Application → Agriculture
Agriculture

Controlled-release coatings that biodegrade in soil

The controlled release fertilizer needs,
without leaving microplastics in the soil.

The problem

Every coated fertilizer granule leaves microplastics in the soil.

To meter nutrients across a season, controlled-release fertilizers wrap each granule in a polymer shell that doesn't break down. Season after season it builds up in farmland as microplastics — and regulators in the EU, Korea and Japan are now moving to restrict it. The function is essential; the persistent plastic isn't.

The solution

As tough as a petroleum coating — and it biodegrades

Biodegradable coatings have been tried before, but none held up like the petroleum coatings they were meant to replace — they crack, and lose control of release. Engineered at the polymer level, REO-CRF001 matches that toughness and controls release just as well — then biodegrades completely in soil.

How REO-CRF001 works During the season, nutrients diffuse out of the coated granule at a steady rate through an intact PHA coating while water diffuses in. After release, soil microbes fully biodegrade the spent coating into carbon dioxide, water and biomass, leaving no microplastics. DURING THE SEASON AFTER RELEASE PHA coating water nutrients over one season CO₂ + H₂O + biomass Controlled diffusion steady release · coating intact Soil biodegradation digested fully · no microplastics
01Barrier without brittlenessA nutrient barrier tight enough to control release, in a coating tough enough not to crack.
02No early burstReleases steadily over the crop's window, not all at once.
03Clean, then goneSoil microbes fully digest the coating after use — no persistent plastic, no microplastics.
The data

Measured performance

Moisture barrier — WVTR

Water-vapor transmission through the coating — lower is better (~25 μm film, 38 °C / 90% RH).
REO-CRF001 (PHA)
PBS
PBAT
5–10× lower than PBS or PBAT coatings — nutrients stay put far longer.
Coated fertilizer granules in tubes; the two at right are REO-CRF001 in cream, the others are other coating materials.
REO-CRF001 (right, cream) and other coatings
Close-up of REO-CRF001 coated fertilizer granules — uniform cream beads.
REO-CRF001 coated granules

Release behavior — 30 days

Cumulative nutrient release vs another biodegradable coating.
REO-CRF001 Other biodegradable coating 30-day target
REO controlled release reaches ~75% at day 29; another biodegradable coating reaches full release by day 6.
Controlled release held across 30 days for rice — the other coating fully releases within 6 days.
The grade
REO-CRF001 PHA coating SOILMARINE

A PHA coating for controlled-release fertilizer, tunable from 30 to 90 days to match the crop. It biodegrades completely in soil once its job is done.

Proven through scale-up — in pilot production for rice, with a Korean fertilizer partner.
Soil and marine biodegradation — certification in progress.
↓ TDS on request

Interested in REO-CRF001?

Samples and technical data on request.

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