Post‐yield Fracture Mechanics as a Measure of the Degradation of Artificially Aged Biodegradable Mulch Films. Issue 1 (16th April 2019) - Monami, Andrea
Abstract : An accelerated approach to assess the long‐term performance of biodegradable agriculture films such as mulch films based on poly(butyrate adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) is presented. PBAT films were aged in water and in air at 80 °C for different times and morphological changes were analysed using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and light microscopy. For exposure in air a Xenon‐arc test chamber was applied. The essential work of fracture concept was used to determine the resistance against crack initiation and propagation as a measure of the degree of degradation. Only at wet conditions as in real applications the films degrade easily. Thus, the films can break in increasingly small parts to become a part of the ground.