We developed a vegetative mat to aid in disaster recovery. By twisting together cotton and vinylon, which biodegrade at different rates, we were able to create a mat whose cotton biodegrades first, (1) causing the vinylon to increase slightly in length to make up for the twist shrinkage. (2) As the yarn becomes thinner, friction at the intersection of the warp and the weft decreases. These effects make it easy for the openings in the mat to move, leading to a design that does not interfere with plant growth. Measurement of the strength and water-retaining properties of the mat we developed indicates that it is superior to existing products in both.

Questionnaire 2014/Shinshu University Faculty of Textile Science and Technology Fii