ASSESSMENT OF THE DEGREE OF HYDROGEL MOISTURE LOSS, DEPENDING ON THE MICROCLIMATIC PARAMETERS WHEN USING IT

Poor optimization of humidity levels, leading to mold, rotting and weight loss of the stored material, is often typical for grain storage facilities. The use of a hydrogel with moisture-absorbing properties will help to avoid this. Studies to identify the degree of moisture release by hydrogel, depending on the microclimate parameters and the level of illumination in the room, were conducted, determining the efficiency of using hydrogel to improve the storage conditions of agricultural materials. Moisture-saturated hydrogel was placed in 4 different storage zones: A - a dark room without access to outside air and sunlight, illumination ≈ 0 lux, temperature -7.9 °C; B - a dark room, air speed ≈ 0 m / s, illumination ≈ 0 lux, temperature 15-18 ° C; C – a room with combined lighting, illumination of 300…700 lx during daylight hours and 0…10 lx at night, air velocity of ˂ 0.05 m/s, temperature of 15- 22°C; D – a room with natural lighting, illumination of 70…34000 lx (in the area of direct sunlight) during daylight hours and 0…10 lx at night, air velocity of ˂ 0.05 m/s, temperature of 15-22°C. When stored at sub-zero temperatures (zone A), moisture-saturated hydrogel retains the absorbed liquid and practically does not release it over time, moisture loss was 3.7%. In zone B, moisture loss was 60.7%, and in zones C and D, 79.8 and 81.8%, respectively. It was found that light exposure leads to a change in the color range of the hydrogel and the formation of a lumpy structure. It was found that when using hydrogel in storage facilities, it is necessary to pay attention to the microclimatic parameters of the premises and light availability in order to achieve maximum efficiency of the hydrogel composition: for moisture release or moisture absorption of excess moisture.