Reduced nutrient release and greenhouse gas emissions of lignin-based coated urea by synergy of carbon black and polysiloxane

Abstract

An advanced hydrophobic lignin-based polyurethane coated urea (HLPCU) was successfully developed by synergy of carbon black (CB) and polysiloxane. In this work, CB and polysiloxane were employed to modify the liquefied lignin-based polyurethane (LLPU) and improve it's the hydrophobicity. The effects of polysiloxane contents and coating rates on the nutrient release of HLPCU were thoroughly investigated. The lignin was degraded into polyol with a low molecular weight. FT-IR, XPS and EDX results confirmed that polysiloxane was grafted to the LLPU. The water contact angle (WCA) of the HLPUs (89.39°–98.68°) gradually increased as the polysiloxane content rose (5 %–15 %). However, when the polysiloxane content further increased to 20 %, the WCA of the HLPUs rapidly declined (90.82°). A proper amount of polysiloxane molecules could increase thermo-physical properties of LLPU. The almost no pores were observed on the section micrograph of the HLPCU obtained by synergy of CB and polysiloxane. Synergy between CB and polysiloxane could significantly improve hydrophobicity and then enhance N release longevity of HLPCU (polysiloxane content of 15 %, coating rates of 7 %) up to 44 days. Compared to traditional urea, HLPCU could improve total N use efficiency the cabbage. The HLPCU and HLPCU85 treatments (15 % weight loss with fertilization) reduced the greenhouse effect of N2O, CO2 and CH4 and finally reduced GWP, especially for HLPCU85 treatment. This work will supply an advanced approach and process technology for progress of HLPCU and sustainable agriculture.