Eco-friendly all-biomass pipes with high toughness, low internal stress, and self-degradation for sustainable agricultural irrigation

The extensive use of plastic pipes has brought about severe environmental pollution and posed risks to human health, thereby giving rise to an urgent need for the development of environmentally friendly alternatives. Herein, a tough, eco-friendly, and biodegradable cellulose pipe (BCP) is reported. The preparation involved dissolving and casting cellulose into membranes, followed by bonding, and shaping the membranes through sodium alginate to create cellulose pipes. Owing to its highly ordered molecular structure and low-density characteristics, the as-prepared BCP exhibited a specific modulus of 24.65 MPa cm³ g⁻¹, which surpassed that of commercial plastic-based pipes, such as ABS, PA, and PE. Furthermore, the BCP demonstrated high deformation adaptability, effectively maintaining water flow performance in complex environments and thus enhancing agricultural productivity. Notably, the BCP can be completely degraded within 49 days, meeting the requirements for practical use. This excellent biodegradability makes the pipe fabricated from natural plant-based materials an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic pipes.

Graphical abstract