The effect of adhesive type and speed pan granulator on the properties of urea slow release fertilizer

Abstract

The application of slow-release fertilizer (SRF) to agriculture provides many benefits. Productivity increases and at the same time, negative impacts decrease. This type of slow-release matrix fertilizer offers an excellent solution for increasing nutrient uptake by plants and restoring agricultural land. The objectives of this research are to study the effect of the type of adhesive and the rotational speed of the granulator on the physical properties of urea slow-release fertilizer (USRF). There are four characteristics used as responses, namely; bulk density, water absorption, granules yield, and durability. The granulation process is carried out using a disc granulator. The study was conducted using one factor at a time method. Research has been carried out by varying the rotation speed of the granulator 5 to 25 with a range of 5 rotations per minute on five adhesives, namely; tapioca flour, glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sago flour, and corn flour. The results showed that the types of adhesives affect the values of bulk density, water absorption, granules yield, and durability. The best type of adhesive is tapioca, however, USRF tapioca adhesive has weakness on water absorbency. Increasing the rotational speed of the granulator causes an increase in the value of bulk density, water absorption, and granules yield while the endurance parameters decrease.