Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films from standards

Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films: from standards to field application Dr. Glauco Battagliarin BASF Biopolymer research Olivier de Beaurepaire BASF Market development biopolymers in agriculture XXI CIPA CONGRESS Arcachon, France – May 30 th, 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films: from standards to field application 1. EN 17033: „Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – requirements and test methods“ 2. Materials, mechanical properties and service life 3. Field factors affecting mechanical properties 2 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films: from standards to field application 1. EN 17033: „Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – requirements and test methods“ 2. Materials, mechanical properties and service life 3. Field factors affecting mechanical properties 3 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

EN 17033: „Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – requirements and test methods“ Biodegradability Control of constituents EN 17033 Dimensional, mechanical and optical properties Transfer into certification schemes 4 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research Ecotoxicity New working item proposal to ISO

EN 17033: Dimensional, mechanical and optical properties of the films Table content extracted from EN 17033 5 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films: from standards to field application 1. EN 17033: „Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – requirements and test methods“ 2. Materials, mechanical properties and service life 3. Field factors affecting mechanical properties 6 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

ecovio® M 2351 biodegradable mulch films ecovio® M 2351 is the trade name for BASF’s compounds based on ecoflex® + polylactic acid (PLA) ecoflex® F (PBAT) terephthalic acid 1, 4 -butandiol adipic acid 1, 4 -butandiol Polymer molecular weights determine mechanical properties and service lifetime 7 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Biodegradable mulch films: the challenge to combine service life and biodegradability Factors influencing polymer molecular weights distribution and mechanical properties: n Material and production n Application and agricultural practices 8 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research n Conversion and distribution n Environmental factors and microbiology

Mechanical properties of ecovio® mulch films Transparent ecovio® mulch film (12 um) Relative elongation at break (%) Black ecovio® mulch film (3, 5% carbon black loading, 12 um) Machine Direction (MD) Cross Direction (CD) Weathering acooriding to EN ISO 4892 -2: 2013 [15], Method A, Cycle 1 9 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Film production issues: uneven distribution of material and carbon black loading and consequences during field application Film with inhomogenous distribution on lighting board Detail 10 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research Premature phtotodegradation of film shown on the left

Impact of storage on loss of mechanical properties Film stored in orginal packaging: material partially disintegrated and retaining mechanical properties after 2 weeks accelerated disintegration test 12 µm ecovio® mulch films Film stored for 2 months without original packaging: material strongly disintegrated and extremely brittle after 2 weeks accelerated disintegration test Unproper storage may not affect initial mechanical properties of the film, but will impact service life on field 11 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Mechanical properties of biodegradable mulch films: from standards to field application 1. EN 17033: „Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – requirements and test methods“ 2. Materials, mechanical properties and service life 3. Field factors affecting mechanical properties 12 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Soil preparation Soil should be well prepared with a slightly rounded seed bed. Buried edges in rounded gutter shape should be avoided 13 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Crop residues and stones Soil shall be finely prepared any crop residue or stones shall first be dug by using appropriate mulch film laying machines, in order to avoid a premature damage while the film is laid 14 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Irrigation pipes Drip irrigation pipe should be slightly buried ( -1/-2 cm) to avoid risks of premature degradation like splitting at film contact 15 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Irrigation Fields should be irrigated according to official recommendations; any excess of water may degrade films prematurely 16 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Soil activity Organic fertilizers accelerate biodegradation and must be incorporated into the soil about a month before laying out Fumigation will slow down biodegradation instead 17 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties UV exposition Always lay out and then plant as soon as possible (about 2 -3 days in between). Prefer transplanting than sowing. Sowing instead of transplanting increases light exposure of 2 -3 weeks 18 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Field factors affecting mechanical properties Laying out A for the thinner films (between 8 -12 µm), start laying out smoothly, then increase to normal speed adapted to soil conditions (3 -5 km/h). Brakes should be taken out, if present. Rolls shaping seed beds must not be applied on mulch, but before mulching 19 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

General recommendation Always test at small scale first (below 1 ha) with all new applications 20 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

10 basic recommendations for ecovio mulch films applications 1. Storage: all rolls should be kept under shield ; they can be kept for the following season; ensure any remaining rolls are left in their original packaging 2. Soil preparation: prepare soil well with slightly rounded seed bed and ensure any organic residues are sufficiently buried 3. Irrigation pipes: slightly bury drip irigation pipe ( -1/-2 cm) to avoid risks of premature degradation like splitting at film contact 4. Irrigation: irrigate according to official recommendations as a maximum ; any excess of water may degrade films prematurily 5. Fertilization: Organic fertilizers must be incorporated into the soil about one month before laying out 6. Fumigation: keep in mind fumigation will slow down biodegradation 7. Planting: always lay out and then plant as soon as possible ( about 2 -3 days in between) and prefer transplanting than sowing; sowing instead of transplanting increases light exposure of 2 -3 weeks 8. Laying out: for the thinner films (between 8 -12µ), start laying out smoothly, then increase to normal speed adapted to soil conditions (3 -5 km/h), but make sure to take out the brake of the roll, if any 9. New applications: always test at small scale first (below 1 ha) with all new applications 10. Biodegradation: bury plastic residues at crop-end as soon as possible to initiate biodegradation process 21 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research

Thank you! 22 30. 05. 2018 Glauco Battagliarin - BASF Biopolymer research