Speaker
Description
Mulching is a widely used technique in agriculture, employed to reduce soil water evaporation, suppress weed growth, regulate soil temperature, and protect the soil surface. Conventional polyethylene mulch films provide effective agronomic performance; however, their removal after use is often incomplete, leaving fragments that may persist and accumulate in agricultural soils. These drawbacks have stimulated growing interest in alternative materials derived from renewable resources and offering potentially more sustainable end-of-life pathways. Natural polymers, particularly polysaccharides, are promising candidates for agricultural applications because they combine renewability and biodegradability with film- and coating-forming ability. Among them, chitosan has attracted particular interest owing to its film-forming ability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and bioactivity. Its functional groups enable interactions with water, soil particles, additives, and active compounds, while its antimicrobial activity and potential contribution to water retention and controlled release support its use as a multifunctional agricultural material. However, the limited flexibility of chitosan films requires appropriate formulation strategies to tailor their final properties. In this preliminary study, chitosan-based films were prepared by solvent casting under different formulation conditions and investigated for potential mulching applications. The influence of formulation variables on film properties was investigated through mechanical testing, thermal analysis, water contact-angle measurements, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. These analyses were used to assess mechanical behaviour, thermal response, surface wettability, and possible interactions within the polymeric matrix. The preliminary characterization highlighted formulation-dependent differences, providing an initial basis for the further optimization of chitosan-based films.
| Conference Topics | Polymer-based materials – Sustainability and Circularity |
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