Bird-repellent coating material

Abstract

Various measures have conventionally been adopted against bird damage, but as yet none has proved decisive. There is moreover no technology that affords sustained repellency of coating materials against bird damage. A bird-repellent coating material according to the present invention contains at least one component selected from the group consisting of a microencapsulated aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds, a microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds and a powder of a visual repellent against birds, and an aqueous resin vehicle that contains the above component. No bird-repellent coating material has been conventionally produced in which the components and so forth of the material are established taking into consideration the diversity and learning ability of birds. The formulation of the bird-repellent coating material according to the present invention, by contrast, has been devised taking into account the senses of sight and smell in birds.

Claims

1. A bird-repellent coating material comprising: a microencapsulated aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds; and an aqueous resin vehicle, wherein the microencapsulated aqueous dispersion of the visual repellent against birds is incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle.

2. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, wherein the visual repellent against birds in the aqueous dispersion of the visual repellent against birds is at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent brightener, a fluorescent protein, and a water extract of Acanthaster planci powder.

3. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, further comprising: a microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds, wherein the microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds is incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle.

4. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 3, wherein the volatile olfactory repellent against birds is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfur-containing terpenoid, a sulfur-containing heterocyclic compound, an oxygen-containing heterocyclic compound, rhubafuran, cinnamyl nitrile, and vertacetal.

5. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, further comprising: a powder of a visual repellent against birds, wherein the powder of the visual repellent against birds is incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle.

6. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, further comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of a microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds and a powder of a visual repellent against birds incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle, wherein a mass of repellents against birds with respect to a mass of a non-volatile fraction is in a range of 0.1 mass % to 20 mass %, wherein the mass of repellents against birds include a mass of the visual repellent against birds in the aqueous dispersion of the visual repellent against birds, and one or more of: a mass of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, and a mass of the visual repellent against birds that constitutes the powder of the visual repellent against birds.

7. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, further comprising: a small animal repellent that prevents intrusion of small animals excluding birds, wherein the small animal repellent is incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle.

8. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 7, further comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of a microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds and a powder of a visual repellent against birds incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle, wherein a mass of repellents with respect to a mass of a non-volatile fraction is in a range of 0.1 mass % to 20 mass %, wherein the mass of repellents include a mass of the visual repellent against birds in the aqueous dispersion of the visual repellent against birds, a mass of the small animal repellent, and one or more of: a mass of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, and a mass of the visual repellent against birds that constitutes the powder of the visual repellent against birds.

9. The bird-repellent coating material of claim 1, further comprising: a colloidal silica, wherein the colloidal silica is incorporated into the aqueous resin vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a microcapsule having a fluorescent brightener aqueous dispersion encapsulated therein.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a microcapsule having a sulfur-containing terpenoid encapsulated therein.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a microcapsule having an Acanthaster planci water extract encapsulated therein.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a coating material composition.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an instance where a bird-repellent coating material of the present invention is applied onto a metallic part.

(6) FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a production process of a bird-repellent coating material.

(7) FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the results of a field test of repellent effect on crows, where the vertical axis represents water supply volume (%) and the horizontal axis represents total addition amount of visual repellent against birds plus volatile olfactory repellent against birds.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) A bird-repellent coating material according to an embodiment of the present invention contains a visual repellent against birds and/or a volatile olfactory repellent against birds (the terms visual repellent against birds and volatile olfactory repellent against birds may hereafter be notated collectively as bird repellent component). Examples of the visual repellent against birds include ultraviolet reflecting agents and ultraviolet-absorbing fluorescent agents. Examples of ultraviolet reflecting agents include, for instance, cesium oxide. Examples of ultraviolet-absorbing fluorescent agents include, for instance, aqueous dispersions of fluorescent brighteners and fluorescent proteins, or water extracts of powdery fluorescent brighteners or fluorescent proteins, or of a dry powder of Acanthaster planci. Examples of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds include sulfur-containing terpenoids, sulfur-containing/oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, rhubafuran, cinnamyl nitrile and vertacetal. Among the foregoing, liquid bird repellent components in the form, for instance, of a liquid, an aqueous dispersion or a water extract are used in a state where the bird repellent component is encapsulated in microcapsules. Microencapsulation is carried out prior to production of the coating material. The particle size of the microcapsules is preferably in the range of 1 m to 100 m, for instance, from the viewpoint of finishing and workability of the coating material.

(9) A coating material containing at least one of a microencapsulated volatile olfactory repellent against birds, microcapsules filled with a water-dispersed visual repellent against birds, and a powder of a visual repellent against birds which are incorporated into an aqueous resin vehicle is prepared, and the prepared coating material is applied onto the required site.

(10) The volatile olfactory repellent against birds in an embodiment of the present invention is, for instance, a sulfur-containing terpenoid, a sulfur-containing/oxygen-containing heterocyclic compound, rhubafuran, cinnamyl nitrile or vertacetal. In order to sustain the effect of foregoing over long periods of time, these volatile olfactory repellent against birds are encapsulated in microcapsules to thereby be released in a sustained manner.

(11) The term ultraviolet-absorbing fluorescent agent in an embodiment of the present invention denotes a substance that emits fluorescent light derived from ultraviolet rays. Examples of the ultraviolet-absorbing fluorescent agent include, for instance, fluorescent brighteners such as the compounds represented by the chemical formulas below, as well as fluorescent proteins and a water extract of Acanthaster planci powder. In the embodiments of the present invention, the term ultraviolet reflecting agent denotes a substance that reflects ultraviolet rays. Examples of ultraviolet reflecting agents include, for instance, cesium oxide. The ultraviolet reflecting agent can be used by being dispersed in water and being encapsulated into microcapsules, or can be used in powder form.

(12) ##STR00001##

(13) In addition to at least one of a visual repellent against birds and a volatile olfactory repellent against birds such as the above, preferably the bird-repellent, coating material according to an embodiment of the present invention further contains a small animal repellent which prevents intrusion of small animals, as a countermeasure against birds/beasts that prey on small animals (excluding birds). Examples of small animal repellents that prevent the intrusion of small animals, which as the diet of birds of prey are one cause of the appearance of such birds, include the following: menthol, limonene, linalool, mitral, diethyl triamide, capsaicin, stemone, dihydrobenzole, 2-isopropyl-5 methylphenol, peppermint natural oil, geranium oil, eucalyptus oil, hiba (Thujopsis) oil, garlic oil and bamboo vinegar.

(14) The addition ratio of the bird repellent component in the bird-repellent coating material is established taking into consideration the bird repellent effect of the component and the performance thereof as a coating material, for instance, in terms of adhesion and durability. Specifically, the proportion of the total of the visual repellent against birds and the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, or of the total of the visual repellent against birds, the volatile olfactory repellent against birds and the small animal repellent, is preferably in the range of 0.1 mass % to 20 mass %, with respect to 100% as the non-volatile fraction of the bird-repellent coating material.

(15) As the microcapsules filled with an aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds or a volatile olfactory repellent against birds according to an embodiment of the present invention there are preferably used microcapsules that encapsulate and stabilize the aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds or the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, being liquids, and that make volatilization of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds into sustained release. In the bird-repellent coating material according to an embodiment of the present invention, preferably, colloidal silica, which imparts air permeability to coating films and facilitates volatilization of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, is incorporated into an aqueous resin vehicle.

(16) Preferably, the aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds or the volatile olfactory repellent against birds is encapsulated into microcapsules prior to the production of the coating material. Examples of encapsulation methods include, for instance, a method that involves dispersing microcapsules and an aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds or volatile olfactory repellent against birds using a stirrer, leaving the resulting dispersion to stand for one day, and thereafter filtering the dispersion to retrieve the microcapsules having the aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds or volatile olfactory repellent against birds encapsulated therein. The forming component of the microcapsules may be synthetic resin-based, for instance, a silicone resin or a urethane resin, or may be inorganic-based, for instance, glass or a ceramic. The diameter of the microcapsules that can be used in the bird-repellent coating material is preferably in the range of 0.1 m to 100 m.

(17) Examples of resin vehicles include, for instance, aqueous emulsions and water-soluble resin vehicles. Examples of resins include, for instance, acrylic resins, silicone resins, urethane resins and fluororesins. Preferably, all the foregoing resins are a synthetic resin having excellent outdoor weatherability and adhesion.

(18) The bird-repellent coating material may contain various additives as needed, for instance, defoaming agents, film-forming aids, viscosity adjusting agents and pH adjusting agents. Preferably no pigments are used, since these would impair the effect of the visual repellent against birds. Preferably, colloidal silica is incorporated in order to elicit moderate volatilization of the volatile olfactory repellent against birds from within the coating film. Colloidal silica is a preferred material in the present invention as an additive for imparting air permeability to the coating film.

(19) The proportion of the total of the visual repellent against birds and the volatile olfactory repellent against birds, or the total of the visual repellent against birds, the volatile olfactory repellent against birds and the small animal repellent, with respect to the non-volatile fraction of the bird-repellent coating material, is preferably set to be in the range of 0.1 mass % to 20 mass %. If the above proportion is too low, the bird repellent effect is weak, whereas if the proportion is too high, problems may arise as regards the physical properties of the coating film, for instance, in terms of water resistance, workability and weatherability. The above range is preferably narrowed down to 8 mass % to 10 mass %.

(20) FIG. 7 illustrates the influence of the addition amount of the visual repellent against birds and volatile olfactory repellent against birds on the water absorption ratio of the bird-repellent coating film. The water absorption amount is best small, and ordinarily is preferably 2 mass % or less.

(21) The bird-repellent coating material is applied to sites where damage is caused by intrusion of birds. In order to sustain the bird repellent effect over long periods of time it is essential that the coating material should match the performance of ordinary coating materials. Factors to be considered include the underlying base of the coating material and the weather during application. Sites where the bird-repellent coating material is applied include, for instance, habitable construction structures such as condominiums, civil engineering structures such as airports, and public buildings such as stations. The coating underlying base may be of metal, concrete, asphalt, aluminum, wood or the like. Primers and coating system that are suitable for the bird-repellent coating material have been established. The bird repellent effect can be sustained over long periods of time by virtue of the coating method and the bird-repellent coating material.

EXAMPLES

(22) A coating material was produced by adding microcapsules filled with a volatile olfactory repellent against birds, adding at least one of an ultraviolet reflecting agent and an ultraviolet-absorbing fluorescent agent, for birds having the trait of shunning luminous bodies, and adding a small animal repellent, exploiting the indirect effect of such a repellent as a solution to intrusion of birds of prey. Highly safe natural components or components already publicly used were utilized herein in all the bird repellent components. Colloidal silica, which allows imparting air permeability to coating films, was added so as to enable the volatile olfactory repellent against birds to volatilize stably from the coating film.

(23) The bird-repellent coating material according to an embodiment of the present invention is a coating material, boasting excellent repellency, in which the characteristics of various birds are factored in, for instance, susceptibility to olfactory stress in pigeons and to visual stress in crows. The bird-repellent coating material is an aqueous material. Accordingly, the coating material affords excellent application workability and is environmentally friendly, and highly safe. The coating material was targeted for use also in buildings such as condominiums and at various locations such as station buildings, where opportunities for contact with humans arise. The coating material is further an effective means as a countermeasure against aircraft-striking birds in airports. By virtue of being in paint form, the coating material is compatible with any underlying base. For instance, the coating material is compatible with dedicated undercoat materials such as metal, asphalt, or old paint.

(24) The microencapsulation method of the aqueous dispersion of a visual repellent against birds and the volatile olfactory repellent against birds is as given in (1) and (2) below.

(25) (1)

(26) (1-1)

(27) In a case where a water extract of Acanthaster planci powder is used as the bird repellent component, firstly an Acanthaster planci powder is added to water to a content of Acanthaster planci powder in the range of 1 mass % to 50 mass %, and thereafter a preservative is added to the water. The Acanthaster planci powder-containing water is then stirred for 1 to 2 hours at 100 to 2000 RPM, after which the resulting Acanthaster planci powder-containing water is allowed to stand overnight. Thereafter, the Acanthaster planci powder-containing water is stirred again, the Acanthaster planci powder is filtered from the Acanthaster planci powder-containing water, and the filtrate is dried, to yield a water extract of Acanthaster planci powder.

(28) (1-2)

(29) In a case where a fluorescent brightener is used as the bird repellent component, the fluorescent brightener is added to water so that the content of the fluorescent brightener may be in the range of 1 mass % to 50 mass %, after which the fluorescent brightener-containing water is stirred at 100 to 2000 RPM, to thereby disperse of the fluorescent brightener in the water.

(30) (1-3)

(31) Sulfur-containing terpenoids are liquid and hence are used directly.

(32) (2) The bird repellent component and microcapsules are mixed so that the ratio of bird repellent component/microcapsules may be in the range of 1/1 to 3/1, and the resulting mixture is stirred at low speed (about 100 RPM). Thereafter, the mixture is allowed to stand overnight, and is filtered, to separate the microcapsules having the bird repellent component encapsulated therein.

(33) By way of example, field tests (Table 1) were conducted in which a single volatile olfactory repellent against birds and a single visual repellent against birds, or one volatile olfactory repellent against birds and one or two visual repellents against birds, were incorporated into a respective coating material. Good coating materials among the foregoing were tested in actual locations, and the effect of the materials was assessed.

(34) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Examples Comparative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 example Silicone 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 emulsion Colloidal 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 silica Film-forming 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 aid Defoaming agent 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Thickener 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Preservative 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Water 26.9 26.9 26.9 28.9 22.9 25.9 25.9 31.9 A sulfur- 5 3 3 3 containing terpenoid capsules B1 Acanthaster 5 3 planci capsules B2 fluorescent 5 3 3 brightener capsules B3 fluorescent 3 3 brightener powder Total (wt %) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 A: volatile olfactory repellent against birds; B1 to B3: visual repellent against birds
<Field Test on Repellent Effect Against Pigeons>

(35) The bird repellent effect of the bird-repellent coating materials in an example was evaluated in a shrine of Osaka. For evaluation there were prepared two specimens each of 30 cm plywood boards coated with respective bird-repellent coating materials of Examples 1 to 6 (coating amount: 150 g/m.sup.2; two coats), followed by drying. The total of 12 plywood boards coated with the bird-repellent coating materials were randomly set in a park, raw grains and edible peanuts were sprinkled on the coated surface of the plywood boards coated with the bird-repellent coating materials, and the eating behavior of pigeons was observed. Observations were carried out thrice in different days (modifying each time the installation location of the plywood boards coated with the bird-repellent coating materials). The repellent effect on pigeons was evaluated comprehensively taking into account the three observations. The evaluation of the repellent effect was as given in Table 2. The reference symbols A to D in the results of Table 2 denote the events in brackets below. A: highly effective (no pigeons settle) B: effective (some pigeons settle but do not eat) C: somewhat effective (some pigeons settle and eat) D: ineffective (pigeons settle and eat everything)

(36) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 <Test results> Test Result Example 1 A to B 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 B 6 B 7 B Comparative example D
<Field Test on Repellent Effect Against Crows>

(37) The bird repellent effect of the bird-repellent coating materials in the examples was evaluated in a selected park of Osaka, as an area where domestic garbage is discarded. The evaluation of the repellent effect was as given in Table 3.

(38) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 <Test results> Test Result Example 1 C 2 B 3 B 4 B 5 B to A 6 B to A 7 B to A Comparative example D
<Field Application Example: Railway Station Building in Osaka>

(39) The bird-repellent coating material of Example 1 was applied at ceiling metallic parts of the station, where pigeons had been reported to perch and generate fecal pollution for passengers standing on the platforms. Reports from the railway administration indicated that the effect against pigeons was dramatic. Later on the railway reported that the same bird-repellent coating material had been adopted against pigeon pollution in multiple stations.

(40) <Field Application Example: Planned Town in Nara Prefecture>

(41) An experiment was carried out at an area of confirmed damage by garbage-scavenging crows on twice-weekly domestic garbage collection days. Specifically, an experiment was carried out by using a polyester net against birds (product name: Bird stopper net, 25 mm mesh, yellow) coated beforehand with the coating materials of Examples 5 and 7. Raw garbage bags covered with an uncoated net, those covered with a coated net, and those without any nets were compared. The evaluation of the repellent effect was as given in Table 4.

(42) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Test Result No net Birds come, tear the bag and scavenge the contents Only net Birds come but give up on tearing the bag Coated net (Example 5) No birds come Coated net (Example 7) No birds come
<Addition Amount of the Bird Repellent Component in the Bird-Repellent Coating Material>

(43) Both a. sulfur-containing terpenes and b. Acanthaster planci extracts, being bird repellent components, are liquid and hence it is deemed that they exhibit a plasticizer-like behavior in the bird-repellent coating material; Moreover, these bird repellent components are expensive substances. Accordingly, the addition amount of the bird repellent components in the bird-repellent coating material was assessed both from the performance aspect and the economic aspect.

(44) Each bird repellent component was mixed with an aqueous silicone coating material having 40% solids, to a content of 0, 3, 5, 10 and 20 mass % of the bird repellent component, and water resistance was assessed. The bird repellent components that were used were not microencapsulated, i.e. the components were used as they were. Firstly, a specimen was prepared by applying a respective bird-repellent coating material on a glass plate with a 10-mil applicator, with drying for 7 days. Thereafter, the specimen was immersed for 5 hours in water, was retrieved, and the coating film was then observed. The results were as given in Table 5.

(45) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Amount (%) A B Coating film state Evaluation 0 0 No abnormality A 3 Whitening but reverting to normal B 3 Whitening but reverting to normal B 5 Whitening but reverting to normal B 5 Whitening but reverting to normal B 10 Whitening/blistering D 10 Whitening/blistering D 20 Whitening/peeling D 20 Whitening/peeling D
<Effect of Microcapsules>

(46) The effect of encapsulating the bird repellent component into microcapsules was checked. a: a respective coating material was added to encapsulation microcapsules (prepared prior to the test, with 5 parts by mass of bird repellent component with respect to 3 parts by mass of microcapsules). b: 5 parts of bird repellent component were directly added to the coating material. The coating material comprising the bird repellent component was applied, at 150 g/m.sup.2, onto a slate board having painted beforehand with an undercoat, and then the coating was dried for 7 days. Thereafter, the slate board with the coating film was exposed in an accelerated weathering tester, Sunshine Weatherometer for 300 hours (outdoor exposure of about 1 year), and the effect of the microcapsules was assessed. The particle size of the microcapsules was 100.

(47) <Olfactory Sensory Test of Sulfur-Containing Terpenoids>

(48) Table 6 summarizes the results of an olfactory sensory test by five people.

(49) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Before test After exposure a A: strong odor B: good odor b A: strong odor C to D: faint odor

(50) In the case of direct addition of the repellent, it is found that b exhibits a greater drop in repellent effect, caused by adsorption and reaction of the component in the coating material, and greater volatilization of the component by moisture and heat upon exposure, as compared with the case of a, where the component is protected in the microcapsules.

(51) <Intensity of Reflected Light of the Acanthaster Planci Solution>

(52) The intensity of reflected light from black light, elicited by respective Acanthaster planci solutions, was as given in Table 7.

(53) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Before test After exposure a A: good gleam B: gleam but fainter than before test b B: gleam but fainter than a C to D: faint gleam

(54) It is deemed that in the case (b), where bird repellent component is directly added to the coating material, there is a greater drop in effect, caused by adsorption and reaction of the bird repellent component in the coating material, and greater volatilization of the component by moisture and heat upon exposure, as compared with the case of (a), where the component is protected in the microcapsules.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(55) The bird-repellent coating material according to the present invention, being a coating material that prevents damage by birds, in particular pigeons and crows, can be easily applied and installed, by virtue of its properties as a paint, regardless of the shape and material of the underlying foundation, and encompasses thus a broad scope of industrial uses. As regards pigeons, for instance, examples of the use of the coating material include limitation of damage to passengers caused by fecal pollution in station buildings, prevention of fecal pollution in industrial products, and damage prevention in shrine and temple buildings. In the case of crows, uses of the coating material include, for instance, prevention of damage caused by scattering of domestic garbage, prevention of bird strikes in aircraft, and noise prevention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(56) EH Acanthaster planci extract FD Aqueous dispersion of fluorescent brightener FL Bird-repellent coating material FP Metallic part MC Microcapsule ME Microcapsule containing an Acanthaster planci extract MF Microcapsule containing a fluorescent brightener aqueous dispersion MS Microcapsule containing a sulfur-containing terpenoid PR Primer PW Fluorescent brightener powder SA Small animal repellent ST Sulfur-containing terpenoid WR Water-soluble synthetic resin