KR102776580B1 - Cat litter using eco-friendly real sand and a method of manufacturing it - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention uses natural sand (Real Sand) which cats innately prefer when urinating as a main material, but in order to impart absorbency and coagulability to the non-absorbent characteristics of the natural sand, non-absorbent natural sand (Real Sand) is used as a core material, and an environmentally friendly biodegradable absorbent capable of absorption and coagulation is used as a shell material on top of the non-absorbent characteristics, thereby providing cat litter using environmentally friendly natural sand with a natural sand core-shell structure, which has excellent absorbency, excellent clump performance, excellent deodorizing ability for cat urination, and low dust properties, as well as being highly preferred by cats.

Description

Cat litter using eco-friendly real sand and a method of manufacturing it {Cat litter using eco-friendly real sand and a method of manufacturing it}

The present invention relates to cat litter, and more specifically, to an eco-friendly coagulation type cat urine treatment litter that uses natural sand (real sand) that cats innately like, rather than an artificial sand type made of clay, bentonite, starch, cassava starch, tofu residue, coffee residue, wood powder, and paper powder, and an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent.

Cats have been close to humans as pets since ancient Egypt, and since the late 1940s, they have begun to share space with people in their homes as companion cats, and there has been a need to operate a separate urination box that matches the characteristics of companion cats' urination behavior and provides psychological stability.

Accordingly, cat owners (hereinafter referred to as 'owners') have been using ash, sawdust, dirt, newspapers, etc. as absorbents to process their cats' urine. However, since these absorbents only act as absorbents for urine, they have to be replaced entirely at regular intervals, which is inconvenient. In addition, if the timing of replacement is missed, the cat's urine is biodegraded by bacteria, causing an unpleasant odor and polluting the indoor air.

In 1947, American Edward Lower discovered by chance the phenomenon of clay absorbing and coagulating the urine of a cat, and since then he has developed and started selling artificial urination treatment sand using clay. In 1985, Dr. Bruce Elsey developed an artificial urination treatment sand using bentonite, which has better coagulation properties than clay, and since this groundbreaking product was introduced to the market, continuous development has led to the current bentonite sand.

However, these bentonite cat litters have the disadvantage of generating a lot of dust as the sand surface dries, causing so-called desertification, which has a bad effect on the cat's eye disease and respiratory system. Therefore, there is an active demand for the development of various cat litters, such as the development of dust stabilization technology for these bentonite types and the development of organic cat litter containing natural starches such as corn starch, cassava starch, and residues (corn residue, cassava residue, coconut residue) that are by-products during the manufacturing of these starches to improve this.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-013825, “Method for Manufacturing Cat Litter Sand,” discloses cat litter made by mixing 1 to 20 wt% of bentonite and 80 to 99 wt% of calcium sulfate, kneading 1 to 10 wt% of molasses into the 90 to 99 wt% of bentonite-calcium sulfate mixture, drying it at room temperature, and then grinding it.

Korean Patent No. 10-2042458, “Cat litter containing bentonite and its manufacturing method,” proposes cat litter in the form of pellets made by crushing dried wood, shaping it into irregular fibrous particles, coating silica gel as a binder, and then filling the spaces between the fibrous particles with a predetermined particle size of bentonite.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1938452, "Cat litter using natural materials and its manufacturing method and device," discloses cat litter in the form of 2-5 mm granules, made by kneading, rolling, and drying a mixture composed of 20 wt% of powdered sodium bentonite, 60 wt% of 1-2 mm granular sodium bentonite, 5 wt% of calcium zeolite, 7 wt% of sawdust, 5 wt% of mineral water, and 3 wt% of baking soda.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2024-0024479, “Cat litter using wood sawdust and its manufacturing method,” discloses cat litter composed of 50 to 100 parts by weight of wood sawdust, 0.05 to 0.15 parts by weight of an antifungal agent, 0.05 to 0.2 parts by weight of palm activated carbon, and 1 to 50 parts by weight of high-quality feed, which eliminates the unpleasant odor of feces due to the scent of wood, and claims that feces can be used as fertilizer or manure.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2345849, “Method for Manufacturing Popcorn Tofu Litter for Cats and Popcorn Tofu Litter Manufactured Thus,” discloses cat litter manufactured by mixing soybean curd, corn starch, and guar gum into a dough, extruding and expanding it, cutting it into the size of popcorn tofu litter, and then drying it.

In this way, conventional cat litter is an absorbent material that induces absorption and coagulation of cat urine by utilizing organic and inorganic natural materials that can absorb water, and the mainstream is artificial sand and manufacturing methods similar to natural sand, which is a non-absorbent material originally preferred by cats.

These conventional cat litters have the problem that cats have strong preferences for the sand, or likes and dislikes, depending on the type of raw material used.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for research and development on cat litter that cats naturally prefer while maintaining the urine coagulability and coagulant strength of cat litter so that the cat urine absorbent can coagulate.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-013825, “Method for Manufacturing Cat Litter Sand” Korean Patent No. 10-2042458, “Cat litter containing bentonite and its manufacturing method” Korean Patent No. 10-1938452, “Cat litter using natural materials and its manufacturing method and device” Korean Patent Publication No. 2024-0024479, “Cat litter using wood sawdust and its manufacturing method” Korean Patent No. 10-2345849, “Method for manufacturing popcorn tofu litter for cats and popcorn tofu litter manufactured thereby” Korean Patent No. 10-2590904, "Eco-friendly cat litter with excellent coagulation and absorption using catnip with excellent deodorizing effect and its manufacturing method"

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide cat litter having a natural sand core-shell structure, which uses natural sand (Real Sand), which cats innately prefer when urinating and have almost no likes or dislikes, as a main material, but uses non-absorbent natural sand as a core material to impart absorbency and coagulability to the non-absorbent characteristic of natural sand, and composites an environmentally friendly biodegradable absorbent capable of absorption and coagulation thereon as a shell material.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing cat litter having a real sand core-shell structure, which uses non-absorbent natural sand as a core material and composites it with an absorbent and coagulable shell material thereon.

In order to achieve the purpose of providing cat litter with a natural sand core-shell structure as described above, the cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand of the present invention is,

1) It is characterized by using natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural mineral sand as core materials and using an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as shell materials to composite into a real sand core-shell structure.

2) The cat sand of the present invention is also characterized by using 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent per 100 parts by weight of the natural sand.

3) The cat litter of the present invention is also characterized in that the natural sand is selected from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as dolomite, feldspar, and crushed ore, and the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is composed of starch and carboxy methyl cellulose.

4) The cat litter of the present invention is also characterized in that the natural sand (Real Sand) has a particle size in the range of 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛).

5) In another aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the purpose of providing a method for manufacturing cat sand with a real sand core-shell structure, the method for manufacturing cat sand using eco-friendly natural sand of the present invention comprises:

The present invention comprises: a natural sand preparation step of selecting natural silica sand and natural mineral sand mined in a natural state, washing the natural sand (Real Sand) cleanly and removing impurities, or supplying natural sand that has been hygienically processed from an external source; a step of using the prepared natural sand as a core material, using an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as a shell material, and coating the natural sand with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component in a mixer using water; a step of heating and drying the natural sand coated with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component to form a real sand core-shell structure; and a step of classifying the cat litter formed into the real sand core-shell structure.

6) The cat sand manufacturing method of the present invention is also characterized by using 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent and 6 to 10 parts by weight of water per 100 parts by weight of natural sand.

7) The method for manufacturing cat litter of the present invention is also characterized in that the natural sand is selected from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as dolomite, feldspar, and crushed ore, and the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is composed of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose.

8) The method for manufacturing cat litter of the present invention is also characterized in that, in the step of heat-drying natural sand coated with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component to composite it into a natural sand core-shell structure, the heat-drying is performed at a temperature in the range of 80 to 130°C and for 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

9) The cat sand manufacturing method of the present invention is also characterized in that the natural sand (Real Sand) has a particle size in the range of 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛).

10) In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using cat litter, characterized in that the cat litter using the eco-friendly natural sand of the present invention can be selectively used for treating cat urine and for treating feces of small animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, degu, and chinchillas.

Accordingly, the present invention can provide cat litter having excellent absorbency, excellent coagulability and clump performance, which is a degree of coagulant strength, excellent deodorizing ability for cat urine, low dustiness, and high cat preference, by using natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand that cats innately prefer, and an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as materials.

According to the present invention, cat litter using natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand and eco-friendly natural sand made of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as a material has excellent absorbency, excellent clump performance, which is a degree of coagulation and coagulation strength, and excellent deodorizing ability and low dustiness for cat urine treatment, as well as excellent effects such as high cat preference.

Figure 1 is a photograph showing the shape of natural sand according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a photograph showing cat litter with a natural sand core-shell structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a method for manufacturing cat sand using eco-friendly natural sand according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a photograph showing the results of a comparative evaluation of cat litter dust according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Terms or words used in the description and claims of the present invention should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain his or her own invention in the best manner.

The present invention can be modified in various ways and has various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the technical spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology or configuration related to the present invention may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted, and the present invention will be defined only by the scope of the claims.

In the present invention, the cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand can be used not only for cat urine treatment as explicitly described, but also for fecal treatment. Therefore, even if it is described as urine treatment, it can be seen as encompassing fecal treatment as well.

The particle shape of the natural sand used in the present invention represents the shape of natural sand particles.

Desertification is the phenomenon in which the floor of a room becomes covered in sand due to the sand from the cat's litter box getting stuck on the cat's paws.

Starch is the powdered starch from the roots, tubers, stems, fruits, and seeds of plants such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn. It is also called starch.

In general, cat litter is important for maintaining urine coagulation and clump strength so that the urine absorbent can be easily separated and removed from the original clean sand that is not contaminated with cat urine, along with rapid absorption of cat urine. This degree of coagulation and clump strength is usually defined as clump properties.

The clumpiness of cat litter requires an understanding of the physical and chemical properties of cat urine.

In order to predict the minimum required absorption capacity of sand for cat urine, if we look at the data of a typical cat urine volume survey, it is confirmed that healthy cats urinate 2 to 4 times a day and urinate about 40 to 150 cc per day. In other words, since the urine volume of an adult cat is about 10 to 40 cc per time, it would be reasonable to evaluate the clump performance analysis of cat litter for a urine volume of 10 to 40 cc.

According to the paper [ A Major Urinary Protein of the Domestic Cat Regulates the Production of Felinine, a Putative Pheromone Precusor ] in Chemistry & Biology 13, 1071-1079, October 2006, the foul odor of cat urine is caused by ammonia produced when felinine, an amino acid in cat urine, is broken down by enzymes or bacteria into 3-methyl-3-sulfanyl butan-1-ol, as well as substances such as ketones (4-methyl-4-sulfanyl pentane-2-one) and sulfur compounds such as 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, and 3-methyl-3-methylthio-1-butanol.

Therefore, the suitability of cat urine treatment sand will be evaluated mainly based on the clumping and deodorizing performance, as well as the ability to suppress dust generation caused by desertification due to drying of the sand surface.

The present invention uses natural sand (Real Sand) as its main ingredient, selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand, which cats innately prefer when urinating and have almost no likes or dislikes.

In the present invention, the natural sand (Real Sand) may be selected and used from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as dolomite, feldspar, and quartz.

Since this type of natural sand (Real Sand) has non-absorbent properties, in order to provide absorbency and coagulation properties to cat litter using non-absorbent natural sand (Real Sand), an absorbent and coagulant component can be added to the natural sand (Real Sand).

In the present invention, cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand is composed of a basic structure in which natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand is used as a core material, and an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is used as a shell material to composite a natural sand core-shell structure.

In addition, the cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand in the present invention uses 100 parts by weight of natural sand (Real Sand) and 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent to composite it into a natural sand core-shell structure (Real Sand Core-Shell).

To describe this in more detail, the eco-friendly natural sand-based cat litter of the present invention is characterized in that at least one type is selected from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as dolomite, feldspar, and uses the same as a real sand core material (Real Sand Core Materials), and with respect to 100 parts by weight of the real sand core materials (Real Sand Core Materials), 6 to 10 parts by weight of shell materials (Shell Materials), which are eco-friendly biodegradable absorbents composed of starch and carboxy methyl cellulose, are used, composited into a real sand core-shell structure, dried, classified, and then manufactured into a product.

The amount of the shell material, which is an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent of the present invention, used is less than 6 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the real sand core materials. When compounding, the absorption speed of cat urine is slow and the clumping property is weak, so the separation and stopping workability of the cat litter is not good. When compounding exceeds 10 parts by weight, the cat urine absorption amount increases and the clumping property increases, but it is not economical, and at the same time, the surface strength of the cat litter decreases, which increases the phenomenon of dust generation (desertification), so it is not desirable.

Figure 1 is a photograph showing the shape of natural sand according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The real sand core materials of the present invention are not particularly limited in terms of the types of natural silica sand and fine sand, and a relatively round shape as shown in Fig. 1 is preferable because it reduces the possibility of causing injury to a cat's paw.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing cat litter with a natural sand core-shell structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the natural sand particle size (particle diameter) for the natural sand core-shell structure be in the range of 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛).

The finer the cat litter particles, the higher the cohesion and absorption, and the more palatable it is to cats, but it is also prone to causing desertification, where sand is scattered all over the house. Therefore, the natural sand particle size should be at least 500 microns (㎛), and if it exceeds 2,000 microns (㎛), the cohesion and absorption power will decrease, which is not desirable.

The shell material, an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent of the present invention, is an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent that absorbs approximately three times its own weight in artificial urine (0.9% Saine), as its name suggests. The shell material uses an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent made of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose, which are natural polymers that are biodegradable and cause little irritation to cat skin.

The eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent synthesis mechanism of the present invention is an absorbent compound using polysaccharides, and carboxy methyl cellulose is a material made by chemically modifying cellulose and has excellent viscosity control and moisture retention capabilities.

Due to its chemical structure, cellulose, in which D-glucose monosaccharides are β-1,4 glycosidic bonded, has many hydroxyl groups (-OH), making it hydrophilic. However, due to the strong hydrogen bond, it does not dissolve in water at room temperature. Therefore, carboxymethyl cellulose, which has been carboxymethylated by substituting the hydroxyl groups (Hydroxyl -OH) of cellulose with carboxymethyl groups to increase its solubility in water at room temperature, is used as the main compound, and the carboxyl groups of carboxymethyl cellulose and the hydroxyl groups (hydroxyl groups) of starch are reacted to develop absorption performance.

Figure 3 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a method for manufacturing cat sand using eco-friendly natural sand according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 3, the method for manufacturing cat sand using eco-friendly natural sand in the present invention is as follows.

The present invention comprises: a natural sand preparation step of selecting natural silica sand and natural mineral sand mined in a natural state, washing the natural sand (Real Sand) cleanly and removing impurities, or supplying natural sand that has been hygienically processed from an external source; a step of using the prepared natural sand as a core material, using an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as a shell material, and coating the natural sand with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component in a mixer using water; a step of heating and drying the natural sand coated with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component to form a real sand core-shell structure; and a step of classifying the cat litter formed into the real sand core-shell structure.

1) In the natural sand preparation step of supplying natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand collected in a natural state in the cat litter manufacturing method of the present invention by thoroughly washing and removing impurities, the natural sand is thoroughly washed with water to make it hygienic, and various impurities contained in the natural sand are removed. Here, impurities are components contained in the natural sand that cannot be used as cat litter, and include various substances such as soil, wood, large pebbles, and organic matter that may be contained depending on the type of natural sand, and these are necessary in the process of manufacturing hygienic and safe cat litter that does not cause various diseases or harm to cats.

In the present invention, the natural sand may be selected from at least one selected from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand crushed from ore such as dolomite, feldspar, and the like.

If natural sand is natural silica sand, river sand is called river aggregate, and is divided into underwater aggregate and riverbed aggregate. Underwater aggregate is aggregate mined from the riverbed, and riverbed aggregate is mined from a place other than the riverbed. River sand is made of small particles that have been formed by the corrosion of stones, gravel, etc. in water for a long time in a natural state, and is relatively larger and coarser than sea sand and mountain sand, but has the best quality of the three types of sand.

Sea sand is made up of rocks that have been weathered by waves and other factors. Because it is subject to friction with relatively strong energy, it is smaller than river sand and has a smooth surface, but it contains a lot of salt, so cats may not like it. Therefore, it must be washed thoroughly in fresh water to remove the salt.

Mountain sand contains more organic impurities and mud than other sands, so it is mixed with clay, topsoil, or vegetation, and has a high proportion of soil, so washing and impurity removal treatment are essential.

Even if natural sand is natural ore sand crushed from ores such as dolomite, feldspar, or quartz, it must be thoroughly washed and impurities removed.

Additionally, pebbles or fine particles contained in natural sand can be separated by sieving them to a particle size suitable for use in cat litter.

Meanwhile, as an embodiment of the cat litter manufacturing method of the present invention, instead of going through the natural sand preparation step of cleaning and removing impurities from natural silica sand and natural light sand collected in a natural state and supplying them, in another embodiment, natural sand (Real Sand) that has been hygienically processed externally to be suitable for cat litter can be brought in and supplied and used directly in the cat litter manufacturing step. This can be selected by considering various situations such as economic feasibility and field conditions.

2) In the step of using natural sand selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand as core materials in the cat sand manufacturing method of the present invention, using an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as shell materials, and coating the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component on the natural sand using water in a mixer,

In order to provide absorbency and coagulation to the non-absorbent properties of natural sand, non-absorbent natural sand (Real Sand) is used as a core material, and an environmentally friendly biodegradable absorbent capable of absorption and coagulation is used as a shell material to coat it.

In the present invention, 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent used as a shell material is placed in a mixer and mixed homogeneously for 100 parts by weight of natural sand used as a core material, thereby coating the natural sand with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component.

The shell material, an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent of the present invention, is an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent that absorbs approximately three times its own weight in artificial urine (0.9% Saine), as its name suggests. The shell material uses an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent made of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose, which are natural polymers that are biodegradable and have little irritation to cat skin.

At this time, in order to homogeneously mix the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component into the natural sand, an appropriate amount of water can be added so that the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component can be dissolved.

Preferably, 6 to 10 parts by weight of water can be used for 100 parts by weight of natural sand.

If less than 6 parts by weight of water is used, the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component does not dissolve sufficiently. If more than 10 parts by weight of water is used, the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component dissolves well, but the time for heating and drying after coating takes too long.

3) In the step of heating and drying natural sand coated with an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component in the cat sand manufacturing method of the present invention to form a composite natural sand core-shell structure,

The water used in the process of coating natural sand with an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component can be heated and evaporated in a heating and drying means.

In addition, by heating by a heat drying means, the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component can be firmly formed into a shell in the core materials of natural sand, thereby compositely forming a real sand core-shell structure.

Additionally, it is possible to sterilize harmful bacteria that may be contained in natural sand, thereby producing more hygienic and safe cat sand.

In the heating drying means, the heating drying temperature can be 80 to 130°C, and the heating time can be 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Considering the organic interaction of each process, if the heating and drying temperature is lower than 80℃ or the heating time is shorter than 30 minutes, it is difficult to properly dry the water used in the process of coating the natural sand with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component. On the other hand, if the heating temperature exceeds 130℃ and the heating time exceeds 1 hour and 30 minutes, it is not only uneconomical but also, when the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component is formed into a shell in the core materials of the natural sand to form a real sand core-shell structure, the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component may be denatured, which may have a negative effect on the excellent absorbency, coagulation, and clump performance of cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand.

In the present invention, any device capable of heating, including a hot air blower or an infrared (IR) lamp, can be used as the heating drying means.

4) In the step of classifying the composite cat litter in the cat litter manufacturing method of the present invention,

This is a method of removing floating dust contained in cat litter with a composite natural sand core-shell structure by sieving it several times. This can prevent desertification of the house where sand is scattered all over the house due to cats using cat litter to treat their urination.

In addition, among the cat litters with a composite natural sand core-shell structure, if the particle size is too large, the absorbency is reduced and large particles that are not suitable for cats to use are separated and removed through a sieve as they can damage the cat's paw pads.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the natural sand particle size (particle diameter) for the natural sand core-shell structure be in the range of 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛).

The finer the cat litter particles, the higher the cohesion and absorption, and the more palatable it is to cats, but it is also prone to causing desertification where sand is scattered all over the house, so the cat litter particle size should be at least 500 microns (㎛), and if it exceeds 2,000 microns (㎛), the cohesion and absorption power will decrease, which is not desirable.

Meanwhile, in another aspect of the present invention, cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand composited with a real sand core-shell structure using natural sand and eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent components has excellent absorbency, excellent coagulation and clump performance, and excellent deodorizing ability and low dust properties, so that it can be selectively and diversely used not only for cat urine treatment, but also for excrement treatment of small animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, degus, and chinchillas kept as pets at home.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments and manufacturing methods of the present invention will be described in detail by the following examples. However, the following examples are provided only for illustrative purposes to more easily understand the present invention, and the scope of protection defined by the patent claims of the present invention is not intended to be limited by the following examples.

[Example 1]

<Step 1> 10 kg of Australian silica (particle size 500 to 1,200 microns) as a real sand core material was added to a clean 20-liter ribbon mixer, and 1 kg of ion-exchanged water was added while stirring to homogeneously mix, then 800 g of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent ( CM-100 ) composed of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose was added and homogeneously mixed, and the mixture was placed in a 100-mesh tray, shelled in a hot air dryer at 95°C for about 1 hour, and then cooled to room temperature to produce an intermediate of Example 1 of the present invention.

< Step 2 > The intermediate of Example 1 cooled to room temperature was classified through a lower sieve of 25 mesh and an upper sieve of 10 mesh to remove the floating dust generated, thereby manufacturing Example 1 of cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand with a real sand core-shell structure of the present invention.

[Examples 2 to 4]

Examples 2 to 4 were manufactured by changing the amount of eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent added as specified in Table 1 using the same process as Example 1.

[Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2]

Cat litter was manufactured using the same process as Example 1, with the shell material amount of the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent being lower than the lower limit and higher than the upper limit of the present invention, as shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 3]

I used commercially available bentonite cat litter.

[Comparative Example 4]

We used commercially available cassava cat litter.

Mixture of examples and comparative examples of the present invention Mixture of examples and comparative examples of the present invention 　 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Comparative Example 4 Natural Sand Core 10 Kg 10 Kg 10 Kg 10 Kg 10 Kg 10 Kg Bentonite on the market
sand Cassava sand on the market Shell material ion exchange water 1 Kg 1 Kg 1 Kg 1 Kg 1 Kg 1 Kg CM-100 0.8 Kg 0.6 Kg 0.85 Kg 1.0 Kg 0.5 Kg 1.2 Kg Total 11.8 Kg 11.6 Kg 11.85 Kg 12 Kg 11.5 Kg 12.2 Kg

* Eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent composed of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose (CM-100)

The performance indicator evaluation method of the cat litter of the present invention is as follows.

< Clump Performance Evaluation >

1) Evaluation of cat litter urine clumping index

◆ Purpose: This test is to evaluate the urine coagulation performance for separating and removing urine-contaminated sand caused by cat urine.

◆ Test method: After filling 30 grams of cat litter in a 100 cc plastic beaker, 5 cc of artificial urine (0.9% saline) was shot using a quantitative pipet, and after 30 seconds and 1 minute, the coagulated urine sand coagulate was separated and the coagulation performance was judged by the following coagulation index value.

◆ Judgment method: The higher the clumping index (hereinafter referred to as CI value), the better the clumping performance.

Coagulation Index (CI) = Clump Weight / (Cat Litter Specific Gravity × Volume of Artificial Urine Shot)

2) Clump strength evaluation

◆ Purpose: This test is to evaluate the strength development of urine sand aggregates to the extent that they can be easily removed without crumbling when separated with a cat shovel.

◆ Test method: When evaluating the above cat litter urine coagulability, the separated urine sand coagulants are dropped freely from heights of 30 cm and 1 m, respectively, and the degree of destruction of the coagulants is evaluated.

◆ Judgment method: When free falling from each height,

Excellent: When the coagulant maintains its shape without destruction.

Compliance: When the coagulant retains its shape but is partially fragmented.

Defective: When the conglomerate breaks down into pieces and breaks apart.

< Urine deodorizing performance evaluation >

◆ Purpose: This test was conducted to evaluate the ability of cat litter to remove ammonia (a foul-smelling substance in urine) produced by the breakdown of amino acids and uric acid contained in cat urine.

◆ Test method: Put 50 grams of cat litter into a 200 cc PE plastic container, take 1 cc of 1% ammonia solution using a precision pipette, shoot it onto the sand, close the lid, leave it for 20 minutes, and check the ammonia concentration using a Gastec Ammonia detector tube.

Blank ammonia concentration Check (Base concentration) is the ammonia concentration measured by replacing cat litter with raw natural sand Core in the above test method, and the blank ammonia concentration is used.

◆ Judgment method: The deodorizing performance of cat litter is evaluated by evaluating the ammonia concentration of the sample compared to the blank ammonia concentration as the deodorizing rate (%) as follows.

Urine deodorization rate (%) = (1-sample ammonia concentration/blank ammonia concentration) X 100

In other words, the higher the deodorization rate (%), the better the cat litter's ability to deodorize urine odor.

< Desertification Dust Generation Index >

◆ Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the degree of dust generation (desertification) of cat litter, which affects feline eye and respiratory diseases and causes dust contamination around cat litter boxes in the home.

◆ Test method: Put 1 kg of cat litter sample into a black bowl, hand shake for about 3 minutes, then recover the cat litter sample and visually observe the amount of dust remaining on the surface of the black bowl to evaluate the level.

◆ Judgment method: The performance is judged by the distribution status and amount of white or gray dust on the surface of the Black Bowl. Fig. 4 is a photograph showing the results of a comparative evaluation of cat litter dust according to an embodiment of the present invention.

INDEX: 9 (very severe) < -----------> 0 (almost none)

< Cat Preference Evaluation >

◆ Purpose: This test was conducted to evaluate cats’ preferences according to the type of cat litter.

◆ Test method: Place urine boxes of different types of cat litter in parallel, and analyze the cat's litter preference by checking the number of times an adult cat urinates for about a week.

◆ Judgment method: The more times a cat urinates in each urination box, the higher the cat’s preference.

The results of evaluating each performance index for examples and comparative examples of the present invention based on the above cat litter performance evaluation method are as shown in Table 2 below.

Performance Indicator Evaluation Results 　 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Comparative Example 4 Clump performance CI value 3.82 3.61 3.86 3.92 3.28 4.08 2.82 3.98 robbery excellence excellence excellence excellence observance excellence excellence observance Deodorization rate (%) 98~100 90~95 70~80 Dust Index 1 1 1 2 4 6 3 1 Preference (number of times) 11 Unimplemented 6 4

The results of the above performance indicator evaluation are summarized as follows.

1) The composite ratio range of the shell materials of the present invention is 6 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the natural sand core, and the clump performance (CI value and strength) is evaluated to be close to the CI value of light-weight starch-type cassava sand and much better than inorganic bentonite sand compared to commercial cat litter Comparative Examples 3 (bentonite sand) and Comparative Examples 4 (cassava sand).

Meanwhile, in terms of clump strength, which is an important property in urine litter treatment, the strength of the examples of the present invention is evaluated to be equal to or greater than that of light starch-type cassava sand and inorganic bentonite sand, making it easy for cat owners to manage urine litter.

2) In particular, it was found that the cat litter of the examples of the present invention had superior deodorizing power in terms of deodorizing rate (%).

3) In terms of dust generation, the embodiments of the present invention were evaluated as clearly superior.

4) It was found from the preference evaluation index that the intention of the present invention to use natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural light sand that cats naturally prefer as core materials was the correct approach in terms of cat preference.

In conclusion, the cat litter having a real sand core-shell structure of the present invention is evaluated to have excellent cat preference and overall performance.

Claims (10)

Natural sand (Real Sand) selected from natural silica sand and natural mineral sand is used as core materials, and an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is used as shell materials to composite a natural sand core-shell structure.
For every 100 parts by weight of the above natural sand, use 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent.
The above natural sand is selected and used from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as feldspar and quartz, which are crushed ores.
The above eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand characterized by being composed of starch and carboxy methyl cellulose.
delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above natural sand (Real Sand) is an eco-friendly cat litter using natural sand with a particle size ranging from 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛).
The method comprises: a natural sand preparation step of selecting natural silica sand and natural mineral sand mined in a natural state, washing them cleanly and removing impurities, and supplying them, or bringing in natural sand that has been hygienically processed from an external source; a step of using the prepared natural sand as a core material, using an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent as a shell material, and coating the natural sand with an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component in a mixer using water; a step of heating and drying the natural sand coated with the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component to form a real sand core-shell structure; and a step of classifying the cat litter that has been formed into the real sand core-shell structure.
For every 100 parts by weight of the above natural sand, use 6 to 10 parts by weight of an eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent and 6 to 10 parts by weight of water.
The above natural sand is selected and used by selecting at least one type from the group consisting of natural silica sand such as river sand, washed sea sand, and mountain sand, and natural mineral sand such as feldspar and quartz, which are crushed ores.
A method for manufacturing cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand, characterized in that the eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent is composed of starch and carboxymethyl cellulose.
delete delete In paragraph 5,
A method for manufacturing cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand, characterized in that in the step of heating and drying the natural sand coated with the above eco-friendly biodegradable absorbent component to form a composite of a natural sand core-shell structure, the heating and drying is performed at a temperature in the range of 80 to 130°C and for 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
In paragraph 5,
The above natural sand (Real Sand) is characterized by a particle size ranging from 500 to 2,000 microns (㎛), and is a method for manufacturing cat litter using eco-friendly natural sand.
A method of using cat litter, characterized in that the cat litter using the eco-friendly natural sand of either clause 1 or clause 4 can be selectively used for cat urine disposal and for disposal of feces of small animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, degu, and chinchillas.