content of the synthetic resin is preferably 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 3.0% by mass or more, and 5.0% by mass. The above is more preferable, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 29.9% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, and further preferably 20% by mass or less. Specifically, the content of the synthetic resin is preferably 1.0% by mass or more and 29.9% by mass or less, more preferably 3.0% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, and 5.0. It is more preferably mass% or more and 20 mass% or less.

The excrement treatment material of the present invention contains a water-insoluble inorganic substance. By containing a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the deodorizing effect of excrement can be enhanced. The shape of the water-insoluble inorganic substance 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 the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably granular.

The content of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, further preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and its upper limit. 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. Specifically, the total content of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, and preferably 0.2% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less. More preferably, it is 0.3% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less.

From the viewpoint of improving the moldability and deodorizing performance of the excrement treatment material, the average particle size of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 0.01 μm or more, more preferably 0.1 μm or more, and 0. It is more preferably 2 μm or more, more preferably 1 μm or less, further preferably 0.9 μm or less, and further preferably 0.8 μm or less. The particle size of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is measured using, for example, a laser diffraction type particle size distribution measuring device (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, model number: SALD-2300), and the cumulative volume is 50 volumes by the laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measuring method. It can be obtained as the volume cumulative particle size D50 in%.

From the viewpoint of enhancing the deodorizing performance of the excrement treatment material, the BET specific surface area of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 3 m ² / g or more, more preferably 5 m ² / g or more, and 7 m ² / g. more preferably or more, also preferably has a upper limit is less than 100 m ² / g, and even more preferably more preferably ^90m 2 / g or less, or less ^{80 m} 2 / g. Specifically, the BET specific surface area of the water-insoluble inorganic substance is preferably 3 m ² / g or more and 100 m ² / g or less, more preferably 5 m ² / g or more and 90 m ² / g or less, and 7 m ² or less. It is more preferably / g or more and 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 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, model number: 3Flex) using nitrogen gas.

For the water-insoluble inorganic substance, the ratio (Y / X) of the BET specific surface area Y (m ² / g) to the average particle size X (μm) is preferably 5 × 10 ⁶ m / g or more, preferably 10 × 10. more preferably ⁶ at m / g or more, further preferably 20 × ¹⁰ 6 m / g or more, although the upper limit thereof is not particularly limited, not more than 15000 × ¹⁰ 6 m / g reality Is the target. When Y / X is in such a range, the specific surface area per particle can be increased, so that the deodorizing performance of the excrement treatment material due to the adsorption of the odorous component can be further improved.

The water-insoluble inorganic substance means 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. As the water-insoluble inorganic substance, for example, a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide can be used, and specific examples thereof include calcium carbonate, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium oxide. Examples thereof include magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the above-mentioned plurality of components are contained as the water-insoluble inorganic substance, the average particle size, BET specific surface area, and these ratio Y / X of the water-insoluble inorganic substance shall independently satisfy the above-mentioned suitable ranges. Is preferable. In addition, the content of the water-insoluble inorganic substance when a plurality of components are contained may be such that the total mass of all the components is in the above range.

According to the excrement treatment material of the present invention having the above structure, by containing a pulverized product of a plant-derived material, masking of an odor caused by the fragrance of the material itself and adsorption of an odor component on the material can be achieved. The physical deodorant effect can be exhibited. In addition, by containing a water-insoluble inorganic substance having a predetermined particle size and specific surface area, lower saturated fatty acids such as propionic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid, which are components of an unpleasant odor contained in pet feces, are water-insoluble. It can be physically and chemically adsorbed on inorganic substances. As a result, the excrement treatment material of the present invention can effectively deodorize the odor of pet excrement, and it is difficult for the user of the excrement treatment material to perceive the discomfort caused by the odor of excrement such as feces. Become. In addition to this, the inclusion of the synthetic resin also has the advantage of improving the moldability of the excrement treatment material during production and the shape retention during storage and use of the excrement treatment material.

As will be described later, the excrement treatment material of the present invention is produced by mixing the above-mentioned materials. From the viewpoint of maintaining the molten state of the synthetic resin and uniformly mixing it with other components, the melting point of the synthetic resin is preferably 60 ° C. or higher, more preferably 65 ° C. or higher, and more preferably 70 ° C. The above is more preferable, and from the viewpoint of preventing 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. The melting point of the synthetic resin can be appropriately adjusted, for example, by changing the molecular weight of the resin. By using a synthetic resin having such a melting point, the crushed product of the plant-derived material is in a state of retaining the aroma of the plant-derived material without being denatured by burning due to a temperature rise, and has an excellent deodorizing effect. It has the advantage of being able to produce waste treatment materials.

From the same viewpoint, the melt flow rate (MFR) of the synthetic resin is preferably 0.1 g / 10 minutes or more, more preferably 1 g / 10 minutes or more, and 10 g / 10 minutes or more. Is more preferable, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 200 g / 10 minutes or less, more preferably 100 g / 10 minutes or less, and further preferably 50 g / 10 minutes or less. Specifically, the melt flow rate of the synthetic resin is preferably 0.1 g / 10 minutes or more and 200 g / 10 minutes or less, more preferably 1 g / 10 minutes or more and 100 g / 10 minutes or less, and 10 g / 10 minutes or less. It is more preferably 10 minutes or more and 50 g / 10 minutes or less. 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 moldability and shape retention of the excrement treatment material are further improved. Is also played.

The water-insoluble inorganic substance contained in the excrement treatment material preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide and titanium oxide (hereinafter, this is also referred to as "zinc oxides"). The inclusion of zinc oxide in the water-insoluble inorganic substance makes it easier for zinc oxide to physically or chemically adsorb the odorous components scattered from the excrement of the pet, and as a result, the odor deodorizing effect is further effective. Can be expressed as a target. In particular, by containing at least zinc oxide as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, the brightness of the ground color of the excrement treatment material is increased, and the shape of the excrement treatment material is prevented from collapsing or deteriorating during storage and long-term use. The shape can be improved, and as a result, the advantage of giving a feeling of cleanliness to the user of the excrement treatment material is also achieved.

When zinc oxide is contained as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, this zinc oxide is obtained by oxidizing zinc vapor in 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, the deodorizing effect of unpleasant odor caused by pet excrement can be more effectively exhibited. "Calcination" in the present invention refers to heating basic zinc carbonate to remove volatile components such as carbon dioxide to obtain zinc oxide.

In addition, it is practically impossible to analyze all of the particle structure and properties of zinc oxide obtained by the above-mentioned method to contribute to the effect of the present invention, and it is necessary 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.

When zinc oxide is contained as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, its pH at 25 ° C. is preferably more than 7, more preferably 7.5 or more, and more preferably less than 9, preferably 8.5. The following is more preferable. The pH of zinc oxide is, for example, measured at 25 ° C. using a pH measuring device (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 done. Zinc oxide having such a pH has an oxygen lattice defect in its structure, and the presence of the lattice defect makes it easy for an unpleasant odorous component caused by pet excrement to be adsorbed. By using zinc, the unpleasant odor caused by pet excrement can be more effectively deodorized. As such zinc oxide, commercially available zinc oxide can be used, for example, as shown in Examples described later.

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

Next, a suitable method for producing the excrement treatment material will be described below. First, a pulverized plant-derived material, a synthetic resin, and 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 in which the resin is melted in advance. The particle size of the solid synthetic resin 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 resin 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 the 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. By mixing in this way, the constituent components can be uniformly mixed, and as a result, the deodorizing performance can be enhanced.

Next, the obtained mixture is 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 that does not collapse even when it comes into contact with a liquid such as urine, and is porous. An excrement treatment material can be produced. In the molding process, the pressure applied during consolidation is preferably 9.8 MPa or more, more preferably 29.4 MPa or more, and 196 MPa or less from the viewpoint of shape retention. Is preferable, and it is 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 is 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. It is preferably in the form of pellets. That is, the excrement treatment material is preferably produced as columnar pellets whose height is larger than the diameter.

The above is a description of the excrement treatment material. Hereinafter, a pet excrement treatment system (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “excrement 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 drainboard-shaped porous portion 31 at the bottom thereof. The perforated 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, (1) a mixture obtained by mixing an antibacterial agent with a binder, a cross-linking agent, and at least one kind of water on a base material mainly composed of plant fiber or pulp, and molding the mixture into a sheet shape. , (2) Clay minerals (kaolin, bentonite, zeolite, silica soil, 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 contain a predetermined water content. It can be prepared by drying at a predetermined temperature until the ratio is reached and then demolding, or (3) a mixture of 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 liquid 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 perforated member 30 is arranged on the absorber 40, and the excrement treatment material 20 is placed on the perforated 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 excrement treatment material 20 is laid on the porous member 30 in the upper layer portion of the container 50. 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 mainly deodorized by the absorber 40. 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 be. In particular, since the excrement treatment material 20 has a shape-retaining property that does not collapse even when it comes into contact with urine, the treatment material collapses when the excrement treatment material is replaced or when a pet walks on the treatment material. There is no such thing, and it is easy to handle.

As described above, according to the pet excrement treatment material of the present invention and the pet excrement treatment system using the treatment material, the pet excrement, particularly the odor of feces can be effectively deodorized. .. These are particularly useful as excrement treatment materials for cats, but can also be used to treat excrement for other pets, such as small animals such as dogs.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiment, 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 shape or a square columnar shape, or an elliptical columnar shape. it 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 with reference to Examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such examples. Unless otherwise specified, "%" means "mass%". In addition, in the table below, "-" means that evaluation has not been performed.

[Example 1]
Wood flour (manufactured by Dainichi Sangyo Co., Ltd., average particle size: 700 μm, 90% or more of coniferous wood flour) as crushed plant-derived material, and titanium oxide A (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a water-insoluble inorganic substance. SSP-M; average particle size: 0.015 μm, BET specific surface area: 100 m ² / g) and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer as synthetic resin A (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, Ultrasen® 710; melting point: 69 ° C., MFR: 18 g / 10 min) were mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below, and stirred for 5 minutes at a rotation speed of 95 rpm using a ribbon paddle mixer (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.). Then, a columnar pet excrement treatment material was produced using a die having a hole diameter of 6 mm and a thickness of 40 mm at the extrusion port and a pelletizer (manufactured by Dalton Corporation, F-5 type). Using this treated material, the evaluation shown in the following [Evaluation of odor] section was performed.

[Example 2]
Instead of titanium oxide A, zinc oxide A (manufactured by TAYCA Corporation, MZ-500; average particle size: 0.025 μm, BET specific surface area: 50 m ² / g) was used, and the amounts of each component shown in Table 1 below were used. In addition to the mixing in, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Examples 3 to 10]
Instead of titanium oxide A, zinc oxide B (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd .; fine zinc oxide; average particle size: 0.29 μm, BET specific surface area: 10 m ² / g) was used, and each component is shown in Table 1 below. Except for mixing in the amounts shown, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Example 11]
Instead of titanium oxide A and synthetic resin A, zinc oxide B and polypropylene (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., melting point: 157 ° C., MFR: 5 to 60 g / 10 minutes) were used as the synthetic resin B. Except for mixing the components in the amounts shown in Table 1 below, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Examples 12 and 13]
Instead of titanium oxide A, zinc oxide C (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., zinc oxide 1 type; average particle size: 0.6 μm, BET specific surface area: 4 m ² / g) is used as a water-insoluble inorganic substance, and each component is used. Was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below, and an excrement treatment material for pets was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Example 14]
Polylactic acid (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., melting point: 170 ° C., MFR: 33.6 g / 10 minutes) was used as the synthetic resin C instead of the synthetic resin A, and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. Other than that, the excrement treatment material for pets was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3.

[Example 15]
Instead of the synthetic resin A, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, Ultrasen (registered trademark) 722; melting point: 65 ° C., MFR: 400 g / 10 minutes) was used as the synthetic resin D, and each component was used. Except for mixing in the amounts shown in Table 1 below, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3.

[Example 16]
Instead of the synthetic resin A, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, Ultrasen (registered trademark) 760; melting point: 50 ° C., MFR: 70 g / 10 minutes) was used as the synthetic resin E, and each component was used. Except for mixing in the amounts shown in Table 1 below, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3.

[Example 17]
Instead of titanium oxide C, zinc oxide E (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., FINEX (registered trademark) -33W; average particle size: 35 nm, BET specific surface area: about 30 m ² / g) is used, and each component is as follows. Except for mixing in the amounts shown in Table 2, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 2.

[Comparative Example 1]
Instead of titanium oxide A, titanium oxide B (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., SSP-20; average particle size: 0.012 μm, BET specific surface area: 170 m ² / g) was used, and each component is shown in Table 2 below. Except for mixing in the indicated amounts, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Comparative Examples 2 to 4]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3, except that each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 2 below.

[Comparative Example 5]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 12, except that each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 2 below.

[Comparative Example 6]
Instead of zinc oxide A, zinc oxide D (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., reagent zinc oxide; average particle size: 5 μm, BET specific surface area: 1 m ² / g) was used, and each component is shown in Table 2 below. Except for mixing in the amounts shown, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 2.

[Comparative Example 7]
Instead of titanium oxide A, titanium oxide C (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., reagent titanium oxide; average particle size: 5 μm, BET specific surface area: 0.3 m ² / g) was used, and each component was shown in the table below. Except for mixing in the amounts shown in 2, a pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Comparative Example 8]
Example 6 except that zeolite (TSC zeolite manufactured by Mizusawa Industrial Chemicals Co., Ltd.) was used as an inorganic component other than the water-insoluble inorganic substance instead of zinc oxide B, and each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 2 below. The excrement treatment material for pets was manufactured and evaluated in the same manner as in the above. This comparative example does not contain a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[Comparative Example 9]
A pet excrement treatment material was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3, except that each component was mixed in the amounts shown in Table 2 below without containing a water-insoluble inorganic substance.

[Comparative Example 10]
The following [odor evaluation] was performed as it was without using the pet excrement treatment material.

[Evaluation of odor]
In a 1-liter beaker, 20 g of a pet excrement treatment material of each Example or Comparative Example except Comparative Example 13 was placed. Next, 0.1 g of cat feces was spread on one surface of a sheet of filter paper (manufactured by Toyo Filter Paper Co., Ltd., φ55 mm), and the beaker was placed so that the surface on which the cat feces were spread and the treatment material faced each other. I put it in. Then, this beaker was sealed with a wrapping film and left for 30 minutes as an evaluation sample. In Comparative Example 13, an evaluation sample was prepared by inserting the bottom surface of the beaker and the surface on which the cat feces of the filter paper were spread so as to face each other without inserting the excrement treatment material for pets. The odor of each evaluation sample was evaluated by 10 specialized monitors according to the following evaluation criteria. The arithmetic mean value of the evaluation points of 10 specialized monitors was used as the evaluation points of each evaluation sample. Those having an average evaluation score of 3 or less were evaluated as having a high deodorizing effect. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. Since Comparative Examples 3 and 4 could not be molded as a pet excrement treatment material, this evaluation was not performed.

[Smell evaluation criteria]
0: There is no odor.
1: The odor can be faintly detected.
2: The odor can be detected.
3: The odor can be easily detected.
4: The odor is strongly perceptible and unpleasant.
5: The odor is very strong and unpleasant.

[Evaluation of shape retention]
The shape retention was visually evaluated based on the following criteria for the shape change before and after storage and the shape change before and after use (before and after contact with urine). The shape change before and after storage is the shape of the pet excrement treatment material of Examples and Comparative Examples immediately after production and the shape after the treatment material is placed in a living environment (room temperature, 30 to 70% RH) for about 3 weeks. And were visually compared, and the changes in these shapes were evaluated according to the following criteria. In addition, the shape change before and after contact with urine is visually observed between the shape before contacting urine with the pet excrement treatment material of Examples and Comparative Examples and the shape after contacting urine with the treatment material. These changes in shape were evaluated according to the following criteria.

[Evaluation criteria for shape retention]
◯: The treated material maintains its shape at the time of manufacture even after storage, and the treated material does not easily swell even after contact with urine, and has excellent shape retention.
Δ: The treated material tends to swell after contact with urine, but maintains the shape at the time of manufacture after storage and has a shape-retaining property that can withstand practical use.
X: The treated material has collapsed because it cannot maintain its shape at the time of manufacture after storage, or it easily collapses due to the application of an external force, or it swells after contact with urine and has no shape retention.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, it can be seen that the excrement treatment material of each example exhibits a high deodorizing effect and high shape retention as compared with the excrement treatment material of the comparative example. Further, as shown in Comparative Examples 1, 3 and 4 to 7, when any of the pulverized product, synthetic resin and water-insoluble inorganic substance does not meet the suitable range of the present invention, the excrement treatment material for pets is used. It can also be seen that it cannot be molded and that it is inferior in shape retention during storage and use.

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

Claims (6)

Contains 70.0% by mass or more and 98.9% by mass or less of crushed plant-derived material.
Contains 1.0% by mass or more and 29.9% by mass or less of synthetic resin, and 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less of water-insoluble inorganic substances.
The water-insoluble inorganic substance has an average particle size of 0.01 μm or more and 1 μm or less, a BET specific surface area of 3 m ² / g or more and 100 m ² / g or less, and a ratio of the BET specific surface area to the average particle size of 5 ×. An excrement treatment material for pets having a diameter of 10 ⁶ m / g or more. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1, 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. The pet excrement treatment material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water-insoluble inorganic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide and titanium oxide. The water-insoluble inorganic substance contains zinc oxide and contains
The zinc oxide is obtained by oxidizing zinc vapor in air and cooling it, or by adding soda ash to an aqueous solution of zinc sulfate or zinc chloride to precipitate basic zinc carbonate. The pet excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is obtained from the above. The water-insoluble inorganic substance contains zinc oxide and contains
The pet excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pH of the zinc oxide at 25 ° C. is more than 7 and less than 9. For pets comprising the pet excrement treatment material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a porous member for laying the pet excrement treatment material, and an absorber for absorbing urine. It is an excrement treatment system
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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