Process for the elaboration of a formulation based on polyurethane and the mucilage of opuntia ficus-indica with applications in the manufacturing of synthetic skin-like flexible coatings

A process for the elaboration of a formulation based on polyurethane and mucilage of Opuntia fucus-indica with application in the manufacturing of synthetic skin-like flexible coatings CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT it comprises an homogeneous mixture obtained by vigorous agitation of liquid polyurethane, pigments and additives;

• in this mixture the speed is reduced by a rate of 90% of the agitation used to prepare the homogeneous mixture and the Opuntia ficus-indica powder obtained in the previous stage is poured little by little until obtaining again a homogeneous mixture with the following phases or stages:
• A. CLEANING OF THE CLADODES—In this state, care should be taken with the cladodes (without fruit) of the Opuntia ficus-indica plant to avoid loss of the mucilage, and it is important to look after the health, the good physical shape and absence of defects in the materials, the homogeneity of size and the freshness, and finally the weight of the nopal;
• The cladodes between 1.5 and 2.5 years old are collected, preferentially during the period with the highest drought, preferentially harvesting them during the morning when the tissue acidity is higher, and a solution of (i) potable water, cupric hydroxide and chlorine (1:5:4 volume/volume/volume) is prepared;
• conventionally they are submerged into this liquid for disinfection and cleaning, however, the spines are not removed with this process—this is why in order to accelerate the process, first they are poured in a container with this solution (i) propelling them by flotation and they are mechanically pressed to submerge them, so the impurities from the environment advance towards a filter so through decantation the impurities are removed and later they are passed through a conveyor belt that makes them pass through a pressure curtain of the same solution (i) that eliminates the spines but it is calibrated in a way that it does not affect the cladode's dermis, later they are passed through a vibrating sieve to eliminate them by gravity and again they are passed through a second curtain of purified water;
• this stage from the immersion to the elimination of the spine<s> has a duration of between 10 to 15 minutes;
• B. TRITURATION AND DRYING With the clean cladodes of the previous stage and using the hopper of a conventional trituration machine, the cladodes are triturated into fragments preferably of 1 to 2 centimeters in size and the exiting product is transported preferentially using spindles to a solarium where it is spread out and kept in the process of drying for a period of at least 48 hours to 120 hours, making sure that every 24 hours the chunks of cladodes are moved around so the sun will impact them uniformly and the humidity will be eliminated in a homogeneous fashion;
• and
• C. MILLING, PULVERIZATION AND MAGNETIZATION. The chunks of dehydrated cladodes that are in the solarium, are sent to a machine that triturates them to facilitate their pulverization;
• during pulverization particles with a size from 0.149 mm to 0.177 mm of Opuntia ficus-indica should preferentially be obtained;
• however, at this point, the powder obtained from the mill contains mixed particles that can be classified as fine but also as coarse. The following step is the separation of coarse particles form this powder using a sieving machine using, preferably, a mesh 100;
• thus, the powder obtained from the milling is poured out onto the sieving machine's surface and, using an engine and springs, vibrations are applied to the sieve to separate fine from coarse;
• finally, preferentially using the sieved fine and that have particles that measure between 0.140 to 0.150, they are passed through a magnetic field induced on them to eliminate ferric impurities since they will adhere to the magnet's poles;
• The powder obtained with this process allows to <obtain>concentrate the plant's dehydrated mucilage since conforming to the bibliography in the state of the art, its characteristics are not altered <and the> moment of start of the process, it is made in the majority of its forming chemical compounds. This technical characteristic will bring technical characteristics significant to the products of the present invention.