1. Dr. Gerald McNeely
Beth Green

2. Background Information

3. NOVEL CHARACTERISTICS
SLOW RELEASE SYSTEM
REDUCES POLLUTION
RECYCLES THERMOPLASTICS
COST EFFECTIVE AND HIGH PROFIT POTENTIAL

4. SLOW RELEASE SYSTEM
FERTILIZER SYSTEM CAN BE ENGINEERED
SO THAT A SINGLE APPLICATION CAN
SUPPLY NUTRIENTS FOR LONG PERIODS OF
TIME.
FERTILIZER SYSTEM CAN BE DESIGNED TO
MEET ALMOST ANY FERTILIZER NEED FROM HIGH
CONCENTRATIONS OF N K P TO ANY COMBINATION
OF THESE NUTRIENTS AS WELL AS ALL MINOR
NUTRIENTS.

5. REDUCES POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION WORLD WIDE IS
BECOMING A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND
FERTILIZER RUNOFF IS A MAJOR
CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS PROBLEM.
AN INDICATION OF THE SCOPE OF THIS
PROBLEM CAN BE SEEN THE FACT THAT
8000 SQUARE MILES OF THE GULF OF
MEXICO IS DEAD.
THIS FERTILIZER SYSTEM CAN REDUCE THE
POLLUTION OF MOST BODIES OF WATER
BY ESSENTIALLY ENDING FERTILIZER
RUNOFF.

6. RECYCLES THERMOPLASTICS
THE PROPERTIES OF MOST PRODUCTS
PRODUCED FROM RECYCLED THERMOPLASTICS
ARE USUALLY NOT AS GOOD AS THE
PROPERTIES OF PRODUCTS PRODUCED FROM
VIRGIN THERMOPLASTICS AND APPROXIMATELY
25% OF “RECOVERED” THERMOPLASTICS GO
INTO LANDFILLS.
THERMOPLASTICS USED IN THIS FERTILIZER
SYSTEM SHOULD NEVER END UP IN A
LANDFILL BECAUSE THEY BIODEGRADE INTO
H2O, CO2 AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF
BIOMASS.

7. COST EFFECTIVE
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
A BLEND OF NUTRIENTS AND THERMOPLASTIC
IS FED INTO AN EXTRUDER AND THE
EXTRUDATE IS CUT INTO PELLETS.

8. MANUFACTURING COST OF A POUND OF
90/10 UREA/POLYETHYLENE
UREA $0.450 1
POLYETHYLENE $0.055 2
EXTRUSION $0.025 3
LABOR $ 0.002 4
BUILDING LEASE $ 0.001 5
EXTRUDER DEPRECIATION $ 0.001 6
MISCELLANOUS $ 0.037 7
TOTAL $ 0.0571

9. REFERENCES
1.

10. HIGH PROFIT POTENTIAL
ACCORDING TO MANY TECHNICAL AND NON-
TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 50% TO 70% OF UREA
THAT IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE IS LOST BY
EVAPORATION. IF THIS IS TRUE THEN THE
FARMER MUST APPLY 100 LBS OF UREA IN
ORDER TO GET 30 LBS OF UREA FOR PLANT
UPTAKE.
SINCE THE FARMER CAN USE LESS UREA TO
GET THE SAME CROP YIELD, THIS ALLOWS
THE MANUFACTURER TO INCREASE HIS
PROFIT MARGIN. IN ADDITION TO THE
FARMER AND THE MANUFACTURER, THE
ENVIRONMENT WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM
USAGE OF THIS PRODUCT.

11. WEIGHT LOSS OF UREA PELLETS

12. CONCLUSIONS