Bioorganically-augmented high value fertilizer

• US 9,328,030 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Profile Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Anuvia Plant Nutrients Corporation
• Inventors: Burnham, Jeffrey C., Carr, James P., Dahms, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LANGEL, WAYNE A
• Application Number:
  US14/548,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20150101374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C05B 17/00 Other phosphatic fertilisers, e.g. soft rock phosphates, bone meal
• 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 11/00 Other nitrogenous fertilisers
• 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 1/00 Fertilisers containing potassium C05D7/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/00 Other organic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/08 Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/00 Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/50 Treatments combining two or more different biological or biochemical treatments, e.g. anaerobic and aerobic treatment or vermicomposting and aerobic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 3/00 Fertilisers from human or animal excrements, e.g. manure
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 3/06 Apparatus for the manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 5/008 Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 7/00 Fertilisers from waste water, sewage sludge, sea slime, ooze or similar masses
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 9/00 Fertilisers from household or town refuse
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 1/00 Mixtures of fertilisers belonging individually to different subclasses of C05
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 3/00 Mixtures of one or more fertilisers with additives not having a specially fertilising activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 : the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 : Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

The invention is directed to processes for treating biosolids that result in high-value, nitrogen-containing, slow-release, organically-augmented inorganic fertilizer that are competitive with less valuable or more costly conventional commercially manufactured fertilizers. The process involves conditioning traditional waste-water biosolids and processing the conditioned biosolids continuously in a high throughput manufacturing facility. The exothermic design and closed loop control of the primary reaction vessel decreases significantly the amount of power necessary to run a manufacturing facility. The process utilizes green technologies to facilitate decreased waste and enhanced air quality standards over traditional processing plants. The fertilizer produced from recovered biosolid waste is safe and meets or exceeds the United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) Class A and Exceptional Quality standards and is not subject to restrictions or regulations.

Claims

1. A method for treatment of organic matter comprising:

forming an acidified paste of dewatered organic matter and one or more first acids;

adding the acidified paste to a pressure vessel such that the pressure vessel maintains a predetermined head space pressure by the injection of steam;

adding one or more second acids and one or more bases to the pressure vessel to combine with the acidified paste forming an exothermic mixture;

subjecting the mixture to a temperature and pressure for a retention time, wherein the moisture content of the mixture is determined by the predetermined head space pressure;

removing the mixture from the pressure vessel; and

drying the mixture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic matter comprise one or more of municipal biosolids, heat-dried biosolids, pharmaceutical fermentation wastes, microbial digests of organic products, food stuffs, food byproducts, animal manures, digested animal manures, organic biosolids, biosolids containing microorganisms, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, the dewatered organic matter is created by subjecting organic matter to filtration, centrifugation, pressure or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first acids comprises sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or both at a concentration of 50% or more, which is added to the dewatered organic matter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second acids comprise phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, or both.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more bases comprises anhydrous or aqueous ammonia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture is maintained at a temperature of 230°

F. or greater.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling unwanted odor by adding an odor control agent to the mixture.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the odor control agent comprises one or more ferrates or one or more oxidizing agents.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more ferrates is selected from the group consisting of a calcium ferrate, a sodium ferrate, a potassium ferrate, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more ferrates is formed from reaction of a solid-state sodium hydroxide with sodium hypochlorite and ferric chloride.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more oxidizing agents is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, potassium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, ozone, oxygen, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein there the retention time is 15 minutes or less.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of acidity, pressure, flow speed, pH, base infusion speed are controlled by closed-loop computer controls to maintain a predetermined reaction temperature.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein organic molecules in the treated and dried organic matter is partially or completely hydrolyzed or denatured, and sterilized.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the organic molecules are selected from the group consisting of one or more of pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics, hormones, hormone-like molecules, biologically active compounds, macromolecules, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, fats, lipids, proteins, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding one or more granulating or hardening agent to the mixture before drying forming dried granules.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more granulating or hardening agents are selected from the group consisting of ferric oxides, alum attapulgite clay, industrial molasses, lignon, ligno sulfonate, urea formaldehyde polymerizer and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising adding one or more coating agents to the dried granules.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing the mixture through a second pressure vessel.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding one or more plant nutrients to the mixture in the pressure vessel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the 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, iron oxide, soluble iron, chelated iron and combinations thereof.

23. A method for treatment of organic matter comprising:

combining dewatered organic matter with an acid to form a mixture;

injecting the mixture and steam into a pressure vessel creating a head space pressure within the vessel;

subjecting the mixture to a predetermined temperature and pressure for a retention time, wherein the moisture content of the mixture is determined by the head space pressure;

removing the mixture from the pressure vessel after the retention time; and

drying the mixture.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising adding nitrogen to the mixture.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the nitrogen added is one or more of urea, ammonium sulfate, diammonium phosphate, or vaporized, anhydrous or aqueous ammonia.

26. A method for the manufacture of fertilizer comprising:

combining dewatered organic matter, an odor control agent and an acid to form a mixture, wherein the dewatered organic matter contain organic molecules comprised of one or more of pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics, hormones, hormone-like molecules or biologically active compounds;

injecting the mixture and steam into a pressure vessel creating a head space pressure within the pressure vessel;

adding aqueous or anhydrous nitrogen to the mixture within the pressure vessel;

removing the mixture from the pressure vessel; and

drying the mixture forming the fertilizer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the odor control agent comprises one or more ferrates or oxidizing agents.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or both at a concentration of 50% or more.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the headspace pressure is from 35 and 80 psig.

30. A method for treatment of food stuffs and/or food by-products comprising:

forming an acidified paste of dewatered food stuffs and/or food by-products and one or more first acids and an odor control agent;

adding the acidified paste to a pressure vessel such that the pressure maintains a predetermined head space by the injection of steam;

adding one or more second acids and aqueous or anhydrous nitrogen to the pressure vessel to combine with the acidified paste forming an exothermic mixture;

subjecting the mixture to a temperature and pressure for a retention time, wherein the moisture content of the mixture is determined by the predetermined head space pressure;

removing the mixture from the pressure vessel; and

drying the mixture.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more first acids and/or the one or more second acids comprises sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or both.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the odor control agent comprises one or more ferrates or oxidizing agents.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the dried mixture is a fertilizer.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising adding one or more granulating or hardening agent to the fertilizer forming dried granules.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising adding one or more coating agents to the dried granules.