Slow release of fertilizers from surface modified nanoporous materials

随着全球人口的稳步增长，必须集约利用所有可用的农田，最大限度地提高作物产量。碳控制技术(CCT)是Sulvaris前景看好的化肥技术平台之一，它使用廉价和环保的材料来生产可控释放的肥料产品，从而提高作物产量并最大限度地减少废物。Sulvaris在将CCT开发为商品化产品的过程中面临的挑战是了解控释现象背后的机制，以便优化释放特性。在实践中，生物材料首先被水解，形成多孔碳基质，然后在毛孔中浸入维他命植物营养物质，即氮、钾、磷和硫。假设碳基质的物理和化学性质(例如，孔大小、孔隙率、元素组成和润湿性)对营养物质的释放速率有显著影响。为了验证这一假设，需要完全了解这些结构的微观结构对释放速率和阴阳离子交换容量的影响。卡尔加里大学的BISS团队和Sulvaris的合作将提供全面了解控制释放现象所需的特定专业知识和最先进的仪器。BISS集团在纳米碳技术领域处于世界领先地位，开发了一系列具有精心挑选的物理化学性质的碳粉和碳膜。这些模型结构将被用来帮助理解碳纳米结构和养分释放速率之间的关系，以及如何调整生物质以提供类似的特性。在BISS实验室显示良好的初步控制释放性能的样品将在Sulvaris接受长期的现场分析。随着从这一伙伴关系中获得的知识以及在废物管理和与农业相关的增值过程方面的好处，预计Sulvaris将更好地为CCT的商业化做好准备，从而为艾伯塔省和加拿大带来多重经济利益。

With a steadily growing global population, it is imperative that all available farmland is intensively utilized andthat crop yields are maximized. Carbon Control Technology (CCT) is one of Sulvaris' promising fertilizertechnology platforms, employing inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials to generate acontrolled-release fertilizer product that will enhance crop yields and minimize waste-products. The challengefacing Sulvaris in the development of CCT into a marketable product is understanding the mechanisms behindthe controlled-release phenomenon so that release characteristics can be optimized. In practice, biomassmaterials are first hydrolyzed to form a porous carbon matrix and the pores are then impregnated with vitalplant nutrients, i.e., nitrogen, potassium, phosphate and sulfur. It is hypothesized that the physical and chemicalproperties of the carbon matrices (e.g., pore sizes, porosity, elemental compositions and wettability) have asignificant effect on the rate at which nutrients are released. To test this hypothesis, a complete understandingof the effect of the microstructure of these structures on release rates and the anion and cation exchangecapacity is required. A collaboration between the Birss team at U of Calgary and Sulvaris will provide thespecific expertise and the state-of-the-art instrumentation required to fully understand the controlled-releasephenomenon. The Birss group has world leadership in nanocarbon technologies, having developed a range ofcarbon powders and membranes that exhibit carefully selected physical and chemical properties. These modelstructures will be used to aid in understanding the relationship between the carbon nanostructure and the rate ofnutrient release, as well as how biomass can be tailored to give similar properties. Samples that demonstrategood preliminary controlled-release properties in the Birss lab will then undergo long-term in situ analysis atSulvaris. With the knowledge gained from this partnership and the benefits in terms of waste management andvalue-added processes of relevance to agriculture, it is expected that Sulvaris will be better positioned for thecommercialization of CCT, resulting in multiple economic benefits for both Alberta and Canada.