Huntsman and Pursell Agri-Tech produce urethane-coated fertilizers that reduce bleed

Huntsman Corporation and Pursell Agri-Tech have developed a polyurethane (PU)-coated fertilizer that dramatically reduces the amount of nitrogen and phosphate escaping from farmland, a phenomenon that causes killing in bays, bays and oceans.
Fish and algae proliferate
.
This coating controls the release of fertilizers to plants
.

The rate of fertilizer release can be tailored to the crop and growing conditions
.
It can be 30 days, 60 days or even 90 days
.
As a result, farmers can apply fertilizer at the right time, at the right place and at the right rate, increasing the percentage of fertilizer that plants take up
.
In a typical fertilizer application, only a portion is absorbed by the crop
.
The rest is lost to the natural environment with surface water
.
Rivers carry fertilizers to the ocean, where they nourish algae, causing algal blooms
.
When the algae dies, it is decomposed
.
The decomposition process consumes oxygen in the water, suffocating fish and other marine life
.
The scale of oxygen depletion is huge, and scientists refer to these areas as dead zones
.
This year, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico covers 6,334 square miles (16,400 square kilometers)
.

The polyurethane coating in PurActive can greatly reduce the amount of fertilizer lost to the ocean
.
Currently, the main use of this fertilizer is lawn and ornamental plants
.
However, the company intends to develop fertilizers for corn
.
Although polyurethane coatings for fertilizers already exist, their production requires a lot of time and effort
.
This is a challenge because fertilizer use is seasonal
.
Also, fertilizers are a high-volume business
.

Huntsman and Pursell can reduce energy consumption by more than 30% and save time by 20-25% through the typical application of PurActive
.

This is Huntsman's first entry into the fertilizer market
.
Future applications for this polyurethane include hydraulic fracturing and seeds
.
Developing such downstream applications is a key part of Huntsman's polyurethane strategy
.
This strategy requires Huntsman to work closely with its downstream customers
.

Huntsman and Pursell won this year's Polyurethane Innovation Award for this product
.
Projects shortlisted for the award include a graphene-containing polyurethane foam developed by Ford Motor Company, and a LOOP helmet made by sports equipment maker Xenith using Elastopan 42320, a plant-based polyol from BASF, for use in American football helmets
.