Humic Substance Si-Fertilizer Storage Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional silicon (Si) fertilizers have low bio-available silicon content, requiring large amounts for plant uptake, and are not storage-stable in dry form, making them costly and inefficient for agricultural use.
Innovation Solution
A humic substance-based Si-fertilizer is produced by mixing humic acid-containing raw materials with amorphous silica and an alkali in an alkaline suspension, forming water-soluble monosilicic acid-humate chelates that remain stable during drying and storage, maintaining high bio-available silicon levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If monosilicic acid is used as Si-fertilizer, then bio-available silicon content is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to polymerization into polysilicic acid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses humic substances as an intermediary medium to bind monosilicic acid, preventing its polymerization into polysilicic acid during storage. The humic substances act as a stabilizing agent that maintains silicon in the bio-available monosilicic acid form while providing long-term storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite fertilizer product combining monosilicic acid with humic substances. This composite formulation maintains the bio-available silicon content while the humic substance component provides storage stability, resolving the contradiction between availability and stability.
2Quantity of substance
If alkaline media is used to increase Si solubility, then bio-available silicon content is improved, but plant toxicity increases due to high pH
Solution Approach 1:
Humic substances serve as an intermediary that enables silicon solubility and bio-availability without requiring high pH conditions. The humic substances complex with silicon, allowing it to remain soluble and bio-available at neutral pH levels, thus avoiding plant toxicity while maintaining silicon availability.
3Quantity of substance
If large amounts of conventional Si-fertilizer are used, then sufficient silicon uptake is achieved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite fertilizer combines monosilicic acid with humic substances to create a highly efficient silicon source. This formulation provides high bio-available silicon content in a stable form, allowing for reduced application rates while maintaining sufficient silicon uptake, thereby lowering production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of silicon delivery by using humic substance complexes instead of conventional soluble silicon sources. This parameter change enables higher silicon availability at lower concentrations, reducing the total amount of fertilizer needed and lowering production costs.
4Ease of operation
If dry Si-fertilizer product is produced, then handling and storage ease is improved, but bio-available silicon is transformed to silicon dioxide
Solution Approach 1:
Humic substances act as a protective intermediary during the drying process. They bind to monosilicic acid, preventing transformation into silicon dioxide while allowing water removal. This enables production of a dry, easy-to-handle product that retains bio-available silicon content.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite formulation of monosilicic acid and humic substances creates a dry stable product where the humic substance component prevents silicon dioxide formation during drying. The resulting composite maintains bio-available silicon while providing the handling and storage benefits of a dry product.
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 resulting fertilizer allows for significantly reduced application rates, improved crop yields, and long-term soil benefits, with the bio-available silicon remaining effective even after prolonged storage and drying, enhancing plant growth and reducing heavy metal content.
Implementation Method 1
The bio-available silicon is in the form of water-soluble chelates of monosilicic acid-humate compounds, formed by complexing reactions between the monosilicic acid and the humates
Implementation Method 2
The use of alkaline media can increase the solubility of Si-rich solid materials
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a humic substance based Si-fertilizer product comprising storage-stable,bio-available Si, which is produced by forming a mixture of, 45-95 % by weight of a humic acid-containing raw material, 5-50 % by weight of amorphous silica, and 0.5-10% by weightof an alkali (all amounts based on the total weight of the dry components), incubated in an aqueous medium, and optionally dried and granulated, wherein the bio-available silicon is in the form of water-soluble chelates of monosilicic acid-humate compounds. The invention also relates to a method of producing humic substance based Si-fertilizer, a method for increasing the uptake of silicon in plants and use of the humic substance based Si-fertilizer.