Fertilizer Capsule Core-Shell Structure for Controlled Additive Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fertilizer compositions fail to prevent loss of additives during manufacturing and unwanted interactions between components, leading to soil health deterioration and environmental issues, while separate applications of micronutrients and inhibitors are laborious and prone to misapplication.
Innovation Solution
A fertilizer capsule with cores containing N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBTPT) and dicyandiamide (DCD) as binders, surrounded by a solidified urea melt, which is produced via extrusion and granulation processes, ensuring phased release of active ingredients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional fertilizer compositions are used with separate applications of micronutrients and inhibitors, then application flexibility is maintained, but labor requirements increase and misapplication errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fertilizer components (micronutrients, inhibitors, and conventional fertilizers) into a single integrated capsule structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate applications of different fertilizer types, reducing labor requirements and preventing misapplication errors while maintaining application flexibility through the unified capsule design.
Solution Approach 2:
The fertilizer capsule is designed as a multi-functional unit that simultaneously delivers micronutrients, inhibitors, and conventional fertilizers through a single application. This universal design allows one capsule to perform multiple fertilizer functions, simplifying the application process while ensuring comprehensive nutrient delivery and reducing the complexity of managing multiple separate applications.
2Productivity
If conventional manufacturing processes are used, then production efficiency is maintained, but loss of additives and unwanted interactions between components occur
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct stages: core formation with protected additives, followed by separate coating with conventional fertilizers. This segmentation prevents unwanted interactions between different components during manufacturing while maintaining production efficiency. The core is formed first with additives protected by the binder, then the conventional fertilizer coating is applied separately, ensuring each component remains stable and functional.
Solution Approach 2:
An extrudable binder serves as an intermediary matrix that protects additives during manufacturing and facilitates their controlled release. The binder acts as a mediator between the additives and the external environment, preventing direct contact and unwanted interactions during the manufacturing process while enabling efficient production through the extrusion method.
3Reliability
If inhibitors are applied separately from conventional fertilizers, then specific soil conditions can be addressed, but labor requirements and application errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges inhibitors with conventional fertilizers within a single capsule structure, ensuring they are applied together in the correct proportions. This combination maintains the reliability of soil health protection by ensuring inhibitors are always applied with their corresponding fertilizers, eliminating the risk of misapplication errors that occur when applying them separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The inhibitor-fertilizer combination is pre-formed within the capsule during manufacturing, with the binder protecting the inhibitors until application. This preliminary action ensures the correct ratio and combination of inhibitors and fertilizers is maintained from production through application, simplifying the farmer's task to a single application while ensuring reliable soil health protection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The capsule provides improved soil fertility by controlled release of additives, reducing labor and minimizing environmental impact, while maintaining soil health and preventing nutrient loss.
Implementation Method 1
a) extruding a mixture comprising the inhibitors and an extrudable binder, thereby forming a core
Implementation Method 2
b) contacting the core with a urea melt to form the outer shell comprising solidified urea melt
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
In accordance with the present invention, disclosed herein is a fertilizer capsule comprising one or more cores, wherein each of the one or more cores independently comprises one or more fertilizer additives and a binder, and wherein each of the one or more cores comprises from 10 wt % to 99 wt % of the binder Also in accordance with the present invention, disclosed here is a method of producing a fertilizer core via an extrusion process.