Adsorption Properties of Diatomite Minerals on Glyceryl Monostearate for Antifogging of the Plastic Film

Abstract

Adding an appropriate amount and the stable precipitation of surfactant on the inner surface of agricultural plastic greenhouse films can prevent the formation of water droplets on the inner surface of the film to reduce its harmful effects in the process of plant cultivation and production. In this work, for the stable precipitation of the surfactant glycerol monostearate, diatomite minerals from three origins in China were compared through structural analysis and adsorption performance. The effects of acid treatments and alkali treatments on the mineral structure were studied, and the adsorption mechanism of glycerol monostearate was further investigated. The results show that the structural characteristics of Jilin diatomite are more suitable as adsorbents for glyceryl monostearate adsorption. Because diatomite is resistant to acids but not alkalis, when diatomite is treated with an alkali, impurities on its surface can be removed and the hydroxyl group and specific surface area can be greatly increased. The adsorption capacity of glycerol stearate was increased to 218.4 mg/g, or 32.08%, over its pretreatment level. The results show that this is mainly the result of physical adsorption caused by van der Waals force imbalance and chemisorption caused by a small number of hydrogen bonds. In addition, the dripping performance of this composite dripping film with mineral diatomite was better than that of the commercial dripping film, which provided a theoretical basis for efficient mineral slow-release drip irrigation composite film.