Biodegradable material PBAT is a thermoplastic biodegradable plastic, which is a copolymer of butylene adipate and butylene terephthalate. It has both the characteristics of PBA and PBT and has good ductility and fracture. Elongation, but also good heat resistance and impact properties. Compared with its PE, the tear resistance and impact strengths are 120% and 130%, which are necessary conditions for high-performance films.
In addition, it is often used in plastic bags and packaging materials to protect the goods and have sufficient strength to support them.
The increasing use of mulch for agricultural applications in greenhouses is also driving the shift towards biodegradable alternatives. Polyethylene (PE) plastic mulch is now widely used in crops, mainly because of its easy availability and low cost. However, since PE mulch is made from petroleum-based feedstocks that are not renewable in nature, concerns about the sustainability of crop production activities involving the use of PE mulch have increased. In addition, the use of PE mulch also increases waste generation in agricultural land and landfills.
The most used biodegradable material PBAT agricultural mulch is in North America and Western European countries. Mainly because they have advanced planting technology and have good results in application.
Developing countries, countries such as China and India have large populations and need to increase food production to meet the growing food demand, which is expected to stimulate the demand for biodegradable mulch films.
Data reference sources：
1. ReportLinker, (2022), referred from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HNZ2h4LQ3OWgcOld08HV0Q
2. Cheer young co (2020), referred from http://www.cheeryong.com.tw/images/Biodegradable_Plastic-DM_TW_v1.20201012.pdf
