Plantable Biodegradable Pots as a Cleaner Product from Biomaterials: Characterization and Optimization of Physical and Mechanical Properties.

The aim of this study is to investigate the properties of biodegradable plantable pots made from biomaterials. Specifically, rapeseed straw and cow manure biomaterials were studied here because these biomaterials add nutrients to the soil during their biodegradation and are readily available agricultural by-products. Furthermore, the use of biomaterials helps in replacing the plastic materials which are currently used to make pots and decreases the environmental impact by producing a cleaner product. The physical and mechanical properties of biocomposites pots were investigated and optimized in the present work. The effect of mixing ratio (straw: cow manure) in the composite, straw particle size, and chemical pre-treatments of straw by 1% HCl or 2% NaOH on the physical and mechanical properties of biodegradable pots was investigated. Additionally, the Taguchi method and ANOVA statistical analyses were employed for parameters optimization. The results indicated the straw to cow manure ratio exhibited a significant effect on the compression strength (CS), penetration strength (PS), and water absorption (WA) of pots. While the CS and PS of pots decreased with increasing the ratio of straw from 2 to 10% and increasing the particle size of straw from 1.5 to 3.0 mm, these changes increased the water absorption of pots (126.52–141.21% for 1.5-mm untreated straw). Chemical pre-treatments of straw investigated here resulted in decreased CS and PS of pots. The straw ratio in the straw/manure mixture is the most significant factor affecting the characteristics of biodegradable pots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]