Mechanical and Degradation Properties of Degradable Cover Materials for Sugarcane Leaves
Jing Jiao,
Puwang Li,
Xiaohong Huang,
Jihua Du,
Zunxiang Li,
Xinpeng Liu,
Shuhui Song,
Yirong Zhou
Affiliations
Jing Jiao
South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013; Agricultural Products Processing Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013
Puwang Li
Agricultural Machinery Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013
Xiaohong Huang
South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013; Agricultural Machinery Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013
Jihua Du
South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013
Zunxiang Li
Zhanjiang Engineering and Technology Research Center for High Efficient Recycling of Tropical Crop Straw, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524091
Xinpeng Liu
Zhanjiang Engineering and Technology Research Center for High Efficient Recycling of Tropical Crop Straw, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524091
Shuhui Song
Agricultural Products Processing Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524013; Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Nutrition of Hainan province, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524091
Yirong Zhou
Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, 524048
Mulch was prepared using composted sugarcane leaves, with polyvinyl alcohol and cationic starch as adhesives, through compression molding. The study aimed to investigate the effects of different adhesives on the mechanical properties, thermal oxidative degradation performance, and biodegradability of the covering materials. The results indicated that, when the adhesive dosage was consistent, cover material A, which utilized polyvinyl alcohol as the adhesive, exhibited higher tensile strength and elongation at break compared to cover material B, which employed a blend of polyvinyl alcohol and cationic starch. Specifically, at an adhesive dosage of 20%, cover material A achieved a tensile strength of 0.46 MPa and an elongation at break of 7.72%, representing the highest values among all experimental groups. There was minimal disparity in the thermal oxidative degradation performance between materials prepared with either adhesive; however, a higher quantity of adhesive led to decreased biodegradability performance. After being buried in soil for 120 days, the degradation exceeded 40% for both materials, resulting in loss of their original shape and strength properties. In conclusion, while sugarcane leaves-based biodegradable materials demonstrate favorable degradation performance, further enhancements are necessary to improve their mechanical properties. These materials have potential applications as substitutes for plastic mulch.
