EN 13655:2002

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2003
Polimerni materiali - Plastomerni filmi za prekrivanje v poljedelstvu in vrtnarstvu
Plastics - Mulching thermoplastic films for use in agriculture and horticulture
Kunststoffe - Thermoplastische Mulchfolien für den Einsatz in der Landwirtschaft und im
Gartenbau
Plastiques - Films thermoplastiques de paillage pour utilisation en agriculture et
horticulture
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 13655:2002
ICS:
65.040.30 Rastlinjaki in druge naprave Greenhouses and other
installations
83.140.10 Filmi in folije Films and sheets
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 13655
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2002
ICS 83.140.10
English version
Plastics - Mulching thermoplastic films for use in agriculture and
horticulture
Plastiques - Films thermoplastiques de paillage pour Kunststoffe - Thermoplastische Mulchfolien für den Einsatz
utilisation en agriculture et horticulture in der Landwirtschaft und im Gartenbau
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 21 October 2001.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Management Centre has the same status as the official
versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2002 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 13655:2002 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Content
FOREWORD.3
1 SCOPE .4
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES.4
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS.4
4 PLASTICS MATERIALS .5
5 TYPES AND USE.5
6 DURATION .6
7 REQUIREMENTS OF THE MULCHING FILMS.7
8 TEST METHOD .7
8.1 APPEARANCE .7
8.2 THICKNESS.7
8.3 WIDTH .7
8.4 DETERMINATION OF TENSILE PROPERTIES.7
8.5 DETERMINATION OF IMPACT RESISTANCE .7
8.6 TOTAL LIGHT TRANSMISSION (TRANSPARENT AND DIFFUSING FILM).7
8.7 IR EFFECTIVENESS ().7
IR
8.7.1 Principle .7
8.7.2 Apparatus .8
8.7.3 Procedure .8
8.7.4 Setting out the results .8
8.8 RESISTANCE TO ARTIFICIAL WEATHERING.9
8.8.1 Principle .9
8.8.2 Apparatus .9
8.8.3 Test conditions.9
8.8.4 Procedure .9
8.8.5 Results .9
9 DESIGNATION .9
10 MARKING.10
ANNEX A (NORMATIVE) MEASURE OF THE RELATIVE LIGHT TRANSMISSION .16
FOREWORD
This document (EN 13655:2002) has been prepared by. Technical Committee CEN /TC 249, "Plastics" the
secretariat of which is held by IBN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or
by endorsement, at the latest by April 2003, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by
April 2003.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this document: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
1 Scope
This standard is applicable to transparent films, transparent clear and diffusing films (thermic) and black or
black/white films based on polyethylene and its copolymers, which are designed to be used for mulching the
vegetable, fruit and flower crops.
This standard is intended to establish the basic requirements for the optical and mechanical characteristics of
various types of film.
From a detailed consideration of the different mulching plastics films used in agriculture and horticulture in the
European market, different types of film are considered:
- transparent films (normal)
- transparent clear and diffusing films (thermic)
- black and black/white films
The range of thicknesses considered is from 10 m up to 250 m.
2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated references, provisions from other publications. These
normative references are cited at the appropriated places in the text and publications are listed hereafter. For dated
references subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this European Standard
only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the publication
referred to applies (including amendments).
EN 2155-5, Aerospace series - Test methods for transparent materials for aircraft glazing – Part. 5 : Determination
of visible light transmission
EN ISO 527-1, Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 1: General principles (ISO 527-1:1993
including corr. 1:1994)
EN ISO 527-3, Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets (ISO 527-
3:1995)
EN ISO 4892-2, Plastics - Method of exposure to laboratory light sources - Part 2: Xenon arc sources
ISO 4591, Plastics - Film and sheeting - Determination of average thickness of a sample and average thickness
and yield of a roll by gravimetric techniques (gravimetric thickness)
ISO 4592, Plastics - Film and sheeting - Determination of length and width
ISO 4593, Plastics - Film and sheeting - Determination of thickness by mechanical scanning
ISO 7765-1, Plastics film and sheeting - Determination of impact resistance by the free falling dart method - Part 1:
Staircase method
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:
3.1
width
total width of the film when laid flat, given in millimetres.
3.2
nominal width
width declared by the manufacturer in millimeters.
3.3
thickness
given in micrometer.
3.4
nominal thickness
thickness declared by the manufacturer in micrometers.
3.5
length of the roll
largest dimension of the roll in mm.
3.6
longitudinal direction of the roll (MD)
direction parallel to the length of the roll corresponding to the extrusion direction.
3.7
transverse direction of the roll (TD)
direction parallel to the width (at right angles to the length).
4 Plastics materials
Mulching films are usually manufactured from:
- low density polyethylene (PE-LD), linear low density polyethylene (PE-LLD)
- ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (E/VAC)
- ethylene butyl acrylate copolymers
- blends of the above mentioned polymers and copolymers
5 Types and use
The different types of mulching films and their optical characteristics and use are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Characteristics and use of mulching films
Type Characteristics Use
Normal Medium transparency When normal IR effectiveness is
requested
No influence on weeds growth
Thermic clear High transparency When high IR effectiveness  is
requested
No influence on weeds growth
Thermic diffusing Diffusing light When high IR effectiveness and
diffusing light is requested
No influence on weeds growth
Black or black/white Very low light transmission Prevents weeds growth
6Duration
The duration of a mulching film is declared by the manufacturer and is determined by testing the decrease of the
tensile strain at break after artificial weathering (see 9.8).The film is classified as class N or A (see Table 2),
depending on the time required to reduce the value of its tensile strain at break to the 50% of the initial value.
Table 2 - Mulching films - Classification on the basis of the duration
Class Duration (hours)
N 400
A 1 700
7 Requirements of the mulching films
Table 3, 4 and 5 indicate the requirements of normal, thermic and diffusing, black and black/white films
respectively.
8 Test method
8.1 Appearance
This method is carried out as follows:first check the roll's winding. The free edges of the roll must be sealed with
adhesive tape or by some other similar means, in order to prevent its unwinding.Then check if it has been wrapped
onto the roll properly. The edges should be properly in line and there should be sufficient tension to prevent the
various layers of the roll from transversal slipping while it is being handled (this should be done horizontally). Then
unroll at least 2 m of film off the roll and examine it against the light, holding it tight at arms length in order to check
its optical aspects.The film shall look homogeneous and free from visible defects which may affect its functionality.
8.2 Thickness
The thickness of the single points of the film shall be determined in accordance with ISO 4593 and average
thickness shall be determined in accordance with ISO 4591.
8.3 Width
The width of the film shall be determined in accordance with ISO 4592.
8.4 Determination of tensile properties
The tensile properties shall be determined according to EN ISO 527-3 using a test specimen type 2 10 mm width
with a test speed of 500 mm/min. Test procedure shall refer to EN ISO 527-1.
8.5 Determination of impact resistance
The determination of impact resistance (Dart drop test) shall be determined in accordance with ISO 7765-1 method
A.
Note - Films which are wider than 2000 mm are usually wound on a reel and folded lengthwise at least
once.These folds are retained even when the film is laid out flat, and this may affect test results.
Therefore, a distinction must be made between the sample sheets taken from the folds ("fold" area) and
sample sheets from areas which have not been folded ("flat" area).
8.6 Total light tran
...