How to identify the quality of sap(super absorbent polymer )for agriculture

Super absorbent polymer (SAP) is functional polymer, it can absorb hundred times of its own weight of water in a short time, and can absorb & release repeatedly. It’s known as mini water tanks in agriculture.Chinafloc-SAP for agriculture use is potassium based, with 2 mesh size available:5-10 & 15-40mesh

Main specification

Characteristics & advantages
*   Potassium based
*   Functional polymer, swells to a gel upon contact with aqueous fluids.
*    Nontoxic, no residue, can absorb and release water repeatedly.
*    Enhance soil's water-absorption, water-holding and nutrient preserving capability.
*    Increase soil coacervate & structure, increase soil's water absorption & soil moisture.
*    Enhance soil water-holding capacity & nutrient preserving capability.
*    Water save up to 50%
*    Increase output & profits obviously.
*    Perfect match of fertilizer & pesticides

Application
 - field crops
 - vegetable & fruits
 - gardening,horticulture
 - golf course
 - tree planting,
 - afforestation 
 - seeds coating
 - desertification control etc.

Application method
1) Dry method: mix SAP with fine soil , throw evenly  into the planting furrow or planting cave, after sowing or planting, watering thoroughly, then covered with soil.
2) Wet method:make SAP to 120-130 times hydrogel ( mix SAP with 120-130 times water), then apply into the planting trench, mix evenly  with ditch soil,then sow the seeds in planting trench, water after casing to guarantee SAP in water stored state.
 

Why choose potassium based SAP (KSAP)?

For agriculture use, please pay much attention to those sodium based SAP for disposal use, which is sodium polyacrylate product and degrade very fastly,as per the chemicals structure.

2)Identify the quality
 

Although both are co-polymers, but it exists potassium and sodium based types, sodium based is much cheaper than potassium based and it can rotten the plant roots and caused soil cake. Potassium based is for agriculture use only, it’s good for plant growth. Also, the cross-linking agent is different during polymerization, the less cross-linked typed with high absorbency rate, but with worse release performance and weak gel strength. Also the raw material purity and ratio & polymerization technology are essential for the product quality.

3)Identify the supplier
 

Fully check manufacturer’s production technology, raw material purity, solid content etc, ask samples to do the compared testing.

4)Do grass seeds germination test
To check SAP product is potassium based or not, the simple way is to do the grass seeds germination test, steps as belows:
1) measure 1g SAP sample, put it into 110g tap water within 10minutes it will be hydrated to water gel.
2) measure 1g grass seeds, put them on the surface of the water gel.
 

3) after 4-7 days, the seeds put on the potassium based SAP gel will be germinated.

do the same with the compared sample.

Sodium based sample ( P1) degrades faster, and no seeds germinated, seeds get rotten.

It's the way that Chinafloc lab to check if SAP is potassium based SAP or not.SAP shall be applied in the soil, can’t be used as soil-less cultivation.
TIPS
●  SAP shall be applied at the root.
●  Don't expose SAP in the air, as the O2 in the air can make the SAP degraded.
●  SAP can't make water, it is effective as drought-resistance agent only in the case of a small amount of water.
●  If in dry method, watering thoroughly. If without watering condition, wet method is suggested.
●  No matter in dry or wet application, SAP must be mixed evenly with ditch subsoil to avoid water excessive concentration.
●  Due to the difference of regional soil, climate and drought conditions, application shall be based on the actual situation.