MATERIALS | AGRICULTURAL FILM
Right: Additives such as citrate esters can help boost the
performance of mulch film
industries – and in mulch film. Zhloba listed a number of challenges of mulch films: they are mainly made from polyeth- ylene, which is very durable; there is a high cost to remove films from the ground; they are hard to recycle; and they can cause soil and environmental contamination. “Biodegradable and compostable mulch films are required in future,” he said. These films will need additives for
improved processing and to adjust final physical parameters, he added. A material like Citrofol BII is ideal for this, he said, because of its bio-based nature, biodegradability and approval for food contact applications – as well as the potential to increase the degradability of films. The company created several film grades from
PHBV and PLA – with either 0, 10 or 20% Citrofol. Increasing Citrifol led to lower viscosity, less thermal degradation (during processing) and
greater elongation at break (but lower tensile strength). In blown film, using 10% Citrofol enabled a homogenous film to be made, thanks to improved melt flow properties.
In addition, blends with
Citrofol showed faster biodegradation. Pure PHBV/ PLA blends began to biodegrade after 20 days – while those with Citrofol began to fragment after 10 days.
Light work
A wide range of additives – especially light stabilisers – also play a key role in agricultural film. Javier Fernandez, global technical manager for agriculture at Clariant in Switzerland, told del- egates that plastics can help to raise food produc- tion.
“By 2050, the world will need 60% more food,”
he said. “As arable land is limited, additional production will have to come from sustainable agricultural intensification.”
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