JP2707682B2 - Fiber shape for plant growth - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fibrous shape for plant cultivation, which is used for hydroponic cultivation of plants and the like, and is particularly excellent in rooting of plants.

(Prior Art) As a medium used for hydroponic cultivation of plants or a medium support for plant tissue culture, a fibrous shape formed by bonding fibers with an adhesive like a rock wool to form a mat, and polyester Create a mixed web of high-melting synthetic fibers and low-melting synthetic fibers (including a composite fiber consisting of a low-melting sheath component and a high-melting core component) like a fiber block, and laminate this to an appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a mixed fiber of the above two kinds of fibers is randomly laminated, and then heated to melt the low-melting synthetic fibers, whereby a high-melting synthetic fiber is bonded to each other to form a mat-shaped fiber preform. Have been.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, as described above, a fiber shaped body in which a contact portion between fibers is bonded by an adhesive or by melting a low melting point fiber to maintain a predetermined shape is used for plant growing. When a plant is cultivated as a culture medium, the roots of the plant do not spread sufficiently in the culture medium and do not grow.For example, the elongation of the root stops at the adhesion portion of the fiber, or the thigh is wound around, and the root grows. Grows in the form of wrapping around the perimeter of the culture medium without entering the culture medium, or penetrates the culture medium and grows roots on the outside of the bottom of the culture medium. Due to the structure in which the fiber bonded portions at both ends do not cause displacement due to bonding, the roots are tightened with fibers and the neck is hung, so that it cannot grow thickly, and the above-mentioned fibre-shape body has poor root penetration. Three-dimensional root There was a problem that it could not be stretched and was unevenly distributed on some planes through easy-to-pass places.

It should be noted that if the fibers are not kept in shape by bonding, and are cultivated in a box in a mere cotton state, it is known that the roots spread and fill the box, but in this case, the fibers separate. Therefore, when making a cultivation bed, it is necessary to measure each weight and pack it in a box while adjusting the density,
The handling was inconvenient and not practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a fiber shaped body that can be rooted to the same extent as when fibers are loosely packed, and that is as easy to handle as a shape that has been shaped by bonding.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The fibrous shape for cultivating plant according to the present invention has a crease number of 8 to 22 pieces.
Containing three-dimensionally crimped titanium oxide containing 0.001-0.5% by weight hollow section polyester staples, entangled with each other by three-dimensionally crimping, density 0.001-0.15g
/ cm ³ , characterized in that it is kept in a sheet or mat shape with a thickness of 0.1 to 30 cm, for example, a titanium oxide content of 0.
Spinning speed of 001-0.5% by weight of polyester by using hollow nozzle 2500-4000m / min, quench wind speed 90-300m /
After performing high-speed spinning and drawing at a take-up speed of 4000 to 5000 m / min, the resultant is cut into a desired length and stapled, and the resulting 16
0 ° C dry heat shrinkage 10-80%, number of creases 1.2-6 / cm (3-15
Pieces / 25 mm) of high shrinkage latently crimpable polyester staples, if necessary, mixed with other fibers and randomly laminated to a desired thickness, or carded once, and the web obtained by this carding. Is laminated to a desired thickness and then subjected to a heat treatment at 110 to 200 ° C. for 30 seconds or more.

That is, the fiber shaped article of the present invention is formed by a polyester staple having a hollow cross section containing titanium oxide, and the content of the titanium oxide is 0.001 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.002 to 0.3% by weight. The polyester staple is a coil that differs from planar crimping such as three-dimensional crimping specific to conjugate fibers, that is, indentation crimping and gear crimping, at the same time as a high degree of shrinkage due to the heat treatment of the hollow latently crimpable fiber staple. It is a fiber exhibiting a state of curl, and the number of crimps of the three-dimensional crimp after the heat treatment is 8 to 22 / c.
m (20-55 pieces / 25mm), preferably 12-20 pieces / cm (30-50
Pcs / 25mm). The hollow ratio of the polyester staple is preferably 5 to 50%, and particularly preferably 10 to 25%. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the staple may be any of a hollow circular shape, a triangular shape, a multi-leaf shape and the like. The preferred fiber length is 10 to 150 mm.

The fiber shaper of the present invention can be formed only by the polyester staple having the above-mentioned three-dimensional crimp, but if necessary, other fibers, for example, synthetic fibers such as nylon, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or polyester. Fibers that do not have the above-mentioned three-dimensional crimp, natural fibers, regenerated fibers, inorganic fibers, metal fibers, or resin-processed fibers thereof can be mixed. However, the mixing amount is 80% by weight of the total amount of the fiber shape including the above-mentioned three-dimensionally crimped polyester staples.
Less than is preferred. That is, the content of the polyester staple is preferably 20% by weight or more.

The fibers constituting the fibrous shaped body of the present invention are entangled with each other by entanglement and entanglement due to the three-dimensional crimping of the polyester staple, and are held together in a sheet or mat form without being separated from each other. cage, its density is 0.001~0.15g / cm ^3, the thickness of 0.1
~ 30cm. Needle punching can be performed according to the purpose to enhance shape retention, and resin processing can be performed. In some cases, such as when the roots are highly extensible, depending on the purpose of the plant being grown, a mixture of heat-welding fibers such as a composite fiber consisting of a low-melting sheath component and a high-melting core component may be used for reinforcement. it can.

(Function) The fibers forming the fiber shape are entangled by the three-dimensional crimping of the hollow polyester staples, thereby holding a certain shape in entanglement. The roots of the plant that enter the gaps between the fibers can grow while pushing the gaps. However, when the titanium oxide content of the polyester staple is less than 0.001% by weight, the running resistance during the manufacturing process is poor because the metal running friction is large, and the yarn breakage occurs frequently, making the production difficult. If it exceeds 0.5%, it becomes difficult to impart an effective latent strain during spinning, the amount of shrinkage and the amount of crimping when the web is heat-treated become insufficient, and the polyester staple when the three-dimensional crimping appears. Entangling and entanglement are difficult. In addition, when the number of crimps of the three-dimensional crimps expressed by the polyester staple is less than 8 pieces / cm,
When the number of crimps is too small, the entangled shape cannot be obtained by the entanglement aimed at by the present invention.On the other hand, when the number exceeds 22 pieces / cm, the crests of the crimps become too small and the entangled shape cannot be obtained. It becomes difficult. Further, when the density of the fiber retention feature is less than 0.001 g / cm ^3, decreased water retention, if it exceeds 0.15 g / cm ³ in the opposite, is too small gap between the fibers root growth Be inhibited. Also, if the thickness of the fiber shaper is less than 0.1 cm, the roots cannot be three-dimensionally diffused and extended, and if it exceeds 30 cm,
As the amount of culture medium is too large for the amount of roots, it becomes difficult to control the fertilizer, and as the difference between the water content in the upper and lower parts of the fiber shaper and the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside increases, the culture medium management becomes more difficult. It becomes difficult. When hollow cross-section fibers are used as polyester staples, a difference in physical properties occurs on the left and right sides of the fibers by quenching the fibers with a quench during spinning, causing the fibers to become latent. It is easy to give the potential entanglement that is effective for shape preservation, but there is no effect when the hollow ratio is less than 5%,
On the other hand, if it exceeds 50%, the amount of fiber resin in the hollow wall becomes too small and the crimping force is insufficient, so that effective entanglement cannot be achieved. When other fibers are added in addition to the high shrinkage latently crimpable polyester staple, if the content of the polyester staple is less than 20% by weight, the entanglement shape due to the entanglement tends to be insufficient.

(Example) Polyethylene terephthalate having a titanium oxide content of 0.06% by weight was melt spun from a C-type nozzle under the conditions of a spinning speed of 3000 m / min, a quench wind speed of 150 m / min, and a take-up speed of 4300 m / min.
A hollow polyester staple having a fineness of 13 denier and a fiber length of 51 mm was obtained. Next, the staples were randomly laminated on a wire mesh in a single fiber unit, and subjected to a heat treatment at 160 ° C. for 3 minutes while compressing the staples to a thickness of 6 cm.The laminated fibers shrunk vertically and horizontally, 5cm thick, 0.05g / c density
A plate-like fiber shape having an m ³ and a basis weight of 2500 g / m ² was obtained. At this time, the hollow ratio of the polyester staple is 30%,
The number of crimps was 18 pieces / cm (45 pieces / 25 mm), and the above-mentioned fiber-shaped body was entangled in a plate-like shape due to the three-dimensional crimping of the polyester staple.

The above-mentioned fiber imprint was cut into a size of 30 cm in width and 90 cm in length, and two tomato seedlings were separately planted on each of them, and a culture solution was applied thereto by a method called rock wool cultivation. Cultivated for about 6 months with infusion.

On the other hand, fineness 13 denier, fiber length 51 mm, number of crimps 18 / cm
(45 pieces / 25mm) polyester cotton boxed and 30cm wide,
A medium of Comparative Example having a length of 90 cm, a thickness of 5 cm, and a density of 0.05 g / cm ³
Individual tomato seedlings were planted and cultivated in the same manner.

After completion of the above cultivation, the culture medium of the example and the culture medium of the comparative example were respectively decomposed, and the elongation state and the spread state of the roots were observed. In both cases, fine roots were widely distributed in the thickness direction and the lateral direction of the medium. Was. In addition, when the tip of the root was observed with a microscope, in both the examples and comparative examples, the tip did not wrap or shrink as in the case of a conventional adhesive shaped article, and was fastened with fibers. There was no constriction. That is, no difference in root growth was observed between the example comprising the fiber shaper and the comparative example comprising cotton loose-packing.

(Effects of the Invention) The fiber shaped article of the present invention causes the staples to be entangled and entangled by steric crimping of the high-shrinkage latently crimpable polyester staple having a hollow cross section, thereby entangled into a desired shape. Because it is a joint form,
Like the medium filled with synthetic fiber loosely packed cotton, the roots of the plant are diffused and extended three-dimensionally and easily, and the handling is as easy as the conventional medium in which the shape is maintained by bonding fibers.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A polyester staple having a hollow cross section having a titanium oxide content of 0.001 to 0.5% by weight having a three-dimensional crimp of 8 to 22 crimps / cm. A fibrous shaped body for growing plants, characterized in that it is shaped into a sheet or mat having a thickness of 0.15 g / cm ³ and a thickness of 0.1 to 30 cm.