Optimization of Technological Parameters of Straw Fiber-Based Plant Fiber Seedling Pot Raw Materials

Abstract

Straw fiber seedling pots are a promising substitute for plastic seedling pots. The mixing mode of straw fiber affects the mechanical properties of the raw material membrane of the seedling pot. To explore the processing technology of making the raw material membrane of the seedling pot with two kinds of plant fibers in a layered manner, the optimal combination of the process parameters of the raw material membrane of the seedling pot without additives in the production process was studied experimentally. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyze the parameters (beating degree of unbleached softwood kraft pulp fiber, beating degree of wheat straw fiber, wheat straw fiber quality percentage content, and film grammage) with regard to the dry tensile index and Z-direction tensile index of the seedling pot body. The optimal process parameter combination with a certain dry tensile index and Z-direction tensile index of seedling pot raw material was obtained by using four factors and five levels of a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation center combination design parameter optimization experiment. The optimal technical parameters were optimized as wheat straw fiber quality percentage content 70%, film grammage 70 g/m2, unbleached softwood kraft pulp fiber beating degree 47–48 °SR, and wheat straw fiber beating degree 65–75 °SR. With the optimal conditions, the dry tensile index of the seedling bowl raw material film was between 21 and 22 N·(m·g−1), and the Z-direction tensile index was greater than 2.1 N·(m·g−1). Using wheat straw fibers and unbleached sulfite wood pulp fibers as raw materials for seedling pots, the raw material membrane of the seedling pots was made in a layered manner. The experimental study proved this feasibility. With this mixing process of raw materials, the straw fiber-based plant fiber seedling pot would meet the demands of a crop nursery after adding chemical additives. The research results provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the manufacture of the raw material membrane of the seedling pot body.

Keywords

• central composite design
• seedling pot
• wheat straw
• completely degradable
• optimization