Chemical, Radiometric and Mechanical Characterization of Commercial Polymeric Films for Greenhouse Applications

Abstract

In the agricultural sector, companies involved in the production of plastic greenhouses are currently searching for a suitable covering adapted for every climate in the world. For this purpose, this research work has determined the chemical, radiometric and mechanical properties of 53 polymeric films samples from Europe and South America. The chemical tests carried out with these samples were elemental analysis (C, H and N) and FT–IR spectrometry. The radiometric properties here studied were the transmission, absorption and reflection coefficients along the spectrum between 300 and 1100 nm. For the mechanical properties, tensile strength, tear strength and dart impact strength, tests were carried out. Finally, all these data were collected, and a multivariate statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS statistical to group the samples into statistical groups adapted to specific climatic regions. The elemental analysis and FT–IR spectrometry allowed group the samples into nine groups. The samples were grouped according to their chemical (elemental analysis), radiometric and mechanical properties by multivariate analysis. The dendrogram separated five very different groups in terms of number of samples. These groups have specific chemical, radiometric and mechanical characteristics that separate them from the rest. These groups make it possible to narrow down the applications and correlate with the radiometric properties to see in which geographical area of the world they are most effective in increasing yields and achieving higher quality production.