Hortaflex
Market
Innovative capillar biomat for the use in hydroculture and hydroponics
Characteristics
- 100% biodegradable and compostable (*)
- 100% made of renewable resources. The raw material is the biopolymer PLA, made out of plant material only.
- Optimal pore size: roots can easily penetrate and anchor the mat
- Good water capillarity, easily drains excess of water to the lowest point
- Holds a sufficient amount of water
Advantages
- At the end of the lifetime mat and plants can be composted (*)
- pH neutral + neutral to the growth of plants (nutrients, salt, minerals,...)
- Light weight and flexible
(*) Right temperature & humidity levels are required to obtain a quick composting
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.
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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! |
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