METHOD FOR PRODUCING A NON-POROUS COMPOSITE MATERIAL THAT IS WATER-ABSORBENT AND LIPID-ABSORBENT FOR ACTIVE LIQUID COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

The subject matter of the present invention is a method for producing a biodegradable, non-porous composite material made water-absorbent and/or lipid-absorbent, used for obtaining diversely shaped solid objects to be subsequently loaded with active liquid hydrophilic and/or lipophilic compositions comprising at least one active ingredient intended to be delivered into an environment in a controlled and continuous manner. The absorption of the hydrophilic and/or lipophilic composition by said objects is achieved using a network of hydrophilic and/or lipophilic wicks formed in the non-porous material by the co-absorbents. Said method according to the invention is discontinuous, insofar as it comprises storage steps which are steps involving partial interruption of the process insofar as the intermediate products are storable. Indeed, the storage of the fine powder or meal obtained in the first part of the method requires that the maturation thereof allows the distribution of liquid substances in the mass of powder. The storage of the solid objects obtained promotes a flexible management of later operations for their loading with at least one active liquid composition which takes account of the intended purpose of the active objects. Said objects can be used in agriculture, feed supply, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, animal feed, hygiene, ambient air treatments, perfumery or in the maintenance of green spaces.

Claims

1. A method of making a non-porous biodegradable composite material that is made water-absorbent and/or lipid-absorbent for obtaining diversely shaped solid objects and to be subsequently loaded with active liquid hydrophilic and/or lipophilic compositions, comprising at least one active ingredient intended to be delivered into an environment in a controlled and continuous manner, comprising: (a) selecting a base solid material or a mixture of a plurality of base solid materials of natural or synthetic origin; (b) mixing the base solid material obtained or the mixture of a plurality of base solid materials with a solid cohesion co-formulant or a solid coabsorbant; (c) pulverizing a mixture of solid materials obtained in step (b); (d) wetting the mixture obtained in step (c) at a level between 9% and 13.5%; (e) adding a liquid cohesion co-formulant or a liquid coabsorbant to the wetted mixture obtained in step (d) to get a fine powder or a meal; (f) stocking the fine powder or the meal obtained in step (e) for maturation thereof; (g) shaping the fine powder or meal obtained in step (f) into water-absorbent and/or lipid-absorbent non-porous solid objects; (h) stocking the non-porous water-absorbent and/or lipid-absorbent solid objects obtained in step (g) in moisture-proof sealed containers; (i) subsequently incorporating at least one active liquid, or made liquid, lipophilic or hydrophilic composition in the non-porous solid objects obtained in step (h) resulting in an active solid object; (j) optionally, coating the active solid object obtained in step (i); and (k) stocking the active solid objects obtained in (i) or if applicable in (j) in a sealed container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base solid materials are lignocellulosic, glucidic, or protidic biopolymers, free or in association in natural or synthetic structures.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the base solid material is an agro-industrial by-product chosen from sunflower, soy oil cake, grape seed oil cake, corncob, coffee grounds, wheat bran, pulp beet, wheat flour, corn flour, processed animal proteins or a mixture thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the natural base solid material is a vegetal fiber from miscanthus, hemp, flax or a mixture thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid cohesion co-formulant is a vegetal resin, a paraffin, a natural gum, a cellulose derivative, a soy isolate, a casein, a gelatin or a mixture thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid coabsorbant is a biodegradable polymer, of a natural origin or not, having an affinity with the active liquid composition to absorb.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid coabsorbant is a polysaccharide, a natural gum or a mixture thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the coabsorbant is a liquid amphiphilic substance selected from glycerol, a long-carbon chain alcohol compatible with the active liquid composition to absorb or a mixture thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coabsorbant is a liquid lipophilic substance selected from an oil of a vegetal or animal origin, a mineral oil or a mixture thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the coabsorbant is added into the powder or meal at a level between 1% and 50% by weight relative to the total weight of the non-porous biodegradable composite material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the coabsorbant is intended to form a network of hydrophilic and/or lipophilic absorbing wicks in the mass of the non-porous biodegradable composite material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic and/or lipophilic wicks serve as penetration channels for the active liquid, or made liquid composition, hydrophilic or lipophilic into the non-porous biodegradable composite material.

13. An active object made of a water-absorbent and/or lipid-absorbent non-porous biodegradable composite material of claim 1, wherein the object is shaped as granules of sizes varying between 2 millimeters and 1 centimeter in diameter and 2 millimeters and 4 centimeters in length.

14. The active object of claim 13, wherein the object is shaped as plates with edges from 10 centimeters and 1 meter of side, or polyhedral.

15. The active object of claim 13, wherein the it is loaded with an active liquid composition comprising at least one active ingredient chosen from a fertilizer, a biostimulant, a plant protection substance, a herbicide, a biocide, an insecticide, an insect repellent, an attractant, a repellent, a pheromone, an antiparasitic, an anti-pest, a rodenticide, a fragrance, an essential oil, a plant extract, or a mixture thereof.

16. The active object of claim 13, wherein the level of active liquid composition absorbed is between 5% and 50% by weight relative to the weight of active objects.

17. A method of delivering at least one active ingredient into an environment in a controlled and continuous manner comprising using the active object of claim 13 in agriculture, human or animal feeding, breeding, veterinary medicine, hygiene, perfumery, ambient air treatment, or maintenance of green spaces.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

I. Formulation of the Composite Material

[0059] a) Sunflower oil cake, as a base solid material, is micronized in a blender; [0060] b) 870 grams of micronized sunflower oil cake, having 9% moisture, are introduced into a reactor; [0061] c) After stirring at 500 rpm for 5 minutes, 29.6 grams of water was added thereto in small doses for further wetting to 12% moisture, under constant stirring for 5 minutes; [0062] d) 100 grams of glycerol as a first coabsorbant are added thereto, under constant stirring for 5 minutes; [0063] e) 1 gram of castor oil as a second coabsorbant is added drop by drop, under constant stirring; [0064] f) The mixture is stirred for a further 5 minutes, to obtain powder that is stored in a sealed container.

II. Manufacturing Cylindrical Pellets

[0065] a) The powder obtained in I.f is placed in the feed hopper of a vertical die granulating press (14-175, Amandus Kahl) with a PW36 compression ratio; [0066] b) Pressing is performed with roller rotation set at 40% of maximum speed and a height of cutting blades set at 3 cm to obtain cylindrical pellets of 1 centimeter long and 6 millimeters in diameter; [0067] c) The granules obtained are stored in a sealed container.

III. A Posteriori Incorporation of the Active Ingredient in the Granules: Methyl Salicylate

[0068] a) 85 grams of granules obtained in the preceding stage are introduced into a glass oil bath reactor, stirred at 500 rpm and at a temperature maintained at 65 C.; [0069] b) 15 grams of methyl salicylate (Reagent Plus >99%, Sigma Aldrich) is sprayed into the reactor under constant stirring, for 5 successive sequences separated by a pause; [0070] c) the reactor is kept under constant stirring at 200 rpm until the complete incorporation of methyl salicylate. Heating is turned off at the end of one hour for cooling to room temperature; [0071] d) the granules are then screened through a metal sieve of 2.8 mm mesh size. The fine particles are evaluated and weighed. They are evaluated at 3.1% of the total mass of the active ingredient-loaded product; [0072] e) then the active granules obtained are stored in a sealed container.

EXAMPLE 2

I. Formulation of the Composite Material

[0073] a) 900 grams of processed animal protein (PAP Category 3) containing 10% moisture, as base solid materials, are mixed in a blender with 50 grams of grape seed oil cake containing 11% moisture as a solid co-formulant, and the mixture is micronized; [0074] b) The solid micronized mixture obtained in a) is placed in a reactor; [0075] c) After stirring at 500 rpm for 5 minutes, 50 grams of liquid digestate with 4% dry matter are added in small doses as a humectant, under constant stirring for 5 minutes; [0076] d) 100 grams of glycerol as a first coabsorbant are added thereto under constant stirring for 5 minutes; [0077] e) 1 gram of rapeseed oil as a second coabsorbant is added drop by drop, under constant stirring; [0078] f) The mixture is stirred for a further 5 minutes, to obtain powder that is stored in a sealed container.

II. Manufacturing Cylindrical Pellets

[0079] a) The powder obtained in I.f is placed in the feed hopper of a vertical die granulating press (14-175, Amandus Kahl) with a PW38 compression power; [0080] b) Pressing is performed with roller rotation set at 40% of maximum speed and a height of cutting blades set at 3 cm to obtain cylindrical pellets of 1 centimeter long and 6 millimeters in diameter; [0081] c) The granules obtained are stored in a sealed container.
III. Incorporation of Liquid Digestate as Active Composition into the Granules [0082] a) 70 grams of granulates obtained in the preceding step are introduced into a glass reactor stirred at 500 rpm; [0083] b) 30 grams of liquid digestate are sprayed into the reactor under constant stirring, for 5 successive sequences separated by a pause; [0084] c) the reactor is kept stirred at 200 rpm until complete incorporation of the digestate; [0085] d) the granules are then screened through a sieve of 2.8 mm mesh size. The fine particles are collected and weighed. They are evaluated at 4.1% of the total mass of the active ingredient-loaded product; [0086] e) then the active granules obtained are stored in a sealed container.