FORMOLENE: SHORT CHAIN UF
PROVIDES STABLE SOLUTION
By John Dietrich and Robert Doberneck, Specialty Fertilizer Department, Ashland Chemical Co., Columbus, Ohio
Nitrogen f e r t i l i z e r s h a v e b e e n a r o u n d for a long
time. S o l u t i o n f e r t i l i z e r s h a v e b e e n a r o u n d for a
long time. But until r e c e n t l y , these solution fertilizers w e r e r e a l l y s u s p e n s i o n s , not true solutions.
Formalene™ is a true solution, c o n t r o l l e d - r e l e a s e
nitrogen fertilizer m a n u f a c t u r e d by Ashland
Chemical Company.
Formalene™ is c o n t a i n e d in a w a t e r solution of
"short-chain"
urea f o r m a l d e h y d e
compounds,
p r i n c i p a l l y m e t h y l o l - u r e a along with u r e a .
During the m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s for producing
t h e s e and other u r e a - f o r m a l d e h y d e products a
large quantity of u r e a c o n t a i n i n g a high p e r c e n t a g e
of nitrogen is r e a c t e d with a small q u a n t i t y of
f o r m a l d e h y d e at m o d e r a t e l y high t e m p e r a t u r e s in
the p r e s e n c e of catalysts for a p r e c i s e time p e r i o d .
T h i s r e a c t i o n c a u s e s the f o r m a t i o n of a n u m b e r of
u r e a f o r m a l d e h y d e c o m p o u n d s w h i c h , as " s h o r t
c h a i n " methylol ureas, m e t h y l e n e d i u r e a s , and
d i m e t h y l o l ureas, will r e m a i n in w a t e r solution
w h e n kept a l k a l i n e at a r o u n d 9 to 10 pH.
S o m e m a n u f a c t u r e r s e l e c t to c o n t i n u e t h e
p o l y m e r i z a t i o n p r o c e s s converting these s o l u b l e
" s h o r t c h a i n " c o m p o u n d s into " l o n g e r c h a i n " u r e a
formaldehyde water insoluble polymers which are
s u b s e q u e n t l y c h i p p e d or p o w d e r e d and bagged for
distribution to the m a r k e t p l a c e .
Whereas, "short c h a i n " water soluble UF
m a t e r i a l s , methylol u r e a s , a r e s h i p p e d as bulk or
d r u m m e d liquid c o n c e n t r a t e s . T h i s c o n c e n t r a t e
c o n t a i n s only 15 p e r c e n t w a t e r , h a s a nitrogen conc e n t r a t i o n of 30 p e r c e n t , and does not salt out until
the t e m p e r a t u r e drops b e l o w m i n u s 20 d e g r e e s F.
A straight u r e a solution c o n t a i n s 57 p e r c e n t
w a t e r , 43 p e r c e n t u r e a , 20 p e r c e n t nitrogen, and
salts out b e l o w 30 d e g r e e s F. T h i s r e l a t i v e l y high
saltout t e m p e r a t u r e r e q u i r e s storage tanks to b e
h e a t e d or i n s u l a t e d to p r e v e n t s a l t o u t . T h i s
g e n e r a l l y not n e c e s s a r y for Formalene™.
Formolene™ Fertilizer
Comparative Performance Properties
(After Application)
Property
Burn Potential
Initial Response
N-Release Period*
N-Utilization*
(by the plant)
Formolene
Solution
UF Powder
Suspension
Urea
Solution
Low
Moderate
8-12 Weeks
85-95%
None
None-Low
2-3 Years
70-80%
Med-Hi
High
4-8 Weeks
50-85%
'Estimates pending verification in continuing university and
field tests.
Also, u r e a solutions a r e a n e u t r a l pH w h i l e
Formalene™ is kept usually a r o u n d a pH of 9 or 10
for it to r e m a i n as a s t a b l e w a t e r solution.
Formalene™ is both a f o l i a r and root f e e d i n g liquid nitrogen. W h i l e it is p o s s i b l e to b u r n grass
with " s h o r t c h a i n " m e t h y l o l u r e a s , their nitrogen
phytotoxicity potential is s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o w e r than
with urea solutions; and when they are applied at
r a t e s of o n e to two p o u n d s of nitrogen p e r 1,000
s q u a r e feet, b u r n h a s not b e e n a f a c t o r w h e n used
with n o r m a l w a t e r dilutions.
T h e m o d e r a t e initial r e s p o n s e of Formalene™
r e d u c e s the t e n d e n c y for d i s e a s e p r o b l e m s associated with the e x c e s s i v e burst of growth f r e q u e n t l y
e x p e r i e n c e d with u r e a a p p l i c a t i o n s p a r t i c u l a r l y in
the spring. T h e nitrogen r e l e a s e p e r i o d is a r o u n d 812 w e e k s . Also, its a p p e a r s that t h e r e is a h i g h e r
FORMATION OF UF
POLYMERS
Soluble
"Short Chain"
Methylol Ureas
NH 2
o = c
NH—
CH2-OH
NH<I
0 = C
0 = C
NH'
NHr
0 = c
N — CH2 — N — C H 2 — N
Insoluble UF Polymers
"Long Chain"
d e g r e e of nitrogen utilization a c c o r d i n g to our first
c o m m e r c i a l y e a r e x p e r i e n c e . If p r o v e n , this would
p e r m i t a r e d u c t i o n in total a p p l i e d nitrogen to still
get the d e s i r e d results. A r e d u c t i o n from 4 lb. p e r
y e a r p e r 1,000 s q u a r e f e e t to 3 lb. m a y b e p o s s i b l e .
S o m e quantity of Formalene™ must b e stored at
your shop. But, the task of h a n d l i n g m a n y bags of
dry m a t e r i a l is e l i m i n a t e d . A liquid storage f a c i l i t y
is r e q u i r e d .
T h e most important a d v a n t a g e s of a liquid fill
system over a system using dry m a t e r i a l from bags
i n c l u d e : r e d u c e d l a b o r , r e d u c e d mixing and loading time; and i n c r e a s e d a c c u r a c y with liquid
metering.
Formalene™ holds p r o m i s e for fertigation app l i c a t i o n s and as an a d d i t i v e to o r g a n i c m a n u r e
mixtures.
WTT