Preparation and properties of biodegradable cat litter produced from cassava (Manihot esculenta L. Crantz) trunk

Organic based cat litter becomes more and more popular in many countries including Thailand because of the concern on environmental and health impacts in cats and cat owners. Most of the cat litter sold in Thailand is manufactured and imported from abroad. Cassava trunk pith, the stele of cassava trunk, is the biomass obtained from agricultural waste which presents excellent water absorption. Thus, the purpose of this article was to investigate the preparation of the biodegradable cat litter from cassava trunk pith. The composition of cassava trunk pith was analyzed by standard methods. The preparation of the cat litter was performed by mixing cassava trunk pith with the binder (glycerol, and palm oil) at the ratio 49.7:40.0 by weight. The effects of two clumping agents, guar gum and xanthan gum at 5-15%, on the properties of cat litter were determined. The cassava trunk pith consisted of cellulose (47.12%), lignin (30.18%), hemicellulose (14.07%), extractives (5.69%) and ash (2.94%) by wet weight basic. The litter from all formulations obtained a high rating scale for clump strength with the use of palm oil. The addition of guar gum, and xanthan gum as a clumping agent resulted to the products with desirable physical properties. These results demonstrated that cassava trunk pith has a high potential for product development as biodegradable cat litter.