Preparation, physico-chemical characterization, and optical analysis of polyvinyl alcohol-based films suitable for protected cultivation

The use of biodegradable polymer films for mulching is a topic of great interest both from the environmental point of view and for the intrinsic properties that the above films, when appropriately designed, might have. In the present article we report on a synthetic approach that, starting from exis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied polymer science 2002-10, Vol.86 (3), p.622-632
Main Authors: De Prisco, Nicola, Immirzi, Barbara, Malinconico, Mario, Mormile, Pasquale, Petti, Lucia, Gatta, Giuseppe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Applied sciences
biodegradable
Biodegradation
Biological and medical sciences
blending
Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage
Crosslinking
Exact sciences and technology
Film preparation
Forms of application and semi-finished materials
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agronomy. Plant production
modeling
Polymer blends
Polymer industry, paints, wood
Sheets and films
Technology of polymers
Tending. Growth control
Tillage. Tending. Growth control
Ultraviolet spectroscopy
UV-Vis spectroscopy
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The use of biodegradable polymer films for mulching is a topic of great interest both from the environmental point of view and for the intrinsic properties that the above films, when appropriately designed, might have. In the present article we report on a synthetic approach that, starting from existing biodegradable polymers, leads to a new material characterized by a time‐controlled biodegradation. The idea that subsides is to bridge polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) chains through polycaprolactone (PCL) crosslinks. In such a way, PVOH looses its water sensitivity and can stand on the ground for the time needed for the mulching to occur, while the PCL crosslinks, being sensitive to (slow) fungal attack, will undergo cleavage, followed by the complete bio‐assimilation of the residual PVOH chains. The number of crosslinks introduced can control time of biodegradation. The polymers are characterized in their intrinsic chemical‐physical properties, while a preliminary evaluation of their efficiency as mulches is obtained through the analysis of their thermal behavior when deposited on an irrigated soil. The results are also compared with a model approach able to predict the thermal behavior of a film in specific environmental conditions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 622–632, 2002
ISSN:0021-8995
1097-4628
DOI:10.1002/app.10912