Polylactic Acid Nonwoven Fabric-Based Plant Culture Medium Using Improved Melt-Blowing Method

Abstract

In a previous study, soil substitutes, such as polyester fiber and rockwool medium, were used as solid medium for plant cultivation. However, these media are not biodegradable and aggravate environmental pollution. Furthermore, as they disintegrate into microplastics, they can damage and destroy ecosystems. Therefore, replacements with biodegradable materials are necessary. To that end, an improved melt-blowing method has been developed previously that facilitates a stable manufacturing process for the mass production of semi-microfiber nonwoven fabrics of lipophilic polypropylene. In addition, high oil adsorption was achieved based on the trial-produced nanofibers. In the present report, we focused on the hydrophilic and biodegradable features of polylactic acid (PLA) produced by the improved melt-blowing method and examined its application as a fiber-aggregate-based culture medium. Several plants were cultivated using trial-produced PLA nanofibers, and the influence of different fiber diameters and bulk densities on moisture content and matric potential was also investigated. The results show that PLA fibers can be used to successfully cultivate plants.