Smart Valve. Polymer Actuator to Moisture Soil Control

MARCELO RICARDO ROMERO; ALEXIS WOLFEL; ALVAREZ IGARZABAL, CECILIA INES

SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 234 p. 53 - 53

0925-4005

he adequate use of water for irrigation in agriculture is a widespread concern. In this study, we developed an autonomous smart system consisting of a new hydrogel into a valve, which regulates the flow of water according to soil moisture. The main objective was to find an alternative to avoid waste of water. Yet, hydrogel development and study of the quantitative relationship between its properties and soil moisture were also important to achieve this aim. The hydrogel was synthesized from tris[(hydroxymethyl) methyl]acrylamide (NAT) copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and crosslinked with N, N´-methylene bis(acrylamide) (BIS). The use of cellulose (2% w/v) avoids hydrogel breakage during swelling-deswelling. The relation between swelling ratio, force of expansion and moisture was evaluated for the novel hydrogel. It was found that as soil moisture increases, the gel swells, while expansion force diminishes. These properties showed linear relationship in the range studied.