The company, according to Agrotas specialist Helen Cole, has a good history working with food packaging, and its materials have been employed in many sectors, but the horticultural sector is a relatively new one. “It was just a logical step for us to use those fabrics that are so suitable for water management in horticulture,” she states.
Helen assures that the fibre, which has already generated interest from customers worldwide, has multiple uses. “It can be employed to increase the soil’s water retention, either under the ground, or over, to prevent evaporation, or as a liner for hanging baskets. We can actually develop targeted products to fit the customers’ needs,” she assures.
A new product, for example, being developed with one of its customers, is intended to aid in the shipment of plants. “This product will be water-loaded and will keep a reservoir of water available for the plants during transport and storage before they arrive to the shelves. It is an effective way to store water, but without the risk of spillages” explains Mark. Helen affirms that “we are also working with some clients for its use in a number of soilless applications.”
Another new product being developed is for living roofs working with a company called Aquaten Ltd. This product both mitigates the effects of heavy rainfall events to help prevent flash flood run off as well as holding a band of water to maintain a reservoir for vegetation in dry weather. The reservoir functionality (water retention against evaporation / leakage / dripping) is delivered by the SAFTM component.
According to Mark, the material is capable of absorbing 200 times its own weight of demineralised water and 60 times of brackish water. “Consequently, you’ll be able to store a significant amount of water with very little fibre.” Helen says that “what differentiates our product from other super absorbent products is that, while most are in granular or powder form, ours is a fibre, and can be easily incorporated into the very fabric of other materials, making it more user-friendly and versatile.”
For more information
Technical Absorbents Ltd[email protected]
