TEMPO DE PENEIRAMENTO NA AVALIAÇÃO DA QUALIDADE FÍSICA DE FERTILIZANTES MINERAIS

Abstract

The physical quality of fertilizers is a decisive factor in consumer perception and agronomic efficiency, with granulometry and dust content being crucial parameters for the industry and the producer. The standard methodology, which employs 10 minutes of sieving for granulometric characterization, is often considered impractical due to the high demand for analyses in laboratories. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of reducing sieving time, investigating its influence on granulometric analysis indices (Size Guide Number, Uniformity Index, and Granulometric Spread Index) and dust content of fifteen raw materials used in fertilizer formulation. Samples were subjected to sieving times of 10, 5, 2, and 1 minute. The results showed that the 5-minute time achieved statistical equivalence with the 10-minute standard for most raw materials and indices, in addition to avoiding the physical degradation observed in friable materials at the standard time. In contrast, the 2 and 1-minute times frequently deviated from the standard, indicating less efficient particle separation. It is concluded that the 5-minute time proved to be a viable alternative for raw material characterization, as it represents an equilibrium point that reduces analysis time by 50% and preserves sample integrity, maintaining result reliability within acceptable limits.