Przemysl Chemiczny, Vol.81, No.9, 593-595, 2002
Mopol - a coating agent for urea granules
In laboratory (industrial)-scale experiments, an aq. 70% urea(I)-formaldehyde(II) resin adhesive solution (Silekol W-1), 100 g (9060 kg), was condensed with 80 g (7250 kg) aq. 37% (36.3%) 11 and 10 g (900 kg) di(ethylene glycol) for 2 h, pH 7, at 100-105degreesC, and the mixture cooled to 40degreesC, adjusted to pH 9 +/- 1 (8.5 with 8 kg aq. 40% NaOH) and filtered (40-mum gauze and 17-mm filter pack) yielded a transparent liquid I-II resin (viscosity 56 (62) mPa.s, pH 9.5 (8.1), suspended matter (1 g resin/200 g in 24 h dissolved in 800 mL H2O) 10 (< 1) mg/L, weak-bonded 4.5% (4.1%), trade-marked Mopol, to coat I (total N = 46.0%, biuret = 1.2%., H2O = 0.3%) 1-3.15 mm granules. In 1 week, weak-bonded II fell to 4%. To make Mopol low-II and transparent, the Sliekol/I aq.37%/II ratio should exceed 10:7(w/w). Drum-coating of 1 ton I (40&DEG;C) with 3.2 kg Mopol released 0.2-0.4 mg II/m(3). The Mopol-coated I met Polish Standards for fertilizer-grade I and Neste Resins' and Dyno's requirements for chemical process-grade I. A novel method is used to determine weak-bonded II in Mopol by titrating Na2SO3 (released by Na2CO3 from formaldehyde Na sulfoxylate) with I-2 and starch as indicator.