Synthesis of highly intercalated urea-clay nanocomposite via domestic montmorillonite as eco-friendly slow-release fertilizer |
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Authors: | Mohammad Golbashy Iraj Allahdadi Hossein Nazokdast Morteza Hosseini |
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Institution: | 1. Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Life Science Engineering Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran;2. Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran;3. Department of Polymer Engineering and Color Technology, University of Technology, Tehran Polytechnic, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: | The present study describes the preparation and characterization of montmorillonite-urea nanocomposites (Mt-Ur) using aqueous suspension technique at various stirring times and different ratio of montmorillonite to urea (Mt/Ur) via an impure and domestic montmorillonite (Mt), without the application of any chemical reagents and high-energy-demand process (environmentally friendly). The intercalation of urea into Mt interlayer was clearly demonstrated by a significant expansion of d001 spacing (interlayer space of Mt) from 1.23 to 1.71 nm which has not yet been reported by aqueous suspension technique. Analyses performed by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) also confirmed the effectiveness of this simple process to intercalate the urea into clay lamella. The release pattern demonstrated that the nanocomposite had a slow-release behaviour for urea dissolution. The results also suggested that the Mt type applied in the current study, in a 1:20 Mt/Ur ratio and stirred for 1 h, possessed desirable ecological and economic efficiency in the production of slow-release urea fertilizer due to the application of the impure and domestic clay which is of very low-cost and eco-friendly. Nevertheless, urea was fully intercalated into the interlayer of clay by a simple technique and with a good slow-release behaviour. |
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Keywords: | Intercalation montmorillonite nanocomposite urea |
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