Avaliação da disponibilidade de nitrogênio encapsulado em zeólita 4a na fertilização de substrato natural para cultivo de Zea mays

Abstract

Synthetic zeolites presented a series of advantages over the natural ones in several applications. Recent works have shown that zeolites are more efficient than clay regarding to their ability to retain water and to allow ionic exchange of important substances for agriculture use as well as to lodge large amounts of salts which can be useful as nitrogen and other compounds source for vegetables. Due to the technological importance of zeolites, this work aims to synthesize 4A zeolite by means of a new methodology based on fast diagenisis involving a metakaolin. This study also evaluates the quantitative and thermokinetic aspects by means of Ozawa method (thermal stability) of the ammonium nitrate (NH4 + and NO3 -) occluded within the 4A zeolite structure, from which one could simulate a new and low-cost way of cultivation. 4A zeolite was obtained by a new methodology based on the fast diagenisis of kaolin, with the characterization of their precursors and products carried out by X-ray diffraction measurements (refined by Rietveld Method). The thermal treatment necessary for the preparation of occluded zeolite gives rise inevitably to a mixture in which the zeolite remains within its structure saturated with ammonium nitrate. This salt interacts with the several pores of the zeolite in such a way that this property will dominate the salt liberation process, by using different amounts of energy and making it to be controllable and slow, which is the desired behaviour for agriculture purposes. A 4A zeolite has been synthesized in pilot scale and it was used as nitrogen carrier. Thermogravimetric analysis were carried out in order to determinate the relationship between the activation energy and residual mass, in which the energetic parameters have been established for the nitrogen in the NH4NO3 form within the natural substrate during the corn cultivation. The activation energy for 60% w/w of the nitrogen introduced in the 4A zeolite pores resulted in two energy platforms. The geochemical and physical-chemical soil characteristics favoured its use as support for the NH4NO3 occluded zeolite. The production of dry matter in the cultivation with different concentrations of the occluded nitrogen turned out to be more efficient than the traditional fertilizers; allowing one to conclude there is a better performance of nitrogen with a reduction of losses by lixiviation so that its application is feasible as an economic form of cultivation, at low nitrogen concentations.