Repsol YPF

Agricultural Compounds

A compound is a mixture of one or several base polymers with a number of additives that give them special properties.

As the fruit of more than 30 years of experience and of significant research and development efforts, Repsol has developed a wide range of ready to use compounds for agriculture that allow transformers to produce products with special characteristics without the need for mixtures.

The purpose of a greenhouse film is to provide the crops with the optimum radiometric properties for their development, during the time span for which they were designed (normally measured in agricultural seasons).

The incorporation of these properties is facilitated thanks to the technique of co-extrusion. This technique allows the coexistence of several (usually three) layers with different properties, different formulations and even conflicting additives in a single film.

Most agricultural compounds consist of a base resin, generally Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) or EVA Copolymers, and additives which, in spite of their small quantities are responsible for a large share of the films properties. A compound may contain up to 15% of its weight in additives and up to 15 different additives. The following are some of the most commonly used families of additives:

• Slip and anti-blocking.
• Antioxidant.
• UV absorbers.
• Light stabilizers.
• Surface tension modifiers.
• Additive that block the far-infrared.
• Photoselectives.          

Frequently, more than one additive from a single family is used. These additives are more or less complex chemical molecules with different properties that many times may interact between themselves, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively.

In summary, in a hypothetical case, we can talk about a three-layer film with completely different formulas in each one of the layers, with 45 different additives coexisting, some of which migrate between layers and may therefore react with additives in other layers.

Repsol's agricultural compounds offer the following advantages:

• The transformer deals with a single supplier, which reduces the risk of using incompatible additives or using additives in inadequate proportional amounts. It also reduces the number of raw materials to be stored.         

• Additives are selected by REPSOL, taking advantage of its specialization and years of experience in this field.         

• Additives are dispersed more uniformly througout the base resin when the compounds are specially manufactured for this. In addition there are two stages of homogenization one during the manufacture of the compound and another during extrusion. This also saves on manpower, increasing productivity.             

• The supplier of the compounds generally has more complete laboratory quality control equipment for the finished product.            

• REPSOL assumes its responsibility if problems should arise.         

Repsol's agricultural compounds:

GREENHOUSE FILMS

One season:

CP-636 EVA (6% AV) Thermal

CP-638 EVA (8% AV) Thermal and anti-drip

Two seasons:

CP-117 Long lasting Polyethylene

CP-119 Long lasting Polyethylene

CP-124 Thermal Polyethylene

CP-127 Thermal Polyethylene

CP-2704 Thermal Polyethylene

CP-635 EVA (5% AV) Thermal

CP-632 EVA (14% AV) Thermal and anti-drip

Three seasons:

CP-319 Polyethylene

CP-324 Thermal Polyethylene

CP-643 EVA (5% AV)

CP-633 EVA (14% AV) Thermal

FILMS FOR SMALL TUNNEL, DOUBLE CEILING, AND SPECIAL MULCHING

CP-636 EVA (6% AV) Thermal

CP-638 EVA (8% AV) Thermal and anti-drip

SOLARIZATION FILMS

CP-129 Anti-drip Polyethylene

IRRIGATIONS

Piping for Sprinkler irrigation:

CN-122 Polyethylene

3802-N Polyethylene

5300-N Polyethylene

Piping for Drip irrigation:

CN-106 Polyethylene

Water drips

PB-140 G2M Polypropylene

PB-150 G2M Polypropylene

Accesories:

PG270 AT 806 Polypropylene

SILOS, RESERVOIRS, AND PROTECTIVE COVERS

CN-122 Polyethylene

3802-N Polyethylene

PP086 Y1E Polypropylene

PP087 Y1E Polypropylene