@article{Caccavo2017b,
title = {HPMC-Based Granules for Prolonged Release of Phytostrengtheners in Agriculture},
author = {Diego Caccavo and Sara Cascone and Pietro Apicella and Gaetano Lamberti and Anna Angela Barba},
url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00986445.2017.1362398},
doi = {10.1080/00986445.2017.1362398 },
issn = {0098-6445},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-12-01},
journal = {Chemical Engineering Communications},
volume = {204},
number = {12},
pages = {1333-1340},
abstract = {One of the main aim in agriculture is to guarantee soil wellness, which is a fundamental requirement to produce high quality crops with high yields. Focused on this aim, periodical administrations of nutrients or phytostrengtheners are often necessary. The most relevant disadvantages of these administrations are the high dosage number required and the low availability of the substance within the soil. For these reasons, a crucial goal to increase the economic and environmental sustainability of the cultivation process is to reduce the dosage number, which can be obtained increasing the active substance availability in the soil. A granular HPMC (HydroxyPropyl MethylCellulose) matrix, produced using the wet granulation process, was used to encapsulate a phytostrengthener and to guarantee its controlled release. The granular product was characterized in terms of granules properties and phytostrengtheners leaching within the soil. The results showed good flowability and mechanical properties of the granules as well as the possibility to reduce the product leaching with the phytostrengtheners encapsulation in the HPMC matrices.},
keywords = {Granulation, HPMC},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Caccavo2015,
title = {Hydrogel-based Granular Phytostrengtheners for Prolonged Release: Production and Characterization},
author = { Diego Caccavo and Sara Cascone and Maria Chiara Amoroso and Pietro Apicella and Gaetano Lamberti and Anna Angela Barba},
url = {http://www.aidic.it/cet/15/44/040.pdf},
doi = {10.3303/CET1544040},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
journal = {Chemical Engineering Transaction},
volume = {44},
pages = {235--240},
abstract = {Soil wellness is an indispensable requirement to obtain fruits and vegetables with finest quality and with high yields. To the purpose, periodical administrations of nutrients, as well as phytostrengtheners could be required. Crucial goals to maximize the economic and environmental sustainability of the whole cultivation are the decrease of the dosages number together with the increase of the active substance availability within the soil. With these aims a controlled release phytostrengtheners encapsulated in a granular Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose matrix has been developed exploiting the wet granulation process. The granular product has been analyzed in terms of Particle Size Distribution (PSD), morphology and flowability. The results showed the effectiveness of the granulation process and the good flowability of the granules, highly desirable features for the product handling and commercialization.},
keywords = {Granulation, Hydrogel Characterization, Tecnagri},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}