Encapsulation of nitrogen fertilizers in mixtures with organoclays for controlled release
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Encapsulation of nitrogen fertilizers in mixtures with organoclays for controlled release I. A. Silva1 · D. S. Silva1 · M. U. Sousa1 · R. R. Menezes1 · H. S. Ferreira2 · G. A. Neves1 Received: 30 April 2020 / Accepted: 13 October 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract To increase the effectiveness of fertilizers, new controlled release nitrogen fertilizers have been developed from a mixture of urea and natural smectitic clays and organoclays with different surfactants (ionic and nonionic) encapsulated in an insoluble, biodegradable polymer film. Smectitic clays were classified according to their chemical, physical and mineralogical aspects. Mixtures of urea and natural/organoclays were pressed, and the specimens were dipped into a polymeric solution of polyε-caprolactone and acetone (solvent). The resulting controlled release fertilizers were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and by scanning electron microscopy. The release of urea was evaluated by kinetic dissolution test in aqueous medium as determined by analysis on a UV–visible spectrophotometer. The results have shown that organoclays, especially those with nonionic surfactant coated with a PCL film, favored kinetic and gradual delay in the release of urea. This meets the standards established by the European Committee for Standardization, favoring, therefore, important agro-industrial advances at both national and international levels, securing sustainability in the technological sector.
* I. A. Silva [email protected] D. S. Silva [email protected] M. U. Sousa [email protected] R. R. Menezes [email protected] H. S. Ferreira [email protected] G. A. Neves [email protected] 1
Department of Materials Engineering, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso 882 Bodocongó, Campina Grande, Paraíba 58429‑900, Brazil
Departament of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58059‑900, Brazil
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Graphic abstract
Keywords Smectitic clays · Surfactants · Fertilizers · Controlled release · Encapsulation
Introduction Leaching, decomposition and ammonia volatilization in soil, water and air are the main causes of losses in the fertilizers applied to most crops. In the meantime, the world population is undergoing rapid growth, requiring an ever-growing food production (Wei et al. 2019). An increase in agricultural yields has been sought with the use of chemical fertilization. In China, fertilization is responsible for 56.81% increase in crop yields (Yang and Lin 2019); nevertheless, effective nitrogen use in China is low: 30%−35%, 50%−70% less than global averages (Babadi et al. 2015). Low-efficiency chemical fertilizers increase production costs but they also damage the agro-ecological environment (Xue et al. 2017; Chen et al. 2018) not to mention the fact that they may cause unprecedented damage to human health, t
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