The stabilization of micronized sulfur colloidal suspensions

Sulvaris是一家加拿大公司，致力于开发特殊配方的肥料技术，在作物需要的时候为它们提供所需的营养，同时最大限度地减少农业浪费。微粒化硫磺技术(MSTTM)是Sulvaris最有前途的技术平台之一，在使用季节，微粒化的元素硫颗粒会慢慢氧化成植物有效硫酸盐。在液体MSTTM产品中，硫磺颗粒悬浮在溶液中，并使用液体施肥设备进行施用。这项技术面临的挑战之一是在储存过程中保持稳定的悬浮液。需要大量的专业知识和仪器来了解颗粒与悬浮介质之间的独特相互作用，以防止颗粒沉降。由Steven Bryant博士运营的最先进的材料工程设施提供最高素质的人员和最新技术，以了解颗粒如何与其环境相互作用。Bryant博士拥有一系列令人印象深刻的仪器，包括电感耦合等离子体质谱仪、Zeta电位和粒度分析仪、扫描和隧道电子显微镜、粘度计和热重分析仪。Sulvaris和Bryant博士之间的紧密合作将使人们更好地了解硫磺颗粒与表面活性剂、流变性改进剂和盐的不同组合之间的相互作用。有了这一认识，就可以开发出一种配方，从而提高颗粒的稳定性，使农民可以随时将产品应用到他们的作物上，而不必重新悬浮硫磺颗粒。最终，Liquid MSTTM的开发和商业化将为加拿大和农业带来经济利益。

Sulvaris is a Canadian company dedicated to the development of fertilizer technologies specially formulated tosupply crops with the nutrients they need, when they need them, while minimizing agricultural waste.Micronized Sulfur Technology (MSTTM) is one of Sulvaris' most promising technology platforms, wheremicronized elemental sulfur particles slowly oxidize into plant available sulphate in the season of application.In the Liquid MSTTM product, sulphur particles are suspended in solution and applied using liquid fertilizerapplication equipment. One of the challenges faced with this technology is maintaining a stable suspensionduring storage. A significant amount of specialized expertise and instrumentation is required to understand theunique interactions between the particles and the suspension media required to prevent particle settling.The state-of-the-art materials engineering facility run by Dr. Steven Bryant provides the highest qualitypersonnel and the newest technologies for understanding how particles interact with their environments. Dr.Bryant has access to an impressive collection of instrumentation including an inductively coupled plasma massspectrometer, a zeta-potential and particle size analyzer, scanning and tunneling electron microscopes,viscometers, and a thermogravimetric analyzer. A strong collaboration between Sulvaris and Dr. Bryant willgive rise to a greater knowledge of the interactions that take place between the sulfur particles and differentcombinations of surfactants, rheology modifiers and salts. With this understanding, a formulation can bedeveloped whereby particle stability is enhanced such that farmers can readily apply the product to their cropswithout having to re-suspend the sulphur particles. Ultimately the development and commercialization ofLiquid MSTTM will be an economic benefit to Canada and the agricultural industry.