Granular fertilizer caking: A research on the performance evaluation of coating agents

Caking formation in fertilizer products during handling and storage is a frequently encountered problem. Caked fertilizers become together as lumps, lose their free- flowing properties, create inefficient applications. Several parameters such relative humidity temperature of the environment, pressure by pile height, physicochemical properties product moisture content, presence fines chemical composition, etc. cause or accelerate caking mechanism. Internal external anticaking have been proved to be effective preventing particles. Liquid wax agents are applied externally coatings on surface. This study focuses performance evaluation commercially available liquid- coated NP 20-20-0 fertilizer, classified three main groups: petroleum-derived, alkyl amine-fatty acid containing mixtures bio- based composition. coating evaluated via small-bag test 4 sets, according results, petroleum derived amine- fatty show similar performance, whereas bio-based products’ moderate. practical approach that will help industry about which type nitrogenous gives brief results effect with various ranges composition process.