About this Abstract |
Meeting |
MS&T22: Materials Science & Technology
|
Symposium
|
14th Symposium on Green and Sustainable Technologies for Materials Manufacturing and Processing
|
Presentation Title |
Capture of Plant Nutrients by Ceramics for Subsequent Use as a Slow Release Fertilizer |
Author(s) |
Allen Apblett, Russel Rahman, Ciara Kelley, Patrick Kitzel |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Allen Apblett |
Abstract Scope |
Nutrient pollution is a costly problem with widespread negative health and ecological effects. Similarly, build-up of nutrients in aquaria water leads to algal growth and toxicity to aquatic organisms and fish. An ideal solution to these problems is capturing such nutrients in a form that is amenable to application as a fertilizer, thus turning a pollutant into a valuable resource. We have developed magnesium aluminum oxide and magnesium iron oxides from calcining a layered double hydroxide that are good adsorbents for both phosphate and nitrate. The material possesses excellent capacity for sorption of the highly difficult to capture nitrate ions due to a molecular imprinting process. These materials can capture plant nutrients from municipal wastewater and aquaria and can then be utilizes as time release fertilizer. The possibility of using this low-cost material as a soil additive to prevent fertilizer runoff will also be discussed. |