Droplet-Induced Dissolution of Fertilizer Compounds: Insights for Minimizing Waste

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Interdisciplinary Centers, Units and Projects::Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF)::Fall Research Expo
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Mechanical Engineering
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Fertilizer
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2025-10-19
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Solano, Cristian
Poonacha, Prajwal
Parisi, Greg
McBride, Samantha
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Abstract

Efficient fertilizer use is critical for sustainable agriculture and reducing nutrient runoff into surrounding ecosystems. This study investigates the dissolution behavior of common fertilizer compounds when exposed to water droplets under controlled conditions. Using a goniometer, droplets were deposited onto urea and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) pellets at varying flow rates (5–15 μL/s) and heights (2–6 mm). Sequential images were captured every five seconds, and ImageJ analysis was used to determine changes in crystal area over time. Results showed that urea dissolved fastest at lower drop heights, whereas CAN exhibited the opposite trend, highlighting how dissolution kinetics depend on both compound type and droplet dynamics. Normalized area versus time plots revealed that slower flow rates generally produced slower dissolution for both materials. These findings emphasize the need for compound-specific understanding of fertilizer-water interactions to optimize agricultural practices and mitigate environmental impact.

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2025-09-15
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This project was supported with funding from the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) program.
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