The world is experiencing an unprecedented economic growth and increase in human population, thereby requiring more sustainable utilization of natural resources.  Novel materials and processes that can provide sustainable nutrient source or improve major mineral fertilizer utilization are of key importance.  Our work is in designing urea molecular and ionic cocrystals utilizing various waste streams and combining them into enhanced efficiency fertilizers.  In particular, we utilize diverse set of recycled sulfur feedstock, including gypsum and refinery sulfur, to obtain urea – inorganic acid or their salt adducts for improved nitrogen release fertilizers.  We show that NH<sub>3</sub> emissions are decreased when urea is combined into molecular crystals with inorganic compounds.  We further design new urea ionic cocrystals with other major nutrients, such as potassium, and micronutrients, such as zinc, to obtain solid state high nitrogen content fertilizers with improved response properties towards urease activity.  The corresponding solid product spectral properties, formation kinetics as well as phase diagrams are explored using XRD, Raman spectroscopy and solubility measurements.<br/>

Improved nitrogen management of urea fertilizers via novel molecular crystal design

256th National Meeting (2018)

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