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US-20260125599-A1 - ECO-FRIENDLY SOIL CONDITIONER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

US20260125599A1US 20260125599 A1US20260125599 A1US 20260125599A1US-20260125599-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an eco-friendly soil conditioner and a method for manufacturing same and, more specifically, to: an eco-friendly soil conditioner which increases moisture retention ability in soil and, at the same time, enables soil aggregation, pH control, nutrient supply, incorporation of microorganisms, and the like, thereby being capable of creating optimal vegetation conditions and also increasing bio-carbon content through biodegradation, thus being able to reduce global warming; and a method for manufacturing same.

Inventors

  • Dooho Kim
  • Gyujong Jeon
  • Gyungdon Kang
  • Younghyun Mo

Assignees

  • LOTTE FINE CHEMICAL CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251107
Priority Date
20230510

Claims (12)

  1. 1 . An eco-friendly soil conditioner, comprising: a thermoplastic resin containing 65 wt % to 80 wt % of hydroxyethyl cellulose and 20 wt % to 35 wt % of glycerin.
  2. 2 . The eco-friendly soil conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising: 5 to 60 parts by weight of a porous inorganic material based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin; or 5 to 40 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin.
  3. 3 . The eco-friendly soil conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the porous inorganic material is at least one selected from the group consisting of perlite, vermiculite, bentonite, and zeolite.
  4. 4 . The eco-friendly soil conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the crosslinking agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, polyethylene glycol, and hexanediol.
  5. 5 . The eco-friendly soil conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyethyl cellulose has a viscosity of 10 cps to 250,000 cps, as measured at a temperature of 20° C. using a Brookfield viscometer for an aqueous solution in which 2 wt % of hydroxyethyl cellulose is dissolved in water.
  6. 6 . A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly soil conditioner, the method comprising the steps of: (a) adding 20 wt % to 35 wt % of glycerin to 65 wt % to 80 wt % of hydroxyethyl cellulose to obtain a mixture; (b) subjecting the obtained mixture to kneading for plasticization to obtain a thermoplastic resin; and (c) subjecting the obtained thermoplastic resin to granulation.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: further adding a porous inorganic material and/or a crosslinking agent to step (a) or step (c), wherein the porous inorganic material is added in an amount of 5 to 60 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the mixture of step (a) or 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin of step (c), and the crosslinking agent is added in an amount of 5 to 40 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the mixture of step (a) or 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin of step (c).
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the porous inorganic material is at least one selected from the group consisting of perlite, vermiculite, bentonite, and zeolite.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the crosslinking agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, polyethylene glycol, and hexanediol.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydroxyethyl cellulose has a viscosity of 10 cps to 250,000 cps, as measured at a temperature of 20° C. using a Brookfield viscometer for an aqueous solution in which 2 wt % of hydroxyethyl cellulose is dissolved in water.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the kneading in step (b) is performed at a temperature of 50° C. to 90° C. at a speed of equal to or greater than 300 rpm.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the granulation in step (c) is performed by compression-molding the thermoplastic resin into a granular or pellet form.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to a soil More conditioner and a method for manufacturing the same, particularly, the present disclosure relates to an eco-friendly soil conditioner, which is added to natural or artificial soil to enhance the moisture retention ability of soil and, as it biodegrades, increases bio-carbon content, thereby contributing to the mitigation of global warming, and to a method for manufacturing the same. BACKGROUND ART Soil conditioners generally refer to substances used to improve physical, chemical, and/or biological properties of impaired soils. These impaired soils, resulting from both natural factors and human activities, negatively impact plant growth and crop quality and safety. Examples of impaired soils include sandy soil, clay soil, structural obstacle soil, acid soil, saline soil, alkaline soil, contaminated soil, and the like. These types of soils are characterized by lack of vegetation, poor physical structure, limited root growth, low fertility, and nutrient deficiencies (such as imbalance, acidification, salinity, excessive or insufficient soil moisture, and the presence of toxic substances). In particular, sandy soils are predominantly found in arid regions and in areas undergoing desertification. In arid regions, soils are prone to erosion from wind or heavy rainfall, leading to low survival rates of afforested trees. Because of its inherent characteristics, sandy soils struggle to retain water as they are easily washed away with the water that drains through them. As a result, the roots of plants such as trees or grass cannot access sufficient moisture or nutrients, making it challenging to establish forests or grasslands. To retain soil moisture to prevent desertification in such arid regions, attempts have been made to improve soil by adding hygroscopic polymers, such as polyacrylic acid (ASAP; acrylic sodium salt polymer) or polyacrylamide (Patent Document 0001, Patent Document 0002). However, organic matter including fertilizers has limited ability to retain or improve soil moisture. In particular, polyacrylamide is classified as a Group 2 carcinogen and poses health risks, while petroleum-based acrylates are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and therefore should no longer be used in order to prevent environmental pollution. Meanwhile, mineral salts such as magnesium chloride (MgCl2) can help retain moisture in soil. However, in sandy soils in particular, they are readily dissolved by rain, quickly leached from the soil, and flow into rivers and other water bodies where they negatively affect aquatic ecosystems due to increased salinity levels. Additionally, the use of excessive mineral salts can lead to environmental problems such as soil acidification and plant death. Moreover, hygroscopic polymers are slow to decompose in soil, and the polymers and/or their degradation products in soil may act as toxic substances in soil ecosystems, causing environmental pollution issues. Therefore, for the improvement of impaired soils to prevent desertification in arid regions, there is a need for a soil conditioner that does not primarily rely on mineral salts or polymers that cause soil toxicity, but can retain or enhance soil moisture, mitigate leaching of fertilizer components, and improve fertilizer efficiency, thereby increasing plant survival and yield during afforestation, pasture establishment, or agricultural activities in arid environments. DOCUMENTS OF RELATED ART Patent Documents (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-1264829 (publication date: Jan. 23, 2013)(Patent Document 2) Korean Patent No. 10-2479792 (publication date: Apr. 20, 2022) DISCLOSURE Technical Problem Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and an objective of the present disclosure is to provide an eco-friendly soil conditioner, which enhances the moisture retention ability of soil and increases bio-carbon content as it biodegrades, thereby contributing to the mitigation of global warming, and to a method for manufacturing the same. Technical Solution In order to accomplish the above objective, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an eco-friendly soil conditioner, including: a thermoplastic resin containing 65 wt % to 80 wt % of hydroxyethyl cellulose and 20 wt % to 35 wt % of glycerin. In the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the eco-friendly soil conditioner may further include: 5 to 60 parts by weight of a porous inorganic material based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin; or 5 to 40 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin. In the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the porous inorganic material may be at least one selected from the group consisting of perlite, vermiculite, bentonite, and zeolite. In the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the crosslinking