Abstract
Irrigation tubes based on biodegradable polymers were prepared via an extrusion-drawing process by Irritec and compared to conventional pipes made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). A commercial polylactide/poly (butyleneadipate-co-butyleneterephthalate) (PLA/PBAT) blend (Bio-Flex®) and Mater-Bi® were used. The polymers were characterized from rheological and mechanical points of view. Irrigation pipes were subjected to photoaging with continued exposure to UV radiation up to 22 days. The degradability in the soil of irrigation tube samples was studied. The influence of temperature and UV irradiation on soil burial degradation was investigated. A soil burial degradation test was carried out at 30 °C and 50 °C for up to 70 days. The degree of degradation was evaluated from the weight loss percentage. The degradation rate of irrigation tube samples based on Mater-Bi® was higher at 30 °C and was stimulated after 14 days of UV irradiation. Higher temperatures or UV aging encouraged the disintegration in soil of Bio-Flex®-based irrigation tubes. Furthermore, tube samples, before and after UV and soil burial degradation, were analyzed by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infra-Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy.
Highlights
Nowadays, polymeric materials are widely used in agricultural field for several types of plastic products
Irrigation tubes based on biodegradable polymer blends were prepared by IRRITEC through a proprietary process and compared to conventional pipes made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
The biodegradable polymer systems investigated in this work showed rheological properties both in shear flow and in nonisothermal elongational flow similar to those of a typical polymer used in the production of pipes for irrigation
Summary
Polymeric materials are widely used in agricultural field for several types of plastic products (i.e., mulch films, containers, filaments, clips, pots, packaging, drip irrigation tubes, greenhouse covers, etc.). The widespread and increasing use of plastic materials in agriculture and their persistence in the environment contribute seriously to environmental pollution due to plastic wastes. Plastic items manufactured by traditional polymers, such as mulch films, have to be collected after use and recycled or burned for energy recovery. The removal and disposal can be very expensive and difficult to achieve; in addition, plastic residues can persist in the field with a negative environmental impact. The worldwide increase in plastic wastes has involved a great deal of strategies aimed at minimizing the negative impact of the cumulative production and consumption of polymeric materials
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