Plastic plant pot

PP gives a plant pot a thin, lightweight shell.

Plastic plant pot, illustrative image

Material

Pot body: PP

Material selection rationale

Low water uptake
The plastic wall does not soak up watering water.
Low density
Makes the empty pot easy to move.
Continuous wall
The polymer wall retains its shape when wet; water drainage depends on an opening or insert, not on water passing through solid PP.

How it becomes a product

  1. Mould the body: Molten PP fills a tool that defines the pot wall, rim and base. The pot is moulded with its selected rim and base geometry; drainage holes are included only where the particular design requires them.
  2. Cool and finish: The part cools in the tool, is removed and has any excess material trimmed.

Preparation routes

Propene route

Catalytic addition polymerisation. Propene molecules join into chains. A suitable catalyst controls chain growth and the arrangement of the methyl side groups. Catalyst-controlled arrangement of methyl groups can favour regular packing. The monomer formula alone does not describe this tacticity.

A coordination catalyst system is used; it is not counted as a monomer. A thermoplastic moulding or foam uses already-made PP, not propene reacting inside the final product.

  1. Poly(propene): manufacture and usesChemical Industry Education Centre, University of York

Sources

  1. FÖRENLIG plant pot: materialsIKEA
  2. Poly(propene): manufacture and usesChemical Industry Education Centre, University of York
  3. A guide to polyolefin injection mouldingLyondellBasell