Síntese de hidrogel a base de glicerol e ácido cítrico enriquecido com farinha de ossos para aplicação na agricultura

Abstract

Hydrogels have high applicability in agriculture, since they are capable of retaining large amounts of water, as they are constituted by structured polymeric networks formed by covalent bonds or physical interactions, having, therefore, high hydrophilicity. This work analyzed hydrogels made from glycerol (because it is a residue from biodiesel production), citric acid (because it is an excellent crosslinking agent, it is non-toxic and easily accessible) and bone meal (because it is a which is already on the market, being widely used in plants because it contains compounds capable of nourishing the plant, such as phosphorus and calcium), which are precursors in obtaining hydrogels. The polycondensation method was used, where 3 hydrogels were synthesized. Subsequently, the hydrogels obtained were submitted to the swelling test followed by 3 cycles to determine the efficiency in water absorption, where it was possible to observe that the hydrogels can be considered as superabsorbent because they absorb 100% of water above their weight. The hydrogels proved to be degradable (in water, pH 7.4 buffer solution and in soil). The chemical structure of these materials was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). physical condition after the addition of bone meal. In addition, a soil water retention test was performed, where it was possible to verify an increase in soil relative humidity with the use of hydrogels. Applying the H-FO hydrogel for soybean cultivation in a greenhouse, it was noticed that it was able to maintain soil moisture and have a high capacity to store water in its structure. The results of the experiments proved that the hydrogel can be an allied technology to save water in the agricultural field and used in periods of water deficit.