JPS62221444A - Absorption material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an inexpensive absorption material capable of being flushed in a water closet or the like after used by adding an inorganic substance being degradative in water to bean-curd refuse or a mixture of it and paper and thereafter drying the mixture to form the absorption material. CONSTITUTION:A powdery or flaky material is directly obtained by properly unfastening bean-curd refuse and drying it. On the other hand, bean-curd refuse contg. water content is kneaded as it is or after adding a water soluble adhesive thereto if necessary, it is kneaded and molded by an extrusion granulator, dried and can be made to granules. Furthermore organic fiber such as paper which is easily dissociated and dispersed in water is mixed thereto and the mixture can be made to a proper sheet or granules. Further an inorganic material being easily degradative in water i.e. powder of bentonite is added to bean- curd refuse and kneaded and granules and powder can be formed by similarly treating the mixture.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an absorbent material used mainly for treating excrement and urine of dogs, cats, etc. kept as pets at home and as a bedding material. be.

[Conventional technology]

Animals such as dogs and cats are kept as pets,
Many people keep these pets indoors, and in recent years, many people who live in condominiums or apartments and keep pets indoors.

If such a pet is a dog, for example, some people let it add to the dog when it relieves itself while taking a walk outside.
Many people keep cats and small dogs only indoors.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

One of the problems that arise when pets are kept indoors is the problem of pet defecation. As a solution to this problem, there are cases where a sand box or the like is prepared as a litter box for the pet, and the pet is allowed to urinate and defecate in this box, but another problem that comes with such cases is that the number of times the pet urinates and defecates. Even after one use, the odor remains, which means that the sand in the box must be replaced, and when it is replaced, it is necessary to find a place to dispose of the sand mixed with excrement and urine.

To solve the above problem, granular or sheet-like paper products that are easily loosened and dispersed in water, similar to toilet paper, are commercially available.

This has the advantage that it can be flushed down the toilet after use. However, since this paper is made of special paper, it is expensive to dispose of and there are limited resources, so there is a desire for an inexpensive alternative.

The present invention is intended to meet the above needs.

[Means for solving problems]

The absorbent material of the present invention is characterized by containing "okara" which is a by-product during tofu production.

Traditionally, okara has been used as a supplementary food and as animal feed, but with advances in tofu manufacturing technology,
Today's okara has lost most of its nutrients, so
It is being discarded. is the current situation.

The present inventor focused on this okara and dried it,
The present invention was completed as a result of various research into the use of the present invention as an absorbent material for animal feces and as a substitute for animal litter.

In order to create the absorbent material of the present invention, since the "okara" produced during tofu production is plate-shaped or block-shaped,
You can loosen it properly and dry it to get a powder or flake-like material, or you can use okara containing water as it is.

Alternatively, if necessary, a water-soluble adhesive is added and kneaded, molded using an extrusion granulator or the like, and dried to obtain granules of an appropriate size.

Furthermore, organic fibers such as paper or cellulose that easily dissociate and disperse in water may be mixed in and processed in the same manner as above to create a suitable sheet, granule, or molded product.
The paper may be in the form of a sheet or may be finely pulverized. In the case of pulverized paper, unneeded paper such as newspaper can be used. As the organic fiber, finely ground wood flour such as sawdust can also be used depending on the case.

In addition, powdered inorganic substances that easily disintegrate in water, such as bentonite, fly ash, and clay, are added to okara and kneaded, and processed in the same manner as above to create granules and powder. It's okay. In addition, it is also possible to make granules made of inorganic substances by attaching powder of the above-mentioned inorganic substance to the outer periphery of granular okara. Therefore, it has the advantage of not causing any discomfort to animals.

The size of the granules may be the size of conventional sand depending on the target animal, or may be 5 to 10 m in diameter.

The absorbent material of the present invention prepared as described above can be used mainly in the form of granules or powder as a material for treating animal excrement, for example in place of sand in conventional sandboxes, and can also be used in the form of sheets or strings. The stuff can be used as bedding.

When it is made into a molded product, it may be made into a box-shaped toilet bowl that can be used as a litter box for kittens, for example, and in that case, the toilet bowl can be thrown away in the toilet after use. One way to make such a molded object is to add a large amount of adhesive to the okara material and harden it, but it is also possible to make the okara material between sheets of paper such as toilet paper. It is best to use paper that is sandwiched between layers.You can also use the j& shape to make a bed for your pet.

Although the above description has focused on pets, the absorbent material of the present invention can be used not only for pets but also for other animals such as human infants, livestock, and poultry.

The adhesive used in the present invention does not necessarily have to be water-soluble, as long as it is not decomposed by bacteria etc. in the sewage treatment process or does not cause any problems in the sewage treatment process. The same is true.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below using examples.

Example 1 A lump of okara obtained during tofu production was loosened into an appropriate size and dried to obtain a powdery or finely granular absorbent material.

This material can be used as a pet waste disposal material and as a litter substitute.

Example 2 To 100 parts (parts by weight, the same applies hereinafter) of okara, 10 to 50 parts of crushed newspaper and 5 to 10 parts of a 5x glue aqueous solution were added, kneaded well, molded with an extrusion granulator, dried, and reduced in diameter. 0.5
．． Absorbent material in the form of granules with a thickness of 1.3, 5 and losm was obtained.

Example 3 In Example 2, bentonite powder was used instead of the pulverized newspaper, and the same treatment was performed to obtain a similar granular absorbent material.

Example 4 Fly ash powder was attached to the surface of the undried granules granulated in Examples 2 and 3 to obtain a granular absorbent material of an inorganic substance.

The absorbent materials obtained in Examples 2 to 4 above were all used as animal excrement disposal materials and litter substitutes, and good results were obtained.

Example 5 A mixture of 100 parts of okara and 10 parts of a 5% polyvinyl alcohol aqueous solution was thoroughly kneaded, sandwiched between toilet paper sheets alternately in multiple layers, and compression molded to give thicknesses of 1.5 and 8. ■I got the sheet.

This sheet could also be used in the same manner as the materials of Examples 1-4.

〔effect〕

The absorbent material of the present invention is inexpensive because it uses okara, which was traditionally discarded, and can be flushed directly into the flush toilet after use.Furthermore, since it is an organic substance, it decomposes during the sewage treatment process. This has the advantage of not causing any problems. In addition, because it is easy to mold, it can be used not only as a waste disposal material and bedding material, but is expected to have a wider range of uses than conventional products.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) An absorbent material characterized by containing okara. (2) The absorbent material according to claim 1, which is obtained by drying a mixture of okara and paper. (3) The absorbent material according to claim 1, which is obtained by adding an inorganic substance that disintegrates in water to okara or a mixture of okara and paper and drying the mixture. (4) The absorbent material according to claim 1, which is in the form of granules, pellets, flakes, powders, or sheets. (5) The absorbent material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a material for treating excrement and urine of animals such as dogs and cats. (6) The absorbent material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a bedding material for animals such as dogs and cats.