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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303644
Title: Plant growth responses to polypropylene--biocontainers

Author
item Tisserat, Brent
item REIFSCHNEIDER, LOUIS - Illinois State University

Submitted to: Society of Plastics Engineers Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2014
Publication Date: 5/1/2014
Citation: Tisserat, B., Reifschneider, L. 2014. Plant growth responses to polypropylene--biocontainers. Proceedings of ANTEC-SPE Society of Plastics Engineers. 15:2047-2051.

Interpretive Summary: Wood plastic composites are utilized as substitutes for pure plastic resins because they are less expensive, provide unique physical and mechanical properties and are considered more environmentally-friendly. Very little is known concerning phytotoxicity of additives (i.e. bio-fillers) incorporated into plastics. This study investigates the influence of bio-fillers on the growth of plants. The bio-fillers used at the concentrations employed in the plastics exhibited detrimental effects to plant growth. However, incorporation of bio-fillers into polypropylene did much to mitigate these effects. These results suggest that bio-fillers incorporated into plastics may cause the composite to exhibit chemical qualities that may substitute for synthetic additives that are currently being employed.

Technical Abstract: The influence of bio-fillers incorporated into polypropylene (PP) on the growth of plants was evaluated. Biocontainers were created by injection molding of PP with 25-40% by weight of Osage orange tree, Paulownia tree, coffee tree wood or dried distillers grain and 5% by weight of maleated polypropylene. A comparison in growth responses of radish and Kentucky Bluegrass seedlings grown in soil with biocontainers and in commercial polypropylene nursery containers containing the fillers only in soil for 32 d was conducted. The physical properties of the biocontainers were also evaluated.