01483naa a2200229 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400270006010000190008724501040010626000090021052008160021965000140103565000200104965000090106965300150107865300180109370000190111170000220113070000260115277300750117819295152023-02-17       2012    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.1021/jf30012292DOI1 aPEREIRA, E. I.  aUrea-montmorillonite-extruded nanocompositesba novel slow-release material.h[electronic resource]  c2012  aThe present study describes the preparation and characterization of a novel urea slow-release nanocomposite, based on urea intercalation into montmorillonite clay by an extrusion process at room temperature. Nanocomposites with urea contents ranging from 50 to 80 wt % were successfully produced and characterized. Analyses by XRD, DTA, and SEM-EDX con?rmed the e?ectiveness of this simple process to exfoliate the clay lamellae into the urea matrix, forming a product that can be classi?ed as a nanocomposite, due to the exfoliation degree attained. Diametral compression tests showed that the samples were very deformable, and the release rate of active components in water showed that the nanocomposite showed a slow release behavior for urea dissolution, even in low montmorillonite amounts (20% in weight).  aextrusion  amontmorillonite  aurea  aFertilizer  aIntercalation1 aMINUSSI, F. B.1 aCRUZ, C. C. T. da1 aBERNARDI, A. C. de C.  tJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistrygv. 60, p. 5267-5272, 2012.