Urea Blend Stabilization via Cation Complexation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urea-based fertilizer blends face stability issues when combined with urease inhibitors like phosphoric triamide, leading to ammonia volatilization and reduced nitrogen availability for plants, especially when stored with ammonium sulphate or phosphate-containing fertilizers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cation source such as Fe2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, or Ni2+ into the urea-based blend composition, along with an alkaline or alkaline-forming compound, to stabilize the urease inhibitor and reduce ammonia emission during storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If urea is blended with ammonium sulphate or phosphate-containing fertilizers, then nutrient availability is improved, but ammonia volatilization increases and nitrogen availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A cation source acts as an intermediary substance that binds to phosphoric triamide to form a stable complex, preventing direct harmful interaction between the urease inhibitor and ammonium sulphate or phosphate-containing fertilizers. This intermediary complex allows the beneficial nutrients to coexist while blocking the pathway that leads to ammonia volatilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite fertilizer blend comprising multiple components: urea, ammonium sulphate or phosphate-containing fertilizer, phosphoric triamide urease inhibitor, and cation source. This composite material combines substances with conflicting properties into a stable formulation where the cation source moderates interactions, enabling simultaneous delivery of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur nutrients while controlling ammonia emission.
2Reliability
If phosphoric triamide is added to stabilize urea, then urease activity is inhibited, but stability during storage with ammonium sulphate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cation source serves as a protective intermediary that forms a stable complex with phosphoric triamide during storage. This complex prevents the urease inhibitor from degrading or reacting adversely with ammonium sulphate, maintaining both the inhibitor's effectiveness and the overall composition's stability throughout the storage period.
Solution Approach 2:
The addition of cation source changes the chemical environment parameters of the fertilizer blend, creating conditions that favor stability. The cation modifies the ionic strength, pH, and molecular interactions within the blend, transforming an unstable system into a stable one that maintains its properties during storage while still providing urease inhibition when applied.
3Loss of substance
If cation source is added to improve stability, then ammonia loss is reduced, but blend composition complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cation source performs multiple functions simultaneously: it stabilizes the phosphoric triamide during storage, reduces ammonia volatilization when applied, and may contribute additional nutrient value. This multi-functionality justifies the addition of the extra component, as one substance addresses multiple problems rather than requiring separate additives for each function.
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 addition of these cations enhances the stability of the urease inhibitor and significantly reduces ammonia volatilization, maintaining nitrogen availability for plants and improving crop yields.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a cation source such as Fe2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, or Ni2+ into the urea-based blend composition, along with an alkaline or alkaline-forming compound, to stabilize the urease inhibitor
Implementation Method 2
Urea hydrolysis tends to increase the pH of its environment as the ammonia is dissolved into the water in the soil, and part of the ammonia can also be released into the atmosphere, a process called ammonia volatilization
Implementation Method 3
Urea is first hydrolysed in the soil under the action of an enzyme, commonly called urease, to produce ammonia and carbon dioxide
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a solid, particulate, urea-based blend composition comprising a urea-based compound in particulate form, a component comprising an ammonium source in particulate form, a urease inhibitor of the type phosphoric triamide, an alkaline or alkaline- forming inorganic or organic compound that is able to interact with the component comprising an ammonium source in particulate form, selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal carbamates, metal hydroxides, metal acetates and any mixtures thereof, or from the group of organic bases consisting of ammonia, amines, amides, adenines, amidines, guanidines, anilines, carbamates, thiazoles, triazoles, pyridines; imidazoles, benzimidazoles, histidines, phosphazenes, and any mixture thereof, wherein the urea-based blend composition further comprises a cation source, different from the alkaline or alkaline-forming inorganic or organic compound, comprising a cation selected from the group consisting of Fe2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cu+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Ag+, Pt2+, Ru2+, Co3+and Cr3+. The composition according to the present disclosure has been stabilized against the degradation of a urease inhibitor of the type phosphoric triamide, in particular N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) and the emission of ammonia during storage of these urea-based blend compositions has been lowered. The invention further relates to a method for the manufacture of the claimed solid, particulate, urea-based blend composition.