Eco-friendly and
high-performance
solutions for
Agriculture
Applications
Kuraray Poval™
Eco-friendly and
high-performance
solutions
Why polyvinyl
alcohol (PVOH) for
agriculture
applications?
The physical and chemical properties are
Why Kuraray?
what make polyvinyl alcohol very versatile Kuraray is committed to product quality, innova-
and ideal for use in agriculture. It features tion and the ability to provide global solutions to
water-solubility, excellent film forming char- our customers. This means that we produce high-
acteristics, high tensile strength and elas- quality, low VOC and low ash-content PVOH with
ticity, as well as resistance against organic the most narrow and tight product specifications.
solvents and dispersing power and is inher- We create tailor-made, one-of-a-kind products
ently biodegradable in water/soil in aqueous for our customers and are often sought out to be
solution form. partners in innovation. Globally, we are offering
business continuity and security of supply as well
as leverage our local sales, logistics and R&D teams
in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Kuraray is com-
mitted to developing new fields of business using
our pioneering technologies for our PVOH grades
that will improve the environment and enhance the
quality of life for all.
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Application 1
Seed coating
When seeds are coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH),
they are protected by a PVOH film, where the water
solubility and mechanical strength of the film can
be controlled. Polyvinyl alcohol coatings decrease
dusting, improve germination and can be applied in a
variety of ways.
PVOH is used as a binder for seed coating.
Seed coating is the process of applying materials like
agrochemical or fertilizer to the natural seed surface.
This technology is used for improving physical proper- Coated seeds
ties of the seed and the delivery of active ingredients.
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Application 2
Soil improver
Polyvinyl alcohol is used for improving soil structure
and soil fertility. The polyvinyl alcohol can be either
be mixed into the soil or sprayed onto the soil as
a solution.
The goal is to create a crumb structure to the soil,
like this the roots can penetrate the soil more
easily. With a crumb structure some parameters
are improved, creating a good environment for soil
organisms. These include water retention, drainage
and good air permeability.
Bad soil Good soil
(Crumb structure)
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Application 3
Fertilizer/
agrochemical binder
Polyvinyl alcohol is commonly used as a binder in
fertilizer formulations. It can be applied as a solution or
in powder form.
The goal is to accelerate the aggregation of ingredients,
and granulation speed, yields and physical properties
of the granules (for example release control and water
retention properties).
Fertilizer binder
Binder
Ingredient
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Application 4
Spray adjuvant Agrochemicals
Leaf surface
In spray adjuvants, polyvinyl alcohol would be one of
the key ingredients in the recipes. Polyvinyl alcohol
is used for improving rain-fastness which is the
ability of agrochemical deposits to resist wash-off
by wind and rain.
When using PVOH in spray adjuvants , the effective-
ness of the pesticides are significantly improved.
PVOH film forming characteristics help to improve
the coverage and retention of the pesticides.
PVOH and agrochemicals
Leaf surface
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Polyvinyl Alcohol’s Unique Characteristics
in Agriculture
Inherently biodegradable
Good film formation
Water retention & release control
Rain-fastness
Low-dust off properties
Improved germination
Ease of use
Biodegradation
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is recognized as one of the very
few vinyl polymers which are water soluble and inher-
ently biodegradable in water in the presence of micro-
organisms. The biodegradability of PVOH is affected by
its specification or biodegradation condition.
Fig. 1: Bio-degradation test results for Kuraray Poval™ with Fig. 2: Bio-degradation test results for Kuraray Poval™ 3-85
different degree of hydrolysis (ISO 14851) (aqueous solution, ISO 17556)
Kuraray Poval™ 5-98
Cellulose Kuraray Poval™ 3-85
Kuraray Poval™ 5-74 Kuraray Poval™ 5-88
100
100 90
80
80
Bio-degradation (%)
70
Bio-degradation (%)
60
60
50
40
40
30
20 20
10
0 0
0 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 84 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Days Days
Kuraray’s internal biodegradation in water test result fol- Kuraray’s external biodegradation in soil test result following ISO
lowing ISO 14851 is shown in Fig.1. The biodegradation 17556 is shown in Fig 2. After 122 days, biodegradation of Kuraray
rate of PVOH gets close to 100%. There is a certain induc- Poval™ 3-85 has proceeded further and an absolute biodegradation
tion period until the start of bio-degradation is observed of 39.2% was measured.
and it is understood that micro-organisms are gradually From the test results, we can say that Kuraray Poval™ is inherently
growing during this period. biodegradable when dissolved in water.
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Adding value to
your products –
worldwide
Kuraray Poval™, Exceval™, Elvanol™ and Mowiflex™ are the trademarks for polyvinyl alcohols
made by Kuraray. Their key characteristics — outstanding film-forming properties and high bind-
ing strength — add real value to your products. Our polymers are water-soluble, highly reactive,
crosslinkable and foamable. They have high pigment binding capacity, protective colloid charac-
teristics and thickening effects. The physical and chemical properties of Kuraray Poval™ make
it ideal for a wide variety of applications, ranging from adhesives through paper and ceramics
to packaging films. Many of our polymers are food contact-approved and thus suitable for food
applications. Ecologically Kuraray Poval™ is advantageous due to its biodegradability and the fact
that combustion does not generate residues. It is available in various particle sizes from granules
to fine powders.
Kuraray produces its wide range of Kuraray Poval™ grades in Japan, Singapore, Germany and the
USA. Kuraray’s global production and service network make us your partner of choice for innova-
tive high-quality PVOH resins.
Kuraray – Here to Innovate.
Headquarters
Kuraray Co., Ltd. Kuraray Poval™
Tokiwabashi Tower
2-6-4, Otemachi product portfolio
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan 100-0004
Phone: +81 3 67 01 1000 Please contact your local
Kuraray office to discuss the
[email protected]
right Kuraray product for
your needs.
Kuraray America, Inc. Kuraray Asia Pacific Pte., Ltd.
2625 Bay Area Blvd., 250 North Bridge Road
Suite 600 Houston, TX77058 #10-01/02 Raffles City Tower
United States of America Singapore 179101
Phone: +1 800 423 9762 Phone: +65 6337 4123
[email protected] [email protected]
Kuraray Europe GmbH Kuraray China Co., Ltd.
Philipp-Reis-Str. 4 Unit 2207, 2 Grand Gateway
65795 Hattersheim am Main, 3 Hongqiao Road, Xuhui District,
Germany Shanghai 200030, China
Phone: +49 69 305 85 351 Phone: +86 21 6119 8111
[email protected] [email protected]
10_2021
