Superabsorbent hydrogels based on polysaccharides for application in agriculture as soil conditioner and nutrient carrier: A review

Slow release coating remedy for nitrogen loss from conventional urea: a review.

Environmentally friendly fertilizers: A review of materials used and their effects on the environment.

Preparation and characterization of slow-release fertilizer encapsulated by starch-based superabsorbent polymer

PLGA microspheres are widely studied for controlled release drug delivery applications, and many models have been proposed to describe PLGA degradation and erosion and drug release from the bulk polymer. Autocatalysis is known to have a complex role in the dynamics of PLGA erosion and drug transport and can lead to size-dependent heterogeneities in otherwise uniformly bulk-eroding polymer microspheres. The aim of this review is to highlight mechanistic, mathematical models for drug release from PLGA microspheres that specifically address interactions between phenomena generally attributed to autocatalytic hydrolysis and mass transfer limitation effects. Predictions of drug release profiles by mechanistic models are useful for understanding mechanisms and designing drug release particles.

Mathematical modeling of drug delivery from autocatalytically degradable PLGA microspheres — A review

Droplet spreading behaviour over a porous surface is a complex phenomenon, and is a basic component of many industrial processes, for example the spray coating process. The coating process has wide applications and this includes coating of urea fertilizer to produce slow release urea. The quality of coating film in such applications is affected by many factors, one of them being droplet spreading on the substrate. Droplet spreading behaviour is affected by process parameters such as viscosity, density, surface tension, impact velocity, porosity, etc. Droplet spreading on a porous surface involves penetration into the porous surface and spreading on the surface. Previously, the effect of individual process parameters has been studied. The current work aims at finding the interactive effect of process parameters on droplet spreading behaviour by using response surface methodology. The combined effect of liquid viscosity, impact velocity, and surface porosity has been studied on contact angle, spreading factor, and residual drop volume. The results show that minimum contact angle can be achieved with maximum impact velocity, minimum porosity, and minimal liquid viscosity. Similar behaviour was observed with droplet residual volume. Maximum spreading factor was attained at minimum viscosity and porosity while impact velocity was at maximum level. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Effect of process parameters on droplet spreading behaviour over porous surface

Microfluidic technology offers high interfacial area particularly in the multiphase reaction such as transesterification process to produce biodiesel. Methanol-to-oil molar ratio is one of the important parameters to enhance the biodiesel production. However, very few in literature are focusing on the hydrodynamic effect that is caused by the molar ratio accurately. In this study, stable and highly consistent droplet-slug flow inside a microchannel was generated using a T-junction to investigate the impact of hydrodynamic factor on the reaction. High molar ratio creates high interfacial area and number of droplets, hence resulting in the highest conversion of oil. This finding has revealed that it is possible to obtain 98% oil conversion at room temperature and relatively short reaction time of 80 s. It demonstrates that microchannel reactor has high potential for intensified process in the production of biodiesel.

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Quantitative analysis of hydrodynamic effect on transesterification process in T-junction microchannel reactor system

Modelling of urea aggregation efficiency via particle tracking velocimetry in fluidized bed granulation

Tumbling fluidized-bed process parameters affecting quality of biopolymer coating on surface of pristine urea particles

Pristine urea is lost due to ammonia volatilization and leaching causing toxic emissions and eutrophication. Controlled-release urea is employed as an abatement strategy. Most of the synthetic polymers used to produce controlled-release urea are non-biodegradable and expensive. To offset this problem, modified-starch biopolymer is used as coating material to produce controlled-release urea in fluidized bed. The effect of different process variables is studied on release characteristics and coating uniformity of coated urea. The product has better release characteristics. The statistical analysis reveals that fluidizing gas temperature and coating time are the most influential variables. The nutrient release time increases with increase in coating time and decreases with increase in fluidizing gas temperature beyond a certain limit. Coating uniformity, significant thickness and film integrity are required for promising release characteristics. Urea release followed non-Fickian diffusion and Case-II transport. This study can help produce green fertilizer at bigger scale.

/pdf/effect-of-fluidized-bed-process-variables-on-controlled-4tju0uts7x.pdf

KuZilati KuShaari

Papers

Effect of process parameters on droplet spreading behaviour over porous surface

Quantitative analysis of hydrodynamic effect on transesterification process in T-junction microchannel reactor system

Modelling of urea aggregation efficiency via particle tracking velocimetry in fluidized bed granulation

Tumbling fluidized-bed process parameters affecting quality of biopolymer coating on surface of pristine urea particles

Effect of fluidized-bed process variables on controlled-release of nitrogen and coating