Agriculture plays a vital role in food supply, with fertilizers being essential to enhance crop productivity. Mono Potassium Phosphate (MKP) is a fertilizer rich in potassium (K) and phosphorus (P), but its hygroscopic nature poses challenges in application. To address this, granulation technology is applied to improve MKP’s efficiency. This research was conducted at PT Biotek Cipta Kreasi and focused on developing a granular MKP formulation with kaolin to enhance nutrient absorption by plants.
MKP was synthesized by mixing 26.3 g of phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄), 24.2 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH), and 30 g of water. The optimal water volume was determined based on solubility tests, resulting in a clear solution. This MKP solution was gradually mixed with kaolin to form a moist dough, then manually shaped into granules with an average diameter of 5.8 mm. The granules were dried in an oven at 90°C for 2 hours and cooled prior to testing.
The resulting MKP granules exhibited good physical properties, with a uniform white-gray appearance and particle size consistency. SEM–EDX analysis revealed the surface consisted of small particles ranging from 27.645 μm to 196.137 μm. Elemental composition analysis showed the presence of Oxygen (O), Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), with O being the dominant element. The homogeneity and composition indicate that the formulation effectively combined MKP and kaolin, producing granules suitable for efficient and uniform nutrient delivery to crops.
