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The Technology of Degradable Fiber Substrates and Slow-Release Fertilizer Capsules for Gabion Mesh
The technology integrating degradable fiber substrates and slow-release fertilizer capsules into gabion mesh combines slope protection functions with ecological restoration, and is applicable to projects such as river regulation and lake ecological remediation. Below is a detailed introduction:
They are typically made of composite fibers of corn starch and polylactic acid (PLA), woven through a specialized process to form a 3mm-thick porous substrate. The degradation cycle can be adjusted as required, generally ranging from 6 to 12 months. After complete degradation, no residual pollutants are left, complying with relevant standards.
Water and Fertilizer Retention
With a porosity rate of up to 60%, the fibers can adsorb suspended solids in water bodies, reducing sediment inflow into rivers. Meanwhile, they lock in the nutrients of slow-release fertilizers to prevent loss.
Microorganism Carrier
Beneficial microorganisms such as nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria can attach to the fiber surface, forming a microbial film that accelerates the degradation of pollutants like chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen in water.
Vegetation Fixation
The substrate provides initial growth support for aquatic plants (e.g., calamus, reeds), preventing seedlings from being washed away by water currents. This can increase the vegetation survival rate from 40% (with conventional gabion cages) to over 90%.
The capsule shell is made of ethyl cellulose (EC) slow-release material, and the core contains compound fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K = 15-10-8) plus trace elements (e.g., iron, manganese, zinc). Generally, 30–50 capsules are embedded per square meter of gabion mesh, with a release period of up to 180 days. The fertilizer release rate can be controlled at 0.05g per capsule per day.
Prevention of Water Eutrophication
The slow nutrient supply is fully absorbed by plants, avoiding excess nutrients leaching into water bodies.
Targeted Cultivation of Dominant Species
Fertilizer formulas can be customized for different water areas—for instance, reducing nitrogen content for eutrophic water bodies and increasing phosphorus supplementation for oligotrophic water bodies.
Synergistic Water Purification
Plant roots absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from water, which, combined with microbial degradation, achieves a dual purification effect of plants plus microorganisms.
