Review maps degradation and property changes in biodegradable polymer mulch films

A review published in the Journal of Materials Science examines how biodegradable polymer mulch films change during agricultural use and after their intended service period. Based on the available abstract, the review focuses on the balance between maintaining film stability while in service and achieving controllable degradation after use. It covers material systems, aging environments, surface degradation, failure mechanisms, structure–property relationships and methods for assessing film performance. The review appears in volume 61, pages 34379–34411, with a publication date of 20 September 2026.

The abstract reports that environmental stressors can affect biodegradable mulch films through photo-oxidation, hydrolysis, microbial activity and interactions among these processes. It describes these stressors as driving chain scission, crystallinity evolution, interfacial debonding, and the formation of cracks and pores. These changes are associated with deterioration in mechanical, barrier, wettability and optical properties. The authors propose a multiscale framework intended to connect chemical and solid-state structure with surface defects, macroscopic properties and service functionality.

The review also highlights quantitative defect analysis and interpretable machine-learning-assisted assessment for classifying aging levels and predicting service performance. These are proposed assessment approaches rather than validated results from a new field trial or experiment reported in the available material. The authors identify field-relevant coupled aging, standardized defect metrics, mechanistic modeling and multiscale data fusion as priorities for future research aimed at predictable service life and controllable environmental fate. Because the source supplied here contains only the abstract and bibliographic preview, the extent to which the full review supports each conclusion, the evidence base for the machine-learning methods and the review’s detailed limitations cannot be independently assessed.

Subject of Research: Review of degradation and structure–property evolution in biodegradable agricultural mulch films

Article Title: Review: surface degradation and structure–property evolution of biodegradable polymer mulch films

Article References: Li, M., Wei, G., Cui, B., & Xiu, W. (2026). Review: surface degradation and structure–property evolution of biodegradable polymer mulch films. Journal of Materials Science, 61(44), 34379-34411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-026-13764-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10853-026-13764-y

Keywords: biodegradable mulch films, polymer degradation, photo-oxidation, hydrolysis, microbial activity, surface defects, structure–property relationships, machine learning, multiscale analysis, agricultural plastics, Review, surface