Soilless Cultivation via Thermal Spraying

In this work, thermally sprayed sustainable coatings with spray additives recycled from dry alkaline batteries and solid-oxide fuel cells are developed to allow the growth of drought-resistant plants like moss, microclover and chamomile. It is assumed that these plants anchor to the coating with their rhizoids and hence can be grown without the presence of soil. Preliminary tests of a thermally sprayed Yttrium Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) ceramic coating on sheet metal confirms the growth of chamomile plant.