Preparation and properties of water-retention and fertilizer-retention from montmorillonite/acrylic resin

Water-retention and fertilizer-retention (WRFR) was prepared by solution polymerization, and the properties of WRFR were studied. The optimum preparation conditions were as follows: cross-linking agent, montmorillonite and initiator were 0.05%, 15% and 0.45% as the monomer by weight, respectively; the reaction temperature was 75 °C, and the neutralization degree was 90%. The distilled water absorption rate of the prepared WRFR was 796 g/g. The water evaporation quantity of the prepared WRFR in 24 h at ambient temperature was less than 9%, and this value was increased to 99.72% the prepared WRFR was treated by water bath at 60 °C for 10 h. The water-retention rate was 57.4% while the prepared WRFR was centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 min, and the adsorption rate of 10.0 g/L urea solution was 500 g/g. After dynamically washed by 50 mL distilled water, the residual urea of the fertilizer was 31.78%, which prepared by using 0.1 g WRFR to adsorb 20% urea solution.