UREA FERTILIZER CONTAINING CENTRAL VOLATILIZATION INHIBITOR PARTICLES TO REDUCE RELEASE OF AMMONIA AND PROCESSES FOR MAKING SAME

• US 20120067094A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pursell Agri-Tech, LLC
• Original Assignee: NFT INDUSTRIES, LLC
• Inventors: Pursell, Taylor, Shirley, Arthur R. Jr., Cochran, Keith D., Miller, Joseph M., Holt, Timothy G., Peeden, Gregory S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,758,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 71/29
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2/003 followed by coating of the granules to prevent the granules sticking together B01J2/30
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2/30 using agents to prevent the granules sticking together; Rendering particulate materials free flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: C05B 1/00 Superphosphates, i.e. fertilisers produced by reacting rock or bone phosphates with sulfuric or phosphoric acid in such amounts and concentrations as to yield solid products directly
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 9/00 Fertilisers containing urea or urea compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 9/005 Post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 3/90 for affecting the nitrification of ammonium compounds or urea in the soil
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 5/30 Layered or coated, e.g. dust-preventing coatings

Abstract

A urea fertilizer having reduced ammonia volatilization upon application to soil including a central particle having an outer surface and comprising ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds containing one or more of boron and iodine, and a coating of urea on the outer surface of the central particle, and further a process of making the fertilizer including the steps of: granulating ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds containing one or more of boron and iodine, with a binder to produce volatilization inhibitor particles; screening the inhibitor particles to a preselected particle size; spraying melted urea onto the surface of the inhibitor particles to produce a coating on the inhibitor particles; granulating the coated inhibitor particles with sprayed melted urea to produce granules of urea coated central volatilization particles; and cooling the granules.

Claims

1. A urea fertilizer having reduced ammonia volatilization upon application to soil comprising:

a central particle having an outer surface and comprising ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds containing one or more of boron and iodine, and

a coating of urea on the outer surface of the central particle.

2. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, further comprising a second outer coating of urea over the first coating of urea resulting in a twice coated central particle.

3. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the compound containing boron is selected from the group consisting of boric acid, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, and anhydrous sodium tetraborate.

4. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the compound containing iodine is selected from the group consisting of potassium iodine, sodium iodine, potassium iodate and sodium iodate.

5. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds are selected from the group consisting of disinfectants, cationic surfactants, weak acids and sulfonamides.

6. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is boric acid, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.

7. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is potassium iodine, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.

8. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the central particle comprises in addition to the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound, one or more of phosphorus and potassium compounds.

9. The urea fertilizer of claim 8, wherein the phosphorous compound is selected from the group consisting of diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, and potassium metaphosphate.

10. The urea fertilizer of claim 8, wherein the potassium compound is selected from the group consisting of potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, monopotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, and potassium metaphosphate.

11. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the central particle comprises in addition to the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound, one or more of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

12. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein the central particle comprises in addition to the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound, one or more human nutrients selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, iodine, copper, magnesium and selenium compounds.

13. The urea fertilizer of claim 1, wherein size of the central particles ranges from 0.9 to 1.5 mm and the urea coated central particle size ranges from 2.50 to 3.60 mm.

14. A process of making a urea fertilizer having reduced ammonia volatilization upon application to soil, comprising the following steps:

granulating ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds containing one or more of boron and iodine, with a binder to produce volatilization inhibitor particles;

screening the inhibitor particles to a preselected particle size;

spraying melted urea onto the surface of the inhibitor particles to produce a coating on the inhibitor particles;

granulating the coated inhibitor particles with sprayed melted urea to produce granules of urea coated central volatilization particles; and

cooling the granules.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is boric acid, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.

16. The process of claim 14, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is potassium iodine, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.

17. The process of claim 14, further including the following steps:

after drying the granules, spraying melted urea on the surface of the granules to produce a second coating on the central volatilization inhibitor particles;

granulating the second coated central volatilization inhibitor particles with sprayed melted urea to produce twice coated urea granules containing central volatilization inhibitor particles; and

cooling the twice coated granules.

18. A method of reducing volatilization of ammonia from urea fertilizer upon application of the fertilizer to soil comprising:

applying a urea fertilizer to soil wherein the fertilizer comprises a central particle having an outer surface and including ammonia volatilization inhibiting compounds containing one or more of boron and iodine, and a coating of urea on the outer surface of the central particle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is boric acid, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the ammonia volatilization inhibiting compound is potassium iodine, present in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by wt.