Abstract
Starch-based hydrogels have attracted increasingly attention for application in controlled release fertilizers. However, there is currently a lack of knowledge on ways to characterize this system. In this work, we employed a hot-compression vulcanizer to in-situ synthesize monolithic urea-embedded grafted starch hydrogels with a slab geometry, which facilitates the subsequent measurement of gel strength and urea release kinetics. The results revealed that the greater the gel strength induced by a decreased urea load, an increased graft content, and an increased cross-linking density of starch-based hydrogels, the less the initial burst release of embedded urea. The unavoidable burst release could be ascribed to the heterogeneous network structure of starch-based hydrogels. The network of the hydrogels also afforded an zero-order, or at least time-independent, release kinetics of urea at intermediate stable stage, regardless of their microstructural parameters. Our results could provide a guideline to the design of hydrogel-based fertilizer delivery systems.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
