Influence of ageing on optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of agricultural films

izvorni znanstveni rad

izvorni znanstveni rad

Influence of ageing on optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of agricultural films

Vrsta prilog u časopisu
Tip izvorni znanstveni rad
Godina 2023
Časopis Polymers
Volumen 15
Svesčić 17
Stranice 3638, 18
DOI 10.3390/polym15173638
EISSN 2073-4360
Status objavljeno

Sažetak

Plastic films utilized as greenhouse coverings play a vital role in safeguarding plantations from diverse weather conditions like sunlight, rain, hail, and wind. It is essential for these films to preserve their properties even after extended exposure to sunlight and water, while also maintaining transparency to support the unhindered growth of plants. The purpose of the study was to compare the properties of three types of plastic films: low density polyethylene diffuse film, low density polyethylene clear film, and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene film, before and after their ageing in weather test chamber with xenon-arc light in the presence of moisture. Two distinct types of PE films were chosen based on their suitability for specific regions in Croatia, whereas ETFE film was chosen as a potential new material that is gaining popularity across various industries, including agriculture. The properties investigated were tensile properties, transmittance by spectral analysis, and viscoelastic properties by dynamic mechanical analysis. Also, untreated films and the ones exposed to artificial ageing were compared by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The administered tests revealed a certain level of property degradation due to ageing in all three films. However, none of the films showed a substantial level of deterioration, indicating their suitability as greenhouse coverings.

Ključne riječi

ageing; polyethylene; FT-IR; DMA; DSC; ethylene tetrafluorethylene; tensile properties; TGA; transmittance