Analysis of the mechanical and degradation performances of optimised agricultural biodegradable films

The introduction and the expanding use of biodegradable materials represent a really promising alternative for enhancing sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural activities in mulching and low-tunnel cultivation. The main challenges for the development of agricultural films biodegradable in the soil concern primarily the effects of ageing and degradation during the useful lifetime, which may cause premature losses in their mechanical performance. A set of Mater-Bi based biodegradable films was developed and tested, following the selective optimisation of some processing parameters of the film manufacturing along with the optimisation of the structural low-tunnel system design. The behaviour experienced during the experiments suggests that the so optimised biodegradable films perform in a way comparable to the corresponding LDPE films, within the period of their useful lifetime. Experimental investigation indicates that water and high temperatures do not affect the mechanical behaviour of the biodegradable films significantly, as it is experienced during the first period of their exposure to real field conditions. A high dose of UV radiation has detrimental effects, however, on the elongation at break of both mulching and low-tunnel films. These films are shown to be readily degraded within 4-6 months under irrigated agricultural soil conditions, indicating a high biodegradability rate. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.