General
Both GC pro and GC green compounds are available in variants suitable for injection molding. The materials are successfully processed by our customers in injection molding in standard PP molds.
Extrusion-integrated variants of both GC pro and GC green compounds are available.
The size of the sunflower seed fibers is variable depending on the application, especially with regard to fiber visibility and flowability. Generally, we use fibers of less than 1000 µm.
In standard formulations, we use up to 45% sunflower seed hulls. In special cases, we also use fiber contents of up to 75%.
Yes, because we have developed special formulations for the use of our materials in the food sector. Just talk to us.
The wall thickness always depends on the application, but is comparable to polyolefins in terms of processing.
Our GC pro has process-optimizing advantages in addition to environmental benefits. By using the sunflower seed shell in the polypropylene we can replace a part of the crude oil. The fibers allow gentle processing at relatively low temperatures, so that a reduction in cycle time can then be achieved. Our materials should not be processed above 190 °C, so that even energy costs can be saved at this point!
Our GC pro materials are recyclable in their own cycle and can be turned into the same product 1 : 1 after re-granulation.
This means that the material is bioavailable and is broken down by microorganisms into tiny parts that do not remain in the environment as waste. These are available again as basic building blocks for new plants, for example.
Industrial degradation: - Biodegradation max. 6 months at 58 +- 2 °C - Disintegration test 3 months 58 +- 2 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals | Home compost: - Biodegradation max. 12 months at 20-30 °C - Disintegration test 6 months 20-30 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals |
Our GC green materials are all biodegradable. We can prove this with the OK-Biodegradable-Soil certificate for soil degradability and for the OK-Compost-Home certificate for home composting, among others. Here, the material must decompose in a certain time.
Materials are biobased if their raw materials are of natural origin and are not petroleum.
Currently, our GC green materials are not yet 100% biobased. However, this is mainly due to the very high prices for biobased raw materials and their weak commercial availability. Currently we are at about 70-80% biobased raw material content, but we are always working to reach the full 100%.
When selecting our raw materials, we pay special attention to the suitability for the respective application. The products, where a certificate fits the application, are certified according to TÜV Austria.
In home composting, the material should degrade under natural conditions. This makes it much safer than material that can be composted industrially. In industrial composting, artificial conditions must be created to allow it to degrade at high temperatures of about 60 °C and additional oxygen supply. Such an industrially compostable product would therefore not degrade in nature, which is why we primarily strive for the OK Compost Home certificate for our compounds.
Industrial degradation: - Biodegradation max. 6 months at 58 +- 2 °C - Disintegration test 3 months 58 +- 2 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals | Home compost: - Biodegradation max. 12 months at 20-30 °C - Disintegration test 6 months 20-30 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals |
Due to the new bio-waste amendment, these products may not be disposed of in the brown garbage can. Nevertheless, you can safely throw the capsules on your garden compost and bury the plant pots in the soil.
In home composting, the material should degrade under natural conditions. This makes it much safer than material that can be composted industrially. In industrial composting, artificial conditions must be created to allow it to degrade at high temperatures of about 60 °C and additional oxygen supply. Such an industrially compostable product would therefore not degrade in nature, which is why we primarily strive for the OK Compost Home certificate for our compounds.
Industrial degradation: - Biodegradation max. 6 months at 58 +- 2 °C - Disintegration test 3 months 58 +- 2 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals | Home compost: - Biodegradation max. 12 months at 20-30 °C - Disintegration test 6 months 20-30 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals |
Due to the new bio-waste amendment, these products may not be disposed of in the brown garbage can. Nevertheless, you can safely throw the capsules on your garden compost and bury the plant pots in the soil.
The NATURALpot is 100% biodegradable and already works at various nurseries. in cultivation, i.e. processing on conventional machines is also possible.You can simply bury the pot with the plant in the soil and the micro-organisms will eat the pot. We say: Turn trash into something new!
The Plant Pot consists of an innovative material made from sunflower husks. Every year, 6 million tonnes of these remain as a waste product from the production of sunflower oil and seeds worldwide. We prefer to use this for something new! In addition to the sunflower husks, corn starch and a rock flour are used as a mineral filler.
Yes, Plant Pot it is biodegradable under natural conditions such as home compost or buried in the soil with the plant. This does not require high temperatures, as is the case with industrially compostable materials. Nature provides everything for the decomposition process of the plant pot: Moisture, oxygen and the microorganisms found in the soil.
No, according to previous experience, no additional fertilisation is necessary. However, this question will be investigated in more detail.
Different crops have different cultivation lengths. A basil grown at +18°C and intensive light irradiation requires approx. 35-40 days, the Plant Pot holds up wonderfully. Also Heather plants, such as Callunaswhich are potted in April and only go on sale at the end of September, survive outdoor cultivation in a plant pot that can be planted in the ground..
No, the Plant Pot decomposes at different rates depending on the soil conditions. On the way to complete decomposition, smaller and smaller fragments of the pot are created, which continue to degrade. Compared to microplastics, which remain unchanged in the soil for centuries, the pot particles of the plantable plant pot are soon completely degraded and no longer detectable. The microorganisms break down the material into its smallest components so that nothing remains of the pot..
How long the decomposition process takes always depends on the external conditions, because it is a natural process. Plant Pot If it is planted in February, for example, when it is still colder, it may take a little longer than if it is dug in during the warm summer.