Ecogrow 150

Market

Innovative support mat for the cultivation of sedums or flowers

 

Characteristics

  • 100% made of renewable resources. The raw material is the biopolymer PLA, 100% made out of plant material
  • Good dimensional stability
  • Optimal pore size: roots can easily penetrate and anchor the mat
  • pH neutral + neutral to the growth of plants (nutrients, salt, minerals,...)
  • The mat functions minimum 3-5 years and will biodegrade very slowly

 

Advantages

  • Easy roll-up and roll-off (also after 2 or 3 seasons in the nursery)
  • Compared to coir support mats: homogenous, light weight and easy to cut (no PE-nets and PE-yarn)
  • At the end of the lifetime the mat + substrate + plants can be composted
  • Light weight and easy to cut

 

Technical datasheet on request

 

What is PLA?

 PLA or Poly Lactic Acid is made from plant material. Starch and plant sugars are used as renewable resource. Today, mainly side and waste streams of the corn industry are used as feedstock.

How is PLA produced? Some chemistry

It all starts with the sun! During the process of the photosynthesis, the leafs of green plants will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. A molecule CO2 is combined with a molecule water to form sugar and oxygen. The molecule oxygen is released back in the atmosphere. The sugar is used as fuel for the plants. Any unused sugar is stored as starch and can be harvested.

 

Industrially, dextrose (sugar) is created from the harvested plant starch through a process called hydrolysis. Next, microorganism will convert the sugar into lactic acid through fermentation. The PLA polymer is formed either by (1) direct condensation of lactic acid or (2) via the cyclic intermediate lactide through a ring opening process.  PLA is formed!