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Development of novel polymeric materials for agroprocess intensification

Lookup NU author(s): Dr David Burke, Professor Galip Akay, Dr Paul BilsborrowORCiD

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Abstract

The potential uses of hydrophilic nanostructured microporous polymers (PolyHIPE polymers) in agriculture were investigated with rye grass as a model plant. The basic material was crosslinked styrene-divinyl benzene polymer with a 90 vol % porosity. They were microwave-sulfonated to obtain hydrophilic polymers with water adsorption capacities of 10-fold and 18-fold with nominal pore sizes of 20 and 150 mu m, respectively. The small-pore-size PolyHIPE polymer was rigid, whereas the large-pore-size polymer was spongy and adsorbed water rapidly. When this spongy polymer was used as a soil additive at 0.5 wt % with increasing water stress (normal, semiarid, and arid conditions), the dry biomass yield increased by about 30, 140, and 300%, respectively, after 21 days of cultivation compared with the control, which contained no sulfonated spongy PolyHIPE polymer. The rigid sulfonated PolyHIPE polymer did not show any statistically significant effect on the biomass yield. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 3292-3299, 2010

Publication metadata

Author(s): Burke DR, Akay G, Bilsborrow PE

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Applied Polymer Science

Year: 2010

Volume: 118

Issue: 6

Pages: 3292-3299

Print publication date: 14/07/2010

ISSN (print): 0021-8995

ISSN (electronic): 1097-4628

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.32640

DOI: 10.1002/app.32640

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