Functional man-made ornamental plants and a method for manufacture thereof

Abstract: The invention provides a functional man-made ornamental plant which, despite not including an air cleaner device, achieves an excellent deodorizing effect, is capable of decomposing organic foulants, with the deodorizing and antifouling effects being long-lasting, and is soothing both visually and mentally because of its naturalness and a process for manufacture thereof. A first functional man-made ornamental plant comprises a foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant having a thin layer AB of a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a) and a binder which is inorganic or has been made inorganic (b) preferably on top of an under-coat layer B of the binder which is inorganic or has been made inorganic (b). A second functional man-made ornamental plant is characterized in that the foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant is molded from a composition comprising a matrix resin and, as incorporated therein, an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a). Preferably, the surface of the molded foliage-floral part L is delicately roughened.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a functional man-made ornamental plant with excellent deodorizing and other environment-decontaminating performance characteristics. PRIOR ART The concept of environmental decontamination such as deodorization, disinfection and cleaning of indoor atmosphere has by now pervaded through all the ecosystems at homes, offices, factories, schools, hospitals, other public buildings, traffic facilities, and so on. As a handy deodorizer which does not require any special ancillary equipment, an ornamental deodorizer is in broad use for the purpose of deodorizing small spaces within closets, showcases, refrigerators, lockers, passenger cars, toilet rooms, and other compartments. Typical deodorizers of this type consist of a gas-permeable housing and, as packed therein, an adsorbent material such as activated charcoal or a gel containing an aromatic chemical or deodorant. Since deodorizers of this type can be expected to play the role of interior ornaments as well, they are available in various fashionable designs. Meanwhile, as a mechanically sophisticated deodorizer, there is known an air cleaner comprising a motor, a fan, and a deodorizing filter as built into the pot of an artificial foliage plant. Inorganic powders having photocatalyst activity, such as titanium dioxide particles, are attracting attention these days and have been applied in the field of disinfection and deodorization. For example, it is reported that by spray-coating tiles or sanitation fixtures with an inorganic powder and baking the coat, a semi-permanent disinfectant effect can be achieved [Nikkei Business, March 21, 1994 issue, pp. 60-61; Trigger, May 1994 issue, pp. 84-85]. Handy deodorizers of the above-described type are convenient because the desired deodorizing effect can be achieved by installing it as a mere interior ornament but their effectiveness is limited, with the deodorizing activity being lost or drastically decreased generally within about 1-2 months. On the other hand, the above more sophisticated deodorizer comprising a motor, a fan, and a deodorizing filter as built into the pot of an artificial foliage plant is a modification of the conventional air cleaner for home use but the equipment is not only costly but has the drawback that the motor noise is a nuisance during night hours and in quiet surroundings. The inorganic powders having photocatalyst activity have just begun to find application in the form of a baked-on enamel for tiles and sanitation fixtures but the deodorizing effect of the coat is not remarkable although the effect of inhibiting growth of deposited bacteria may be more or less satisfactory. Thus, since the surface area of the inorganic particles having photocatalyst activity has been reduced by baking, the duration of contact with odor components is presumably too brief to decompose them. A photocatdlyst composite comprising a substrate containing photocatalyst particles is described in EP -A- 0 633 064. The photocatalyst particles are adhered on the substrate by a less degradative adhesive with the purpose of avoiding the release of the photocatalyst particles due to the degradation of the adhesive. The substrates can be of different sources, such as inorganic and organic articles or articles made of metal. A further product with a photocatalyst effect is described in JP -A- 09 001724, the product having a base body, a resin layer on the surface of the base body and a silica film containing titanium dioxide which is fixed on the resin layer. A resin composition with a deodorizing function is described in JP -A- 09 031335, the composition being prepared for instance by coating a mixture of a deodorizer substance and titanium oxide with a porous inorganic substance and then compounding this product with an organic resin. Recently several proposals have been made to support photocatalyst inorganic powders on a honeycomb and use the honeycomb as an air cleaner filter to achieve deodorization and, at the same time, build a UV lamp into the air cleaner to activate the catalyst. However, those are not beyond mere contrivances and cannot be considered to be practically useful equipment from the standpoint of hardware cost, necessity of a power supply, and motor noise. OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has for its object to provide a functional man-made ornamental plant which, despite not including an air cleaner device, achieves an excellent deodorizing effect, is capable of decomposing organic foulants, with the deodorizing and antifouling effects being long-lasting, and is soothing both visually and mentally because of its naturalness and a process for manufacture thereof. A functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention comprises a thin layer obtainable by coating a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity and a binder which is inorganic on an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant, wherein the steric configuration of the organic foliage-floral part of the man-made ornamental plant insures a maximal exposure to light and a free passage of wind. Preferably the thin layer is obtainable by forming beforehand, on said organic foliage-floral part, a base coat layer from a binder which is inorganic. A method of manufacturing a functional man-made ornamental plant comprises contacting an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant or a blank thereof with a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said particulate substance and binder to thereby obtain a thin layer on said organic foliage-floral part. Preferably the method comprises contacting an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant or a blank thereof with a base coating composition comprising a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said binder to form a base coat layer on said organic foliage-floral part and, then, contacting the organic foliage-floral part, so treated, with a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said particulate substance and binder to thereby form a thin layer an top of said base coat layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a sketch illustrating a typical twig portion of the functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention. Foliage-floral part (L) of a man-made ornamental plant A variety of man-made ornamental plants is available. In the case of a shrub-type product, its trunk and boughs are made of resin-processed natural trunk and branches, while its twigs and leaves are usually artifacts simulating the corresponding parts of a natural plant. Thus, the twigs are wire-cored plastic parts and the leaves are made of woven or nonwoven cloth, with veins and other details being formed by resin-coating or embossing. In the case of an artificial plant consisting entirely of foliage, the cloth material resin-treated or -embossed to form veins and other details or the resin moldings are used in many instances. The same is true of the bract and floral parts. As other man-made ornamental plants, natural grasses dried so as to retain the original shapes and colors are also used. The term "foliage-floral part" is used in this specification to mean at least one of the leaf, flower, and bract. Functional man-made ornamental plant and a process for manufacture thereof The functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention is such that the foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant is provided with a thin layer AB of a composition comprising an inorganic powder (a) having photocatalyst activity and a binder which is inorganic. In addition to the foliage-floral part L, the branches and trunk may also be provided with the thin layer AB. The deposition of the thin layer AB on the foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant or a blank thereof can be achieved as follows. The foliage-floral part L is contacted with a composition comprising (1) an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, (2) a binder which is inorganic and (3) a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving them and, then, dried. The above contacting operation can be carried out by coating, dipping, spraying, or other method. The thickness of the thin-layer AB on the foliage-floral part L or a blank thereof should be limited to not over 1 µm, particularly 0.3-0.5 µm, per treatment from the standpoint of adhesion. If a single layer AB is insufficient to insure the necessary deodorizing effect, the above deposition procedure can be repeated. The inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity includes but is not limited to ultrafine titanium dioxide powders with an X-ray particle diameter of, for example, not over 100 nm, and such powders whose surface has been modified with a metal (e.g. gold, silver, copper, platinum, zinc, silicon, iron, etc.) or a metal compound (e.g. zinc oxide, silicon oxide, etc.) can also be used with advantage. The binder which is inorganic includes conventional inorganic binders such as alumina sol and silica sol. The composition may contain an organic binder, in addition to said binder which is inorganic, only if its amount is only nominal, that is to say not large enough to contravene the object of invention. However, since the organic binder tends to be decomposed by the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, it is usually not recommendable to use an organic binder. The vehicle which can be used includes water, water-miscible organic solvents, and mixtures of water with water-miscible organic solvents. Particularly preferred is a mixture of water and an alcohol (e.g. methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc.). The concentration of nonvolatile matter in the composition may range from about 3 to 30 weight % and is preferably about 5-20 weight % but this range need not be strictly adhered to. If the concentration of nonvolatile matter is too high, the composition can be diluted with the above-mentioned vehicle before using. The weight ratio of the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity to the inorganic binder in the composition is generally 20:80 through 95:5, preferably 30:70-90:10, in many cases. If the proportion of the binder is too small, the thin layer AB tends to be exfoliated from the surface of the foliage-floral part L or a precursor thereof. On the other hand, if the proportion of the binder is too large, the relative amount of the inorganic powder having photocatalyst activity will be too small to insure the desired deodorizing and other performance. When the above conditions are satisfied, the thin layer AB is substantially transparent and resists exfoliation even when rubbed against with fingers. Moreover, despite the existence of the thin layer (AB), there is obtained a functional man-made ornamental plant with the original appearance and handle of the organic foliage-floral part L being fully retained. In this connection, when the thin layer AB made from a composition comprising said inorganic particular substance (a) and binder (b) is directly formed on the organic foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant or a precursor thereof, there is the possibility that the organic foliage-floral part L or blank will be decomposed by the inorganic powder (a) having photocatalyst activity in the composition. Therefore, it is preferable, in most cases, to form said thin layer AB composed of inorganic powder (a) and binder (b) only on top of a base layer B of the binder which is inorganic. A preferred composition for the base layer B is the balance of the above-mentioned composition comprising (1), (2) and (3) after elimination of (1). In the tree, shrub, grass, or flower, inclusive of ornamental plants, the steric configuration of the foliage thereof insures a maximal exposure of the man-made plant to light and a free passage of winds. Therefore, the plant is allowed to assimilate carbon dioxide most efficiently to thereby clean the air. Moreover, their balance (phyllotactic structure), shape, color, feeling, and variegation are pleasing both to the eye and to the touch and soothing to one's mind. The functional man-made ornamental plant of the present invention duplicates the leaf arrangement and image of a live plant as an adjunct means for deodorization, adding a function of deodorization to the intrinsic ornamental value of the man-made plant. Thus, in the functional man-made ornamental plant of the invention, wherein the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity has been coated on its foliage-floral part L, the deodorizing function of the inorganic particles having photocatalyst activity is constantly restored as the light from interior fluorescent or incandescent light sources or the sunlight entering from windows impinges efficiently on the foliage-floral part L, with the result that the odorous components of the atmospheric air coming into contact with the foliage-floral part L are effectively decomposed. Moreover, the organic deposits from odoriferous tobacco smoke and kitchen smoke and fumes on the foliage-floral part L are effectively decomposed and the settling microorganisms are also destroyed. Furthermore, those effects are long-lasting. In addition, since the steric configuration of the foliage-floral part L insures a maximal exposure of the man-made plant to light and a free passage of winds, the environmental cleaning function mentioned above is maximized. In the functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention, wherein the binder forming the thin layer AB is inorganic, the thin layer AB is not degraded even under the strong oxidative influence of the inorganic powder having photocatalyst activity. Moreover, when the thin layer AB is indirectly formed on the foliage-floral part L or a blank thereof through a base-coat layer B of the binder (b) which is inorganic, the foliage-floral part L is protected against the degradation due to the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity in the thin layer AB. Since the functional man-made ornamental plant of the invention not only has a useful environmental decontaminating function as mentioned above but gives a sense of naturalness as well, it is visually pleasing and mentally soothing. Even though the inorganic powder having photocatalyst activity has been coated on, or incorporated in, the foliage-floral part L, this man-made ornamental plant is not factually different from the conventional man-made ornamental plant in appearance, feeling, color, gloss, and other characteristics. In addition, since the functional man-made ornamental plant of the present invention does not require a mechanical system for operation but discharges its functions when it is simply installed in a room or a car compartment, it is free from problem of motor noise and is advantageously cheap. The following examples illustrate the present invention in further detail. Example 1 Referring to Fig. 1 which illustrates a typical twig part of the functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention, L represents a leaf, B represents a base coat, and AB represents a thin layer. As the composition comprising an inorganic powder having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving them, the photocatalyst titanium oxide-coating system ST-K03 available from Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd. was used. ST-K03 has a nonvolatile matter content of 10 weight % and a TiO 2 /binder weight ratio of 50/50. The solvent is a mixture of ethanol and water, the pH is 1.5 and the viscosity is 5 cps. As the coating composition for construction of the base coat B, the balance of the above composition after elimination of the photocatalyst inorganic powder was used. As a man-made ornamental plant (Ficus benjamiana), a twig X carrying one small leaf with a surface area of 10 cm 2 and two vehicle-sized leaves with a surface area of 13 cm 2 each and a twig Y carrying 3 large leaves with a surface area of 18 cm 2 each were provided. Using a brush, the above-mentioned photocatalyst titanium oxide-coating system ST-K03 was evenly coated over the surface of the foliage L and dried to construct a thin layer AB. In addition, the twigs X and Y were dipped in the same photocatalyst titanium oxide-coating system ST-K03, withdrawn, and dried to construct a thin layer AB on each twig. In both cases, the thickness of the thin layer per coat was about 0.4-0.5 µm. In a 5-L glass vessel equipped with a black light installed within, the above-treated twig X and twig Y, or a total of 2 twigs, were placed (total surface area of one side of the foliage (L): 90 cm 2 ) and the vessel was closed tight. The black light, in lieu of sunlight or interior lighting, was used to insure a constant light output that is necessary for exact serial determination of odorous component concentrations. Odorous gas (ammonia, acetaldehyde, trimethylamine or acetic acid) was injected from the top of the glass vessel and the black light was turned on. Immediately thereafter and after 2, 4, and 6 hours, the gas in the head space was sampled and the odorous component concentration was measured with a sensor tube. A control experiment was carried out using untreated twigs X and Y. The results of this deodorization experiment are shown in Tables 1-4. Concentration of ammonia (ppm) Initial 2 Hr 4 Hr 6 Hr Untreated 50 50 49 48 Brush-coated on one side Dipping Once 53 28 21 12 Twice 52 22 12 5 Once 55 23 16 10 Twice 53 18 8 3 Concentration of acetaldehyde (ppm) Initial 2 Hr 4 Hr 6 Hr Untreated 32 33 32 32 Brush-coated on one side Once 32 18 13 7 Twice 30 14 7 2 Concentration of trimethylamine (ppm) Initial 2 Hr 4 Hr 6 Hr Untreated 120 115 105 100 Brush-coated on one side Once 120 80 57 35 Twice 120 64 30 12 Concentration of acetic acid (ppm) Initial 2 Hr 4 Hr 6 Hr Untreated 31 30 30 30 Brush-coated on one side Once 30 22 18 12 Twice 30 20 13 5 A base coat B was first formed on either side of the foliage L by dipping the same twigs as above in the base coating composition and dried. Then, the above-mentioned photocatalyst titanium oxide-coating system ST-K03 was applied to the foliage L by brush-coating or dipping to construct a thin layer AB on top of the base coat. In this case, too, the results were comparable to those shown in the above Tables 1-4. When such a base layer B is constructed, the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity is prevented from contacting directly with the foliage L so that the man-made ornamental plant may enjoy an extended serviceable life. The foliage plant as tall as the average human body height, for example Ficus benjamina which is a representative foliage plant to be placed near the window admitting sunlight, has approximately 1000 leaves with a surface area of about 15 cm 2 each. This means that the total surface area on one side of the foliage L is about 15000 cm 2 . Therefore, one or two pots are sufficient to clean a small room. Thus, in the functional man-made ornamental plant of the invention, wherein the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity has been coated on its foliage-floral part L, the deodorizing function of the inorganic particles having photocatalyst activity is constantly restored as the light from interior fluorescent or incandescent light sources or the sunlight entering from windows impinges efficiently on the foliage-floral part L, with the result that the odorous components of the atmospheric air coming into contact with the foliage-floral part L are effectively decomposed. Moreover, the organic deposits from odoriferous tobacco smoke and kitchen smoke and fumes on the foliage-floral part L are effectively decomposed and the settling microorganisms are also destroyed. Furthermore, those effects are long-lasting. In addition, since the steric configuration of the foliage-floral part L insures a maximal exposure of the man-made plant to light and a free passage of winds, the environmental cleaning function mentioned above is maximized. Since the functional man-made ornamental plant of the invention not only has a very useful environmental cleaning function as mentioned above but gives a sense of naturalness, it is visually pleasing and mentally soothing. Even though the inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity has been coated on the foliage-floral part L, the ornamental plant is not factually different from the conventional man-made ornamental plant in appearance, feeling or handle, color effect, gloss, and other characteristics. In addition, since the functional man-made ornamental plant of the present invention does not require a mechanical system for operation but displays its functions when it is simply set in a room or a car compartment, it is free from the problem of motor noise and is advantageously cheap.

Claims: A functional man-made ornamental plant comprising a thin layer obtainable by coating a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalvst activity and a binder which is inorganic on an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant, wherein the steric configuration of the organic foliage-floral part of the man-made ornamental plant insures a maximal exposure to light and a free passage of wind. The functional man-made ornamental plant according to Claim 1 wherein said thin layer is obtainable by forming beforehand, on said organic foliage-floral part, a base coat layer from a binder which is inorganic. A method of manufacturing a functional man-made ornamental plant which comprises contacting an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant or a blank thereof with a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said particulate substance and binder to thereby obtain a thin layer on said organic foliage-floral part. A method of manufacturing a functional man-made ornamental plant according to claim 3, which comprises contacting an organic foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant or a blank thereof with a base coating composition comprising a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said binder to form a base coat layer on said organic foliage-floral part and, then, contacting the organic foliage-floral part, so treated, with a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic, and a vehicle for dispersing or dissolving said particulate substance and binder to thereby form a thin layer an top of said base coat layer.

Inventors: FUKUNAGA TOSHIKAZU, FUKUNAGA, TOSHIKAZU
Applicants: YUGEN KAISHA FUKUJU CORP, YUGEN KAISHA FUKUJU CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A61L9
IPC codes: A41G1, A61L9