Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
In this study, nanofertilizer effectiveness of urea/APTMS-modified zeolite as a slow release fertilizer nitrogen from urea was evaluated. The natural zeolite is activated by 1% of HF with a temperature of 120°C and a zeolite surface has been modified with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) 5%. Zeolite was activated with APTMS-modified zeolite characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), surface area analyzer (SAA) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Modification of activated zeolite with APTMS result in decrease in pore size as well as crystalinity. While the aminopropyl group was well defined with FTIR spectra, pore size measurenment using SAA obtained APTMS-modified pore size was 7.74 nm; while a maximum adsorption capacity of urea was 3.668 mg/g. Slow release urea of APTMS-modified zeolite was evaluated and observed by the increasing of urea absorbance at a wavelength of 190 nm in aqueous media. The experiment result showed that urea without zeolite was released up to 100% limit at 10 min observations, while the urea impregnated with APTMS-modified zeolite in 1 M NaCl media was released up to 100% at 120 min observation times. Meanwhile, the APTMS-modified zeolite in aqueous media was released only about 56.24% at 120 min. The result conclude that the APTMS-modified zeolite is capable of retarding the release of urea and potential to be developed as a control release of nitrogen from urea.
Key words: Zeolite, modified aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS), urea, slow release fertilizer.
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