Slow Release Material from Epoxidized Natural Rubber and Rice Husk Composites for Agriculture Applications

This synthesis and characterization of slow release material from epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) and rice husks (RH) composites was conducted. The alkali modification of rice husks was carried using different NaOH concentration. ENR-50 and RH composites were analyzed by FTIR. Furthermore, the release behavior of the composites was invistigated using UV-visible spectroscopy. From the purified ENR-50, it can be characterized the peak epoxide group identified at 875 cm-1 and for the isoprene at 835 cm-1. For RH/urea beads, the CH2 peak of cellulose was obtained at 1457 cm-1. However, the CH2 is overlapped with cellulose at 1741 cm-1 and 1726 cm-1 that resulted for the partial opening of epoxide ring from carbonyl peak for hemi-cellulose and lignin, there are C=C stretching from aromatic group can be obtained at 1512 cm-1 and 1595 cm-1. The release of the composite at 7% NaOH concentration was higher than the composite at 1% NaOH concentration.