Superabsorbent polymer for water management in forestry

Miguel Casquilho; Abel Rodrigues; Fátima Rosa

doi:10.4236/as.2013.45B011

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Agricultural Sciences > Vol.4 No.5B, May 2013

Superabsorbent polymer for water management in forestry ()

Miguel Casquilho, Abel Rodrigues, Fátima Rosa

Department of Chemical Engineering, Center for Chemical Processes, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Unidade de Produtos Florestais (Forest Products Unit), INIAV, Ministry of Agriculture, Oeiras, Portugal.

DOI: 10.4236/as.2013.45B011 PDF HTML 5,725 Downloads 7,527 Views Citations

Abstract

The effectiveness of a superabsorbent polymer of sodium polyacrylate was studied, with emphasis on water management, i.e., absorption, retention and desorption in the soil. The polymer was applied in plots with a sandy soil near Grandola (southern Portugal). Characterization of the most relevant physical and chemical properties of the polymer was made, namely, its specific gravity, particle diameter, capacity of water absorption and desorption. In the plots with and without the polymer, soil moisture was continuously monitored, and grassland biomass samples were collected and weighed. The results reflected the effective role of the polymer both in the improvement of the water regime in the soil and in the substantial increment of grassland productivity.

Keywords

Absorption; Desorption; Sodium Polyacrylate; Superabsorbent Polymer; SAP

Share and Cite:

Casquilho, M. , Rodrigues, A. and Rosa, F. (2013) Superabsorbent polymer for water management in forestry. Agricultural Sciences, 4, 57-60. doi: 10.4236/as.2013.45B011.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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