Research on the application of epoxy promoter DBU in agricultural film production to improve crop yield

March 18, 2025by admin0

Research on the application of epoxy promoter DBU in agricultural film production

Introduction: From the chemistry laboratory to the fields

If modern agriculture is compared to a precision-operating machine, then various agricultural technologies are like gears and screws on this machine, each of which is indispensable. And among them, there is a seemingly inconspicuous but indelible little role – the epoxy promoter DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene), which is quietly changing our understanding of agricultural production. Although its name is difficult to remember, it is a “star” in agricultural film production. By improving the functionality and stability of the film, DBU not only makes crops grow better, but also brings tangible economic benefits to farmers.

In the past few decades, with the growth of global population and tight resources, increasing crop yields has become a core issue of common concern to agricultural scientists from all countries. In this process, functional agricultural films have gradually emerged and become an efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable technical solution. As one of the key additives, DBU’s mechanism and application effects are being deeply explored by more and more researchers. This article will conduct a detailed analysis on the application of DBU in agricultural film production, explore how it can increase crop yield by optimizing film performance, and conduct a systematic summary based on relevant domestic and foreign literature.

In order to make the content more interesting, we will adopt a simple and easy-to-understand language style, and intersperse some rhetorical techniques to strive to present new research results in this field in a vivid way. In addition, the article will also display specific product parameters and technical data in table form so that readers can understand the actual value of DBU more intuitively. Next, let’s walk into the world of DBU together and see how it goes from the chemistry lab to the vast fields to help crops thrive!

Basic features and functional advantages of DBU

What is DBU?

DBU, full name 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, is an organic compound with a unique structure. Its molecular formula is C7H12N2, a molecular weight of 124.18 g/mol, and its appearance is usually a colorless or light yellow liquid, with strong alkalinity. This substance is initially widely used in the chemical industry due to its excellent catalytic properties, especially in the curing reaction of epoxy resins. However, in recent years, with the increasing demand for functional materials, DBU has gradually expanded its application scope, especially in the field of agricultural films.

Functional features of DBU

The reason why DBU can occupy an important position in agricultural film production is mainly due to the following significant functional characteristics:

Efficient catalytic performance
DBU is a highly alkaline organic catalyst that can significantly accelerate the cross-linking reaction of epoxy resin. This means that in the agricultural film manufacturing process, adding DBU can effectively shorten process time and reduce energy consumption, while ensuring that the film has better physical properties and chemical stability.
Excellent weather resistance
Agricultural films are exposed to natural environments such as sunlight, rainwater and wind and sand for a long time, so they need to have strong weather resistance. DBU can extend service life by promoting crosslinking reactions, enhancing the film’s UV resistance, delaying the aging process.
Good compatibility
In practical applications, DBU exhibits excellent compatibility with a variety of polymer substrates without causing stratification or cracking. This makes it very suitable for agricultural films with multi-layer composite structures to meet the special needs in different scenarios.
Environmentally friendly
Compared with traditional catalysts, DBU has lower toxicity and has less impact on the environment, which is in line with the development trend of modern green agriculture.

The mechanism of action of DBU

The main mechanism of action of DBU lies in its powerful alkaline functional groups. When DBU is added to the epoxy resin system, it undergoes a nucleophilic addition reaction with the epoxy group, forming an intermediate and further triggering a chain growth reaction. This process not only improves the crosslink density, but also improves the mechanical strength, flexibility and optical transparency of the film. Specifically, the role of DBU can be expressed by the following formula:

[ text{DBU} + text{Epoxy Resin} rightarrow text{Crosslinked Network} ]

Simply put, DBU is like a hardworking craftsman, using its sharp tools (alkaline functional groups) to connect isolated epoxy resin molecules to form a solid and flexible network. This network gives agricultural films stronger bearing capacity and higher light transmittance, thus creating an ideal growth environment for crops.

Current status of DBU application in agricultural films

Common uses of DBU in agricultural films

At present, DBU has been widely used in the production of various functional agricultural films, including but not limited to the following types:

Insulation Film
The insulation film is mainly used in winter greenhouses, which maintains the temperature stability in the shed by reducing heat loss. DBU can enhance the thermal stability of the film and keep it under low temperature environmentsFlexibility to avoid heat loss caused by brittle cracks.
Anti-fog film
The anti-fog film solves the problem that traditional films are prone to fog by inhibiting water vapor condensation, thereby ensuring the uniform distribution of light. DBU helps optimize film surface tension and reduce the possibility of moisture adhesion.
Longevity Film
Longevity films are designed to extend service life and reduce replacement frequency. DBU achieves this goal by improving the film’s antioxidant and UV resistance.
Light-to-light film
The light-transforming film can convert some harmful ultraviolet light into red-orange light that is conducive to plant growth, promoting photosynthesis efficiency. The role of DBU in this type of film is to ensure that the coating is firmly adhered to and avoid falling off due to external factors.

Progress in domestic and foreign research

Domestic research trends

In recent years, Chinese scientific researchers have conducted a lot of explorations on the application of DBU in agricultural films. For example, a study from China Agricultural University showed that adding DBU moderate amounts can increase the tensile strength of PE films for greenhouses by about 20% and increase the elongation of break by more than 30%. Another study completed by South China University of Technology found that multifunctional composite membranes containing DBU exhibit excellent durability in high temperature and high humidity environments in the south, and their service life can reach more than twice that of ordinary films.

International Research Trends

In foreign countries, DBU applications are also highly valued. An experiment at Ohio State University in the United States showed that when tomatoes were grown in desert areas using DBU modified PP films, the average single-plant yield increased by nearly 15%. In Japan, Tokyo University of Technology has developed a new antibacterial agricultural film based on DBU. This film can not only effectively resist bacterial invasion, but also significantly improve crop quality.

The following table summarizes some research results on DBU in agricultural films at home and abroad:

Research Institution/Author	Application Type	Main achievements	Publish Year
China Agricultural University	PE film	Tension strength is increased by 20%, elongation of break is increased by 30%	2019
South China University of Technology	Composite Film	Extend service life to twice that of ordinary films	2020
Ohio State University	PP film	The yield of single tomatoes increased by 15%	2018
Tokyo University of Technology	Anti-bacterial membrane	The bacterial inhibition rate exceeds 90%, and the crop quality has been significantly improved	2021

These studies fully demonstrate the huge potential of DBU in agricultural film production, and also provide us with more directions and ideas for improvement.

Specific impact of DBU on crop yield

Scientific principles for increasing crop yield

The impact of DBU on crop yield is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Improve lighting conditions
Agricultural films containing DBU usually have higher light transmittance and lower haze values, which allow more sunlight to penetrate into the greenhouse or greenhouse, providing a sufficient source of photosynthesis energy for crops. According to experimental data, after using DBU modified film, the average light intensity in the greenhouse can be increased by 10%-15%.
Regulate the microclimate environment
DBU enhances the film’s thermal insulation and anti-fog effect, helping to maintain humidity balance and temperature stability in the shed. This is especially important for warm-loving crops (such as cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) because they are extremely sensitive to environmental changes.
Extend the growth cycle
The use of longevity membranes allows farmers to avoid frequent replacement of covering materials throughout the growing season, thus reducing the risk of plant damage caused by improper operation. In addition, DBU can also improve the tear resistance of the film and further ensure crop safety.

Experimental Case Analysis

In order to more intuitively explain the effect of DBU, the following are some typical experimental cases:

Case 1: Strawberry planting test

Location: An ecological farm in Shandong
Methods: Comparatively test the effects of two PE membranes (normal membrane vs. DBU-containing modified membrane) on strawberry yield.
Results: The weight of strawberry single fruit in the DBU-containing membrane group increased by 12%, and the total yield increased by 18%.

Case 2: Chili seedling cultivation test

Location: A vegetable base in Hubei
Methods: The pepper seedling experiment was performed using ordinary longevity film and DBU-containing longevity film respectively.
Results: Seedlings containing DBU membrane groupSurvival rate increased by 15%, and survival rate after transplantation also increased by 10%.

Case 3: Viticulture experiment

Location: An orchard in Xinjiang
Method: Comparative transplantation of DBU-containing light-converting film and ordinary film.
Results: The glucose content in the DBU-containing membrane group increased by 8%, the color of the fruit became more vivid, and the value of the product increased significantly.

Data support and graph display

The following is a summary table of some experimental data, showing the specific impact of DBU on the yield of different types of crops:

Crop species	Registration group yield (kg/mu)	Experimental group yield (kg/mu)	Production increase ratio (%)
Strawberry	2000	2360	18
Chi pepper	3500	3850	10
Grapes	1500	1620	8
cucumber	4000	4600	15

From the table above, we can see that DBU can bring different degrees of production increase effects, whether in cold northern areas or humid southern areas. Moreover, the more you rely on precise environmental control crops, the more obvious their benefits are.

DBU product parameters and technical indicators

In order to better understand the actual performance of DBU, the following are its common product parameters and technical indicators:

parameter name	Unit	Standard Value Range	Remarks
Appearance	–	Colorless to light yellow liquid	The color may darken when the temperature rises
Density	g/cm³	0.92-0.94	Measurement under 20℃
Purity	%	≥99.0	Industrial Standard
Melting point	℃	-70	Extremely low melting point, suitable for low temperature processing
Boiling point	℃	170-180	Volatility before decomposition
Alkaline value	mg KOH/g	≥200	Show strong alkalinity
Water-soluble	–	Insoluble	It is necessary to use the help of solvent to dissolve
Thermal Stability	–	≤5% weight loss (200℃)	Stay stable at high temperature

The above parameters are for reference only, and the specific values may vary depending on the manufacturer. It is recommended that users carefully check the product specifications when purchasing and choose the appropriate model according to actual needs.

Looking forward: DBU’s prospects and challenges

Although DBU has made remarkable achievements in the field of agricultural films, its future development still faces many challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, with the intensification of global climate change and frequent extreme weather events, putting higher requirements on the performance of agricultural films; on the other hand, consumers’ increasing attention to food safety has prompted the industry to transform to environmentally friendly and healthier materials.

To this end, researchers are actively exploring the following directions:

Develop new DBU derivatives
Through chemical modification methods, DBU variants that are more suitable for specific application scenarios, such as varieties with stronger acid resistance or better biodegradability.
Optimize production process
Using nanotechnology or other advanced means, further improve the dispersion uniformity of DBU in the film and reduce the cost of consumption.
Expand application fields
Expand the application range of DBU from traditional agricultural films to other functional materials, such as packaging films, waterproof films, etc., to tap greater market potential.

In short, DBU is a key technology in agricultural film productionOne, its importance cannot be ignored. I believe that with the advancement of science and technology and the changes in market demand, DBU will play a more important role in future agricultural production and bring more welfare to human society.