Polyurethane Chemistry for the Agricultural Applications – Recent Advancement and Future Prospects
Anupam Ghosh, Sayak Roy Chowdhury, Rohan Dutta, Rosebin Babu, Carlos Rumbo, Nandita Dasgupta, Palash Mukherjee, Narayan Chandra Das, Shivendu Ranjan
Abstract
Polyurethane is a polymer that has enormous applications in diverse fields owing to its excellent mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. In this chapter, we explore the use of polyurethane in agricultural applications, specifically in crop production and storage. This chapter begins with a discussion of the chemistry of polyurethane and the classification of polyurethane based on different categories, with a specific emphasis on Bio-based polyurethane and its significance in agriculture. Later, the chapter discusses the potential use of polyurethane in various agricultural applications, such as in the development of coated fertilizers and pesticides, the development of mulch and low tunnel films, greenhouse coverings, and the development of polyurethane coated silos containers for the protection of grains and seeds from contamination while storing. Further, the chapter highlights recent advancements such as functionalization, development of active blends, co-polymerization, surface modification, encapsulation, and entrapped techniques adopted on polyurethane and its importance in agriculture. Behavioral properties are also discussed, such as slow and sustained release, water permeability, and moisture holding capacity of polyurethane-modified agricultural products, together with several factors such as porosity, thickness, soil temperature, and pH of the soil that can influence the properties as mentioned above and their benefits in the agricultural sector. This chapter gives an overview of polyurethane, its properties, chemistry, classification, and recent modifications to develop ideal products suitable for specific applications in the field of agriculture in a sustainable manner.