Patent Application
20070060004
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a natural polymer mat and manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a mat made by a natural textile, instead of traditional industrial, and natural polymer used as stuff, which are biodegradable by the microorganism in the soil, rather than traditional plastic.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although industrialized society brings the people with convenient lifestyle, the accompanying problem is the excessive use of plastic products made from petroleum. Plastic products are hard to be decomposed and thus cause environmental pollution. The poll conducted by Gallop indicates that in 2002 the disposed plastic trash accounts for 9.8% in the solid trash amounting to 2.16 hundred million in America, and even 15% in Taiwan.
At present, it is inevitable to use polluting plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), in the technology for manufacturing anti-slide mats or exercise mats. Therefore, there is a need to develop a novel mat without using plastic and keep the desired characteristics of plastic.
The present invention provides a natural polymer mat and the manufacturing method thereof, which uses natural polymer material as the stuff to replace plastic. The present natural polymer mat is environmental-friendly and still maintains the desired characteristics of plastic.
However, the commonly used high polymer materials, such as amylum or cellulose, have no satisfying plasticity as plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Meanwhile, compared with plastic, it is hard to properly control their physical characteristic. Therefore, conversion of physical property and precise control of manufacturing process are required to manufacture the present natural polymer mat, can be used as anti-slide mats or exercise mats.
The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a natural polymer mat, which is biodegradable. The present method includes the steps of: (a) providing and flattening a piece of natural textile; (b) coating the flattened natural textile with natural high polymer raw material regulated according to a predetermined formula contained in a container; (c) drying the natural high polymer raw material at a predetermined high temperature; and (d) rapidly cooling down to consolidate the natural high polymer material.
The present invention discloses a natural polymer mat, including a piece of natural textile, having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a natural polymer material layer, coated on the upper surface and the lower surface. The formula for regulating the natural polymer material layer includes a large percentage of natural high polymer raw material, a tiny percentage of yeast, a small percentage of pure water, resin and crosslinking agent.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated and better understood by referencing the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying, wherein:
The present invention discloses a natural polymer mat, in which a natural textile is used as a substrate, and manufacturing method thereof. The natural textile is coated with natural polymer raw material, in turn, pressed, dried, rapidly cooled down and consolidated.
However, the commonly used high polymer materials, such as amylum or cellulose, have no satisfying plasticity as plastic. Meanwhile, compared with plastic, it is hard to properly control their physical characteristic. Therefore, conversion of physical property and precise control of manufacturing process are required to manufacture the present natural polymer mat, can be used as anti-slide mats or exercise mats.
Please refer to
As shown in
The natural polymer layers are made according to a pre-determined formula consisting of a large percentage, about 70%, of the natural textile 11, such as amylum, plant fiber or cellulose, a tiny percentage, about 0.5%, of yeast, a small percentage, about 20%, of pure water, a small amount, about 6%, of resin and a small amount, about 3.5%, of crosslinking agents. Of course, the natural textile 11 can be replaced by PER if required.
The method for forming the formula of the natural polymer mat 1 includes the following steps. First, in step S1, the large percentage of natural polymer material (about 70%), such as amylum, the tiny percentage of yeast (about 1%) and the small percentage of pure water (about 20%) are mixed. Then, in step S4, the small percentage of resin (about 5%) is added into the mixture of natural polymer material, amylum, yeast and pure water. Thereafter, in step S5, the small percentage of crosslinking agent (about 4%) is added the mixture of natural polymer material, amylum, yeast, pure water as well as resin, and then further mixed properly.
Please refer to
Because the natural textile 11, such as linen, is used as the substrate, the present natural polymer mat 1 presents the natural texture that the industrial meshed cloth cannot provide. Further, the natural textile 11 is soaked in the container 4. Thereafter, the fan module 5 is used to squeeze the natural polymer raw material so that the first surface of the natural textile is coated with most amount of the natural polymer material. By way of squeeze, the natural polymer raw material distributes along the texture of the natural textile 11 and thus the flexible surface 12, which has an irregular granular structure, is obtained. In addition, the second surface of the natural textile 11 is coated with few amount of the natural high polymer layer so as to form the textured surface 13, also the second surface, which exposes the original texture of the natural textile 11.
Unlike the present invention, the traditional mat uses a piece of meshed cloth as the substrate, which is completely covered by plastic material and thus cannot present the texture of the substrate. In the present invention, via the container 4 and the fan module 5, the amounts of natural polymer raw material coated on the first surface and the second surface of the natural textile are different. In this way, the first surface of the natural textile 11 is coated with the most amount of the natural high polymer layer so that the flexible surface 12 is obtained. On the other hand, the second surface of the natural textile 11 is coated with few amount of the natural high polymer layer so that the textured surface 13, which exposes the original texture of the natural textile 11, is obtained. That is, in the present mat, the first surface and the second surface are asymmetric. In sum, the natural polymer mat and the manufacturing method thereof of the present invention include the following advantages. First, because the present mat uses a natural textile as the substrate, instead of traditional industrial meshed cloth and the natural polymer raw material, instead of plastic material, to cover the substrate, the present mat is fully composed of environmental protection material and biodegradable. That is, the present mat can be decomposed by microorganisms after disposal and become inorganic matters, such as carbon dioxide or water and be fully absorbed by the environment. Second, besides environmental protection, the present mat still possesses the same level of tenacity, ductility, flatness and machinability as the industrial meshed cloth. Meanwhile, the present mat has the same level of plasticity and flexibility as the traditional plastic. Third, because the present mat uses natural polymer material as stuff, instead of plastic, the present mat does not discomfort the human skin. Fourth, by way of the distribution technology disclosed in the present invention, in the present mat, the first surface, the flexible surface 12, and the second surface, the textured surface 13, are asymmetric.
As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure.
