Development of Modified Lignosulfonate Based Encapsulating Agent for Slow Release of Urea

Abstract

The Most Well-Known Fertilizer In The World Is Urea, Which Provides Plants With The Greatest Nitrogen. Although Urea Has Favorable Properties In Terms Of Production Cost, Handling, Storage, And Transport, It Has A Restriction In Terms Of How Much Nitrogen It Can Give. Most Plants Require Urea's Vital Component N Throughout Their Entire Life. The Release Of N From Urea Must Be Managed Since Various Plants Have Varying Life Spans. In Order To Manage The Rate At Which Urea Dissolves In Water And To Enhance The Rate At Which It Degrades In Soil, Urea Was Encapsulated In A Biodegradable Encapsulating Agent That Was Synthesized Through The Acetylation Reaction Of Lignosulfonate (Ls).The Acetylation Reaction Was Carried Out At Various Temperatures Ranging From 60 ??C To 100 ??C, With Different Reaction Durations Of 6 To 24 Hrs Using A Conventional Heating System. The Impact Of Those Independent Variables On The Acetylation Of Lignosulfonate (Ac-Ls) Was Investigated. The Results Of Solubility And Hydrophobicity Tests Of Ac-Ls Exhibits That As Lignosulfonate Acetylated, Its Solubility Decreases In Water, In Contrary, Its Hydrophobicity Increases. Ftir Analysis Confirmed The Effect Of Acetylation Time And Temperature On The Substitution Of O-H Group By C=O Group On The Structure Of Lignosulfonate And The Result Showed As Acetylation Temperature And Time Icreases, The Peak Of O-H Declines While The Peak Of C=O Increases. The Rate Of N Release From U-E-Ac-Ls Was Investigated Using Kjeldhal Method. Additionally, The Effects Of Acetylation Time And Temperature On The Nitrogen Release Rate Was Analyzed. The Outcome Shows That The Nitrogen Release Rate And Acetylation Time And Temperature Were Inversely Related. As A Result, It Is Possible To Regulate The Nitrogen Release Rate Of U-E-Ac-Ls By Simply Adjusting The Acetylation Temperature And Time Of Ac Ls. The Nitrogen Release Rate Was Also Affected By Medium?�?S Temperature, Urea Concentration And Ph. The Formulated U-E-Ac-Ls ( Analyzed At Ph-7) Was Able To Extend Nitrogen Release Rate To 22hrs (99.48%) While The Commercial Urea Released 98.12% Of Its Nitrogen In An Hour. Of The Four Released Kinetic Model Equations Examined, The Korsmeyer-Peppas Equation Exhibits The Best Fit With Correlation Coefficients (R2 > 0.99), And The Release Exponent (N) Values For U-E-Ac-Ls Were Greater Than 0.89, Suggesting A Combination Of Diffusion And Erosion Mechanisms Were Used To Release N.The Results Of The Soil Degradation Test Confirmed That U-E-Ac-Ls Almost Completely Degraded In The Soil, And As The Concentration Of Urea In Formulated U-E-Ac-Ls Rises, The Degradation Rate Increases.