Bioinspired multilayer mulch film integrating mud repulsion, adhesion reduction, and antifouling for high-efficiency resource recycling

Resource recycling is a promising solution to the current problem of residual film pollution. However, the challenge that remains to be addressed in the resourcefulness of mulch films lies in mitigating heavy water and power consumption during the cleaning process. Herein, inspired by the unique structure of typical soil-dwelling insects, the mass production of high-strength multilayer mulch (Bio-HAM) films is achieved through a sequential combination of multilayer coextrusion, blow molding, roll-to-roll imprinting, and spray coating. The regular micro-nano hierarchical structure on the Bio-HAM films surface enables it to effectively inherit the antifouling, slurry repulsion, and adhesion reduction functions of the prototypes, even when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, deformation, and liquid or solid impact. Benefiting from the aforementioned properties, the Bio-HAM films exhibit low impurities adhering and soil wrapping during the entire planting cycle. The impurity content of the recovered Bio-HAM films wrapping is approximately 12.7 g/m2, which is a 67.4% reduction in impurity content compared to the basic films. Moreover, the recovered film also possesses favorable mechanical and thermal properties, thereby ensuring water and energy conservation as well as high-value regeneration. The proposed approach is expected to address the excessive consumption and persistent ecological pollution of residual film recycling. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.