US Huntsman, Pursell make PU-coated fertilizer that cuts run-off

DENVER (ICIS)–Huntsman and Pursell Agri-Tech have developed a fertilizer coated with polyurethanes (PU) that substantially reduces the amount of nitrogen and phosphate that runs off of farmland, a phenomenon that causes fish-killing algae blooms in bays, gulfs and oceans.

The product, called PurActive, is a finalist for the Polyurethane Innovation Award, given by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) during the Polyurethanes Technical Conference.

The coating allows for the controlled release of fertilizer to the plant, said Jan Buberl, vice president, polyurethanes Americas and global propylene oxide/methyl tertiary butyl ether (PO/MTBE). He made his comments in an interview with ICIS.

The rate of the release of the fertilizer can be customised for the crop and the growing conditions, he said. It can be 30 days, 60 days or even 90 days.

As a result, farmers can apply the fertilizer at the right time, the right spot and the right rate, increasing the proportion of the fertilizer that gets to the plant.

In typical fertilizer applications, only a fraction is used by crops. The rest escapes into the environment as run-off.

Rivers carry the fertilizer to the ocean, where it feeds algae, causing massive blooms.

When the algae dies, it decomposes. The decomposition process consumes oxygen in the water, suffocating fish and other sea life.

The scale of oxygen depletion is so large, scientists refer to the areas as dead zones. This year, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico covered 6,334 square miles (16,400 square km).

The PU coating in PurActive can substantially reduce the amount of fertilizer that escapes into the ocean, Buberl said.

Right now, the key use for the fertilizer is in turf and ornamental plants, Buberl said. However, the companies intend to develop the fertilizer for corn.

Although PU coatings for fertilizers already exist, their production requires a lot of time and energy, Buberl said.

This can be a challenge because fertilizers usage is seasonal. Also, fertilizers are a high-volume business.

For the typical application of PurActive, Huntsman and Pursell were able to reduce energy consumption by more than 30%, Buberl said. Time savings were 20-25%.

This is Huntsman’s first entrance into the fertilizer market, Buberl said. Future applications for the PU include hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and seeds.

Developing these kinds of downstream applications is a key part of Huntsman’s PU strategy, Buberl said. That strategy requires Huntsman to work closely with its downstream customers.

“With Pursell we had a good relationship,” he said. “Pursell has the same entrepreneurial spirit.”

The Polyurethanes Technical Conference runs through Thursday.

Interview article by Al Greenwood