The aim of this research is to develop an agricultural net which is eco friendly and non toxic and can actively protect plants against all kinds of bugs by killing them by its sharp coating. We are focused in ensuring sustainable supply of food without chemical contamination.
Our approach includes the development of nets with bigger mesh sizes to overcome the disadvantages. Plasma selection with regard to the polymer and the application. Develop a plasma coating process for the selected silica particles to cover the fibers homogeneously. To produce the fibers, a melt spinning process is developed with regard to particle processing, to the build-up of a coating and to the coated yarn and textile properties such as a low shrinkage to ensure further processability. After prototyping textiles, the coating process is upscaled to textiles. Finally, pilot greenhouse conditions are evaluated on the mesh to study the effect on the microclimate and on harmful insects in field trials.
