FOILS

F-CLEAN® Greenhouse foil is a thin ETFE foil, specially developed for horticultural greenhouses, which allows more light to pass through than glass, PE film, polycarbonate and PMMA sheets. This foil has been used for more than 30 years.

By allowing maximum UV light transmission (up to 94%), F-CLEAN ensures anearlier harvest and better quality.

Low surface energy gives the F-CLEAN foil non-stick and self-cleaning properties, so that greenhouses stay naturally clean in rain or snow. Snow slides off automatically, saving on labor costs.

Condensation can never fall on plants, because F-CLEAN has excellent anti-drip properties.

Characteristics

• Light transmittance up to 94%
• Translucent to ultraviolet light
• Anti-drip and self-cleaning properties
• Very high reflection and refraction percentages
• Extremely high tensile strength
• Low degradation from sunlight and heat (more than 30 years without any degradation)

Applications

• Covering material for horticultural greenhouses
• Diffuse versions limit light intensity for sensitive crops
• Double layering of coated materials promotes heat retention, reducing heating costs
• The series of ultraviolet blocks controls the amount of ultraviolet light

Benefits of F-CLEAN

• More light

F-CLEAN® is 94% slightly transparent. This is 4-5% more than normal glass for greenhouses or PE foils. As a general rule, 1% more light means 1% more ‘gain’ in yield.

• dirt resistance

An important advantage of F-CLEAN is that it is dirt-repellent. Due to the low surface tension of the foil, a rain or snow shower is sufficient to clean the greenhouse. If snow falls on the greenhouse, it simply slides off, so that there is always optimal light inside. F-CLEAN does not require cleaning at all during its lifetime, which means significant savings in labor costs.

• Fire resistant

F-CLEAN is a self-extinguishing material that is B-1 certified (DIN 4202 part 1). ETFE, the base material from which F-CLEAN is made, is rated UL 94-0 by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

• Improved crop quality

In contrast to glass, F-CLEAN transmits ultraviolet light, which has a positive effect on the quality of fruit and plants. Fruits ripen faster and get a better color. Flowers acquire a more intense color. The presence of UV light in F-CLEAN ensures that plants and fruit are less susceptible to diseases.

• UV block (optional)

For specific applications where the amount of ultraviolet light needs to be controlled, there is a version of F-CLEAN available with a UV block called F-CLEAN GR Series.

• Anti-drip features

When using F-CLEAN, condensation droplets, which reflect sunlight, are reduced to an absolute minimum.

• Higher light transmittance than glass

F-CLEAN is made of the fluoropolymer, ETFE. ETFE foil is more suitable than glass, PE greenhouse film and other material used to cover greenhouses. F-CLEAN transmits more light than PE film, polycarbonate, PMMA sheet and glass. The light transmittance of F-CLEAN is 93-94%. This high light transmittance means higher and healthier yields, faster growth and ultimately more profit from the yields.

• Diffuse light

F-CLEAN is available in both clear and diffuse versions. Although plants love sunlight, they can also get too much direct light. The diffuse version of F-CLEAN is ideal for areas where the crops are at risk of being burned by intensive light.

• Low light reflection

F-CLEAN has such a low reflection and refraction speed that even little incident light enters the greenhouse. In addition to direct light, F-CLEAN’s diffuse light transmission is very high. Even on cloudy days, the light reaches the crops. Throughout the year, light enters the greenhouse from early in the morning until late in the evening, making optimal use of the available natural daylight.

• Heat retention (double layer F-CLEAN)

Heating costs are significantly reduced if two layers of the covering material are used. However, the amount of light