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. 2023 Mar 9;13(12):7867-7876.
doi: 10.1039/d3ra00256j. eCollection 2023 Mar 8.

Synthesis and performance evaluation of slow-release fertilizers produced from inverse vulcanized copolymers obtained from industrial waste

Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman  1   2 , Rashid Shamsuddin  1   2 , Rabia Sabir  3 , Ammara Waheed  3 , Abdul Sami  2 , Hamad Almohamadi  4
Affiliations

Synthesis and performance evaluation of slow-release fertilizers produced from inverse vulcanized copolymers obtained from industrial waste

Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman et al. RSC Adv. .

Abstract

To improve crop nutrient uptake efficacy (NUE) and better manage fertilization, slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) are developed by either coating the urea granules or making a composite. Several materials have already been developed, nevertheless, scalability of those materials is still a challenge due to their inherit drawbacks (such as hydrophilicity, crystallinity, non-biodegradability, etc.). Herein, we utilized a biodegradable, green and sustainable copolymer produced from industrial waste (sulfur-petroleum industry waste and myrcene-citrus industry waste) to coat the urea using a facile coating method to develop novel SRFs and achieve better agronomic and environmental advantages. The copolymer was first synthesized using a facile, solvent-free one-pot method called inverse vulcanization followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis to confirm the successful reaction between myrcene and sulfur subsequently coating the copolymer on urea granule. The morphology and coating thickness of coated fertilizers were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), followed by a nitrogen release test in distilled water and a soil burial test to confirm the biodegradability. The nitrogen release test revealed that the SRF with the maximum coating thickness of 1733 μm releases only 16% of its total nitrogen after 4 days of incubation compared to the pristine urea which releases all its nutrient within 1 day. The soil burial test confirms the biodegradability of the copolymer, as after 50 days of incubation in soil the copolymer loses almost 18.25% of its total weight indicating that the copolymer is degrading.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Overall research flowchart.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. FTIR-ATR spectra of myrcene, copolymer with 50 wt% S (50 S–M) and 60 wt% S (60 S–M).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Cross-section of the coated fertilizers (a) 50 S–M-I, (b) 50 S–M-II, (c) 50 S–M-III and (d) 60 S–M-I.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Thickness of coating for 50 S–M-I.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Thickness of coating for 50 S–M-II.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Thickness of coating for 50 S–M-III.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7. Cumulative nitrogen release of the developed slow-release fertilizers in distilled water.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8. Weight loss of the copolymer in soil over time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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