FORMULATION OF UREA MICROCAPSULES BY USING POLYSTYRENE:POLYCAPROLACTONE MATRIX AND ITS CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract

Microencapsulation is one of the pharmaceutical technologies that could be implemented in other fields of study. Previous researchers haveformulated fertilizer microcapsules using polystyrene (PS):polycaprolactone (PCL) as matrix. Microcapsules were prepared by a solvent evaporation method using PS:PCL(2:1). Characterization of microcapsules produced including spectroscopicanalysis by Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), particle size distribution, determination of urea content in microcapsules, release test, and kinetics model of active substance release. Results showed that the FT IR analysis confirmed no chemical interaction between urea and PCL during the microencapsulation process. SEM results showed the microcapsules obtainedwere spherical in shape. The particle size distribution of urea microcapsules was in the range of 50-400 $\mu$m. The microencapsulation efficiency and release efficiencywere 86.75 ± 1.56%, and 46.54%, respectively. The urea release kinetics from the microcapsules following the Langenbucher equation. It means the release mechanism was based on diffusion and erosion.