Manufacturing of bioorganic-augmented high nitrogen-containing inorganic fertilizer

• US 8,105,413 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generate Lending LLC (Plug Power Inc.), Profile Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Vitag Corporation
• Inventors: Burnham, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorengo, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JENNIFER A
• Application Number:
  US11/359,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 71 9- 63, 210/509, 210/613, 210/631, 210/667, 210/725, 210/752, 210/764, 502/102
• US Class Current: 71/12
• CPC Class Codes: C05B 7/00 Fertilisers based essentially on alkali or ammonium orthophosphates C05B11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 1/00 Ammonium nitrate fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 1/02 Granulation apparatus B01J2/00; Pelletisation; Stabilisation; Colouring
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 3/00 Fertilisers containing other salts of ammonia or ammonia itself, e.g. gas liquor
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 9/00 Fertilisers containing urea or urea compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 3/02 from limestone, calcium carbonate, calcium hydrate, slaked lime, calcium oxide, waste calcium products
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 3/00 Fertilisers from human or animal excrements, e.g. manure
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 7/00 Fertilisers from waste water, sewage sludge, sea slime, ooze or similar masses
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 5/30 Layered or coated, e.g. dust-preventing coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses

Abstract

The invention describes a new method for the production of high nitrogen organically-augmented inorganic fertilizer that incorporates municipal biosolids or organic sludges that can compete with traditional fertilizers such as ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate and urea on the commodity fertilizer marketplace. The method creates a thixotropic paste-like material from the biosolids or organic sludge that is blended with hot or molten ammonium salts, especially a mixture of ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate. The invention can be an add-on to commercial production of ammonium salts or it can stand alone by manufacturing ammonium salts prior to their introduction to the conditioned biosolids. The invention is oriented to be tailored to production facilities for individual municipal waste treatment plants in order to keep manufacturing plants small with a minimization of logistics and liability.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a fertilizer comprising:

mixing and heating an organic sludge with a force sufficient to produce a thixotropic paste in a first mixer;

separately mixing acid with ammonia to produce an acidic mixture;

acidifying the thixotropic paste with the acidic mixture to produce an acidic paste in the first mixer, wherein the acidified thixotropic paste is heated to a temperature exceeding 44°

C. and has a pH of less than 5.5;

blending the acidic paste and a heated inorganic fertilizer melt comprising an ammonium salt, while maintaining a temperature over 85°

C. in a second mixer, wherein the ammonium salt is produced separate from the production of the fertilizer and the melt is maintained at a temperature over 177°

C.;

mixing a pH control agent and a hardening agent with the acidic paste to produce the fertilizer in a third mixer, wherein the fertilizer has a pH of between 5.0 and 7.0; and

regulating the pressure within the mixers;

removing water from the fertilizer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt comprises concentrated sulfuric acid, concentrated phosphoric acid, anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia, or a combination hereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt is obtained from a uncooled reactor manufacturing process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufficient force is provided by kneading action, forward mixing action, back mixing action, double shafted rotating bladed pug mill action, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acidic paste is heated prior to being blended with the melt.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the acidic paste is heated in a mixer, pug mill, or plow blender.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mixer is heated by a heated shaft, heated paddle blades, a heated jacketed sleeve surrounding the mixer, or a combination hereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the thixotropic paste is blended with concentrated phosphoric acid.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein mixing a pH control agent causes the acidic paste to have a pH value less than 6.0.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a pH control agent causes the acidic paste to have a pH value less than 5.5.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the acidic paste is heated to at least 27°

C. prior to blending with the melt.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the acidic paste is heated to at least 35°

C.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the acidic paste is heated to at least 44°

C.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt, prior to blending, has a temperature greater than 100°

C. by reaction with one or a combination of concentrated acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the temperature is greater than 177°

C.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt, after blending, has a temperature greater than 100°

C.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt is blended with the acidic paste in a pug mill.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pug mill is heated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pug mill is heated to a temperature equal to or greater than 85°

C. for between 1 second and 60 seconds.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pug mill is heated to a temperature equal to or greater than 85°

C. for between 10 seconds and 30 seconds.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the pug mill is heated to a temperature equal to or greater than 85°

C. for between 15 seconds and 20 seconds.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein a combined heat imparted to the acidic paste from the melt and the heated pug mill increases atmospheric pressure within a chamber of the pug mill.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the increase in atmospheric pressure within the chamber exceeds 20 pounds per square inch.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the increase in atmospheric pressure within the chamber exceeds 50 pounds per square inch.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the increase in atmospheric pressure within the chamber exceeds 100 pounds per square inch.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the increase in atmospheric pressure within the chamber exceeds 200 pounds per square inch.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein a combined heat imparted to the acidic paste from the melt and the heated pug mill produces steam.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the steam is removed from the pug mill to create a drying effect.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the steam is removed from the pug mill under negative pressure or partial vacuum.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding one or more plant nutrients to the acidic paste.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein one or more plant nutrients are selected from the group consisting of urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, urea ammonium nitrate, liquid urea, potash, and combinations thereof.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more hardening agents are selected from the group consisting of ferric oxides, alum, attapulgite clay, industrial molasses, lignon, and combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding one or more oxidizing agents to the acidic paste to decrease odor.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein one or more oxidizing agents are selected from the group consisting of calcium ferrate, sodium ferrate, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the pH control agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, anhydrous ammonia, cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, fluidized bed ash Class C fly ash and Class F fly ash, multistage burner fly ash, alum, water treatment sludge, wood ash, and combinations thereof.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming dried granules and coating the dried granules.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the dried granules are greater than 90% solids.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the dried granules arm greater than 95% solids.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the dried granules are greater than 98% solids.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the dried granules are separated with a screen into an amount of undersized dried granules, oversized dried granules, and dust.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the undersized dried granules and dust are mixed with an amount of acidic blowdown from an emissions scrubbing apparatus and reintroduced to a pugmill.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the oversized dried granules are crushed in a mill and mixed with an amount of acid blowdown from an emissions scrubbing apparatus and reintroduced to a pugmill.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the dried granules are cooled to less than 43°

C. in a cooling apparatus.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the cooling apparatus is a fluidized bed.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the cooling apparatus is a rotating drum.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein coating the dried granules comprises coating with a chemical material imparting a resistance to abrasion and dust generation.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic sludge is not slurried before being mixed with the ammonium salt.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein no calcium carbonate is used.

49. A method of manufacturing a fertilizer comprising:

dewatering an organic sludge;

mixing and heating the dewatered organic sludge in a pressure vessel with a force sufficient to produce a thixotropic paste, wherein the temperature of the paste is maintained at or above 44°

C.;

acidifying the thixotropic paste with a concentrated acid, wherein the acidified paste has a pH of less than 5.5;

blending the acidic paste and a melt of an ammonium salt in one of three pressure vessels such that a first pressure vessel is filling, while a second pressure vessel is pressurizing and reacting, and while a third pressure vessel is emptying, wherein the three pressure vessels are operating concurrently and the temperature is maintained at 85°

C. or more and the pressure is maintained at 20 psig or more;

mixing a pH control agent and a hardening agent with the blended acidic paste, wherein the pH is between 5.0 and 7.0;

dewatering the blended acidic paste to form the fertilizer;

forming granules of the fertilizer; and

coating the granules with a chemical material to resist abrasion and dust generation.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the dewatering of the organic sludge results in a solids content of 20-25%.