what film is widely used in greenhouse

what film is widely used in greenhouse

The use of plastics in the agricultural industry is growing every day. According to the application, these films are produced in different widths and thicknesses and from other polymer compounds. In this article, we will review the best film for greenhouse use.

What are the characteristics of the best greenhouse cover?

The best cover for the greenhouse is a cover that can transmit light well. This cover should be able to prevent the loss of energy and heat. On the other hand, it should protect the greenhouse from temperature and atmospheric changes such as humidity, air temperature, precipitation, etc.

To cover the surface and skeleton of the greenhouse, you can use all kinds of greenhouse covering. We want to categorize these covers based on the amount of transmission. In that case, different covers let between seventy-eight and ninety-three per cent of the light pass through.

Choosing the type of cover based on light should be consistent with the plant’s light needs. In some plants, lack of sunlight prevents growth; in others, too much light causes the plants to dry and wither. For this reason, adjusting the light in the greenhouse is very important.

Films suitable for covering greenhouses

This is a serious and important question for farmers and greenhouse owners who do not have to make a wrong choice between their needs and their low costs and proper performance. They calculate the cost of buying film and plan to protect their crops. These films are placed in natural environments throughout the year, in one area in front of the wind and at another point in several months of the year the weather is below the freezing point. In another place, solar UV rays constantly bombard it. Choosing a suitable film is not a simple process, and all factors must be considered to be insurance for your products.

Resistance to UV rays in winter or through several years of work and service causes general damage to the film. Films can generally be divided into grades 1, 2, and 3 according to the geographical location where they are used. They can be used for an approximate period, and where there is much sunlight, a film that lasts for three years can be used for two years, and where the sunlight shines at an average level, films for 3 years can be used. The time of 2 years can be adequate within three years.

In many other cases, using greenhouse films for the summer months is only a good choice if you have cooling equipment, and it includes the costs of installing this equipment.

Uses of greenhouse films

It should be remembered that greenhouse films designed for this purpose are unsuitable for general or construction use and not recommended for general and unpredictable reasons.

Using films without UV stabilizers puts the products at risk. Another feature of multi-layer greenhouse films is that they are made of polyethylene copolymer materials, and copolymers are more robust and more flexible than polyethylene, and below we mention its essential advantages:

• Resistant to wind, snow and hail
• Greater strength against folding and better resistance against separation or fragmentation
• Better durability and more flexibility at lower temperatures

The best greenhouse films

A common misconception about greenhouse films is that a film with a thickness of 180 microns is half as resistant as a film with a thickness of 150 microns, and a film with a thickness of 300 microns is twice as resistant as a film with a thickness of 150 microns. And this is while films with a thickness of 180 microns may have twice the resistance to UV rays than films with a thickness of 150 microns. Films with high durability and resistance depend on their stabilizing and stabilizing materials and the thickness and strength of the film.

Single-layer films are unsuitable, especially in favourable weather conditions, and single-layer solid films should be used. For example, the contraction in the temperature difference during the day and night may cause the film to break or fragment. Moreover, there is no support layer for protection in these types of films. On the other hand, double-walled pillow films that are filled with wind, with a thickness of 180-220 microns, are highly suitable and strong for greenhouses. They are more durable in strong winds and under snow loads, and this is due to their excellent and strong structure. In this structure, the air inside them acts like a pillow and is a membrane to transfer stress from one point to many points.

Characteristics of greenhouse films

 The greenhouse film should be able to retain at least 50% of the initial tensile strength in the film after the desired lifetime.

The greenhouse film should refer to the areas most exposed to the energy of the sun’s radiation.

The lifespan of the greenhouse film depends on the type of polymer chosen.

In greenhouse film, the use of additives mostly depends on the processing conditions during production.

Greenhouse film is affected by environmental conditions and exposure to sunlight, and its effect is in the final use.

The reason for the importance of greenhouse film

Agricultural film or greenhouse cover, due to its large surface area, low thickness, and, more important than the previous two factors, its polyolefinic nature, is highly susceptible to destruction due to sunlight and especially UV rays. In the best case, any destruction of this cover can interfere with the passage of light and the process of plant growth. In the worst case, it can destroy cultivated crops due to wind, storm or rain and hail, causing so much. Therefore, the stabilization of greenhouse films against sunlight is critical.

Increasing the resistance of greenhouse coatings against ultraviolet rays can be increased by adding absorbent or stabilizing additives against UV rays. But all dimensions of this solution are more complex. Different poisons and pesticides are used in greenhouses in different cultivation periods, from burning sulphur to high sulphur and chlorine poisons in the greenhouse.

The end

The introduction of various greenhouse covers was to familiarize you with the greenhouse cover. As was said, the greenhouse cover; Such as It is a garment or dress that is covered with the body of the greenhouse to protect the greenhouse. Each of these protectors has its use and features in appropriate places. Considering this issue, it is necessary to consider the conditions of the product and your environment so that you can find the best cover for the product in question and the weather conditions of your desired area by checking the characteristics of each cover.