Physico-mechanical properties and utility of melt-blown biodegradable non-wovens

摘要

Recently there has been growing interest in the use of biodegradable mulch films for the suppression of weeds, increasing soii temperature and yield of vegetables and fruits (Greer and Dole, 2003; Halley et al., 2001; Weber, 2003). Nevertheless fragments of polyethylene films and polypropylene non-wovens can remain in soil for many years. Furthermore, plastics are often contamined with food and other biological substances, making physical recycling of these materials impractical and generally undesirable. In contrast, biodegradable polymers (BPs) disposed in bioactive environments degrade by the enzymatic action of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. Their polymer chains may also be broken down by nonenzymatic processes such as chemical hydrolysis. BPs are often derived from plant processing of atmospheric CO2 (Gross, Kalra 2002).