Soil-biodegradable plastic for sustainable agriculture
BASF has developed Ecovio® M 2351, a soil-biodegradable mulch film (certified to DIN EN 17033) consisting of the co-polyester polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) (ecoflex®) and other biodegradable polymers made from renewable raw materials.
Biodegradation is performed by naturally occurring soil microorganisms (bacteria or fungi), which release CO2, water and biomass.
Moreover, mulch films made of ecovio can lead to increased crop yields (from 15% to 50% in the case of tomato), less water consumption and better weed control with smaller quantities of herbicides than bare-soil farming.
Ecovio® M 2351 contributes to improved soil quality and better root development and plant growth. For this reason it is successfully used for organic crops in many countries.
Ecovio® M 2351 is a ready-made compound for thin film extrusion that can easily be processed on conventional blown-film lines for PE. Because of its excellent mechanical properties of strength and tear resistance, it can be manufactured in different thicknesses (12, 10 and 8 μm). The compound already contains slip and anti-block agents.
