Degradation resistant molded pulp horticultural container
AssigneeKeyes Fiber Co.
InventorPaul E. Dall
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Abstract
A horticultural container is disclosed which is composed of molded pulp fiber and which contains an organic thiocyanate microbicide, the container being resistant to degradation when exposed to soil burial or greenhouse conditions.
Claims32
A horticultural container composed of molded pulp formed from an aqueous pulp fiber dispersion and containing dispersed within the molded pulp an effective amount of an organic thiocyanate selected from S-thiocyanomethyl compounds of 2-mercaptobenzothiazoles, 2-mercaptobenzoxazoles, or 2-mercaptobenzimidazoles, the organic thiocyanate being provided in the aqueous pulp fiber dispersion and retained in the molded pulp container during formation to control the degradation of said container.
A plant propogation tray consisting of a plurality of individual cells, the plant propogation tray being composed of molded pulp fiber formed from an aqueous pulp fiber dispersion and containing dispersed within the molded fiber an effective amount of an organic thiocyanate selected from S-thiocyanomethyl compounds of 2-mercaptobenzothiazoles, 2-mercaptobenzoxazoles, or 2-mercaptobenzimidazoles, the organic thiocyanate being provided in the aqueous pulp fiber dispersion and retained in the molded pulp tray during formation to control the degradation of said container.
A process for preparing a molded pulp horticultural container which is resistant to microbial degradation, comprising:
- a) providing an aqueous fiber dispersion;
- b) combining and admixing with the fiber dispersion a dispersion of an organic thiocyanate to form a dispersion mixture, the organic thiocyanate being selected from S-thiocyanomethyl compounds of 2-mercapto-benzothiazoles, 2-mercaptobenzoxazoles, or 2-mercaptobenzimidazoles;
- and
- c) forming the dispersion mixture into a molded container, the organic thiocyanate controlling the degradation of said container.
The process of claim 26 wherein from 6 to 40 pounds of a 30% dispersion of organic thiocyanate are added per ton of fiber dispersion in forming the dispersion mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.