High value organic containing fertilizers and methods of manufacture

• US 9,856,178 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Profile Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Anuvia Plant Nutrients Corporation
• Inventors: Burnham, Jeffrey C., Dahms, Gary L., Jarrett, Barry R., Murphy, Larry S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Johann R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Courtney A
• Application Number:
  US15/174,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 504102
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 3/005 Post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 9/02 containing urea-formaldehyde condensates
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 1/005 post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/00 Other inorganic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/00 Other organic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 3/00 Fertilisers from human or animal excrements, e.g. manure
• 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: C05G 3/60 Biocides or preservatives, e.g. disinfectants, pesticides or herbicides; Pest repellants or attractants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

The invention is directed to manufacturing fertilizers having commercial levels of nitrogen reacted with organic substances. The process comprises treatment of organics with acid that acidifies and heats a mix causing the hydrolysis of polymers. The acidified organic mix is injected sequentially with a nitrogen base under conditions that result in a partially neutralized melt. The sterilized and liquefied organic matter is disbursed over recycled material for production of granules in a granulator before final drying. The process is green scalable, and safe for the location of community organics processing facilities in locations without generating a nuisance to local communities. Fertilizers also provide a green, dual nitrogen-release profile when applied to crops releasing a bolus of nitrogen over one to two weeks following application followed by a continued slow or enhanced efficiency release of nitrogen over a growing season.

Claims

1. A method for manufacture of a fertilizer with a predetermined nutrient release profile comprising:

conditioning an amount of an organic material to a predetermined degree of wetness, wherein the type and/or amount of organic material establishes the slow release nutrient profile of the fertilizer;

adding an odor control agent to the conditioned organic material to form a mixture;

transferring the mixture to a first vessel to which is added a concentrated acid creating an exothermic reaction, wherein the amount of acid added creates a predetermined temperature forming a liquid mixture;

agitating the acidified mixture for a first period of time;

transferring the liquid mixture under pressure to a second vessel to which is added an amount of anhydrous ammonium sufficient to further increase the temperature and pressure of the liquid mixture such that the liquid mixture contains ammonium ions and a predetermined amount of nitrogen;

agitating the liquid mixture in the second vessel for a second period of time wherein the ammonium ions non-covalently bind to organic and other chemical compounds of the fertilizer; and

discharging the liquid mixture from the second vessel to form the fertilizer with a predetermined slow release profile, wherein the predetermined slow release profile is a profile of one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, iron, organics and combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient release profile generally matches the growth needs of a particular crop for the one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, iron, organics and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient release profile comprises the rate, amount and/or differential of release of one or more nutrients of the fertilizer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic material comprises one or more of municipal biosolids, heat-dried biosolids, pharmaceutical fermentation wastes, microbial digests of organic products, agricultural waste products, food stuffs and digested food stuffs, food byproducts, animal manures, digested animal manures, organic biosolids, biosolids containing microorganisms, wastewater plant biosolids, extracted liquid organic fractions from municipal solid waste, animal residuals and digested animal residuals, algae harvested from eutrophic surface water sources, iron humates containing fulvic and/or humic acids, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined degree of wetness comprises a percent solids of from 15-30%.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous liquid removed from the organic material is recycled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the odor control agent comprises one or more of calcium ferrate, sodium ferrate, potassium ferrate, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, rozenite, melanterite, ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate, ferrous sulfate monohydrate, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and salts, derivatives and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentrated acid comprises sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid concentrated at 90% or greater.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of acid creates a temperature of 100°

C. or greater.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of time is from 2-20 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vessel has a pressure of 2 atmospheres or greater and a temperature of 120°

C. or greater.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second vessels are at ambient pressure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of ammonium is that amount which creates 5% or greater of nitrogen in the fertilizer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period of time is 5 minutes or greater.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the discharging comprises coating the liquid fertilizer onto recycled fertilizer granules.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the coated recycled fertilizer granules are dried.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic material contains plastic and hair and the method does not require removal of either before processing.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid mixture has a viscosity of 2,000 cP or less.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid mixture has an increased viscosity after addition of anhydrous ammonium.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the fertilizer is dried to a solids content of at least 98 percent.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a hardening agent to the fertilizer selected from the group consisting of ligno-sulfonate, molasses, alum or a combination thereof or wherein no hardening agent is utilized.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding zinc sulfate and/or soluble forms of boron to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding nutrients, peptides, vitamins, polypeptides, amino acids, saccharides, polysaccharides, herbicides and/or pesticides to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding one or more agents that create and/or reduce that electrostatic state of the organic material to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more agents comprise one or more of anionic and cationic chemicals, chelating agents, ionic sequestering agents, metal ions, citric acid, amino acids, glutamic acid, histidine, lysine, glycine, peptides, proteins, sugars, saccharides and polysaccharides, iron, sulfur, phosphorous and nitrogen-binding compounds and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the fertilizer comprises granules.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising selecting granules by size.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein granules selected are between 0.5 and 4 mm.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the granules selected that are of greater than 4 mm are crushed and combined with granules selected that are of less than 0.5 mm and comprise recycled fertilizer granules.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid mixture is sterile.

30. A method for manufacture of a fertilizer with a predetermined nutrient release profile comprising:

conditioning an amount of an organic material to a predetermined degree of wetness, wherein the type and/or amount of organic material establishes the slow release nutrient profile of the fertilizer;

transferring the mixture to a first vessel to which is added a concentrated acid creating an exothermic reaction, wherein the amount of acid added creates a predetermined temperature forming a liquid mixture;

agitating the acidified mixture for a first period of time;

transferring the liquid mixture under pressure to a second vessel to which is added an amount of anhydrous ammonium sufficient to further increase the temperature and pressure of the liquid mixture such that the liquid mixture contains ammonium ions and a predetermined amount of nitrogen;

agitating the liquid mixture in the second vessel for a second period of time wherein the ammonium ions non-covalently bind to organic and other chemical compounds of the fertilizer; and

discharging the liquid mixture from the second vessel to form the fertilizer with a predetermined slow release profile, wherein the predetermined slow release profile is a profile of one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, iron, organics and combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the nutrient release profile generally matches the growth needs of a particular crop for the one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, iron, organics and combinations thereof.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the organic material comprises one or more of municipal biosolids, heat-dried biosolids, pharmaceutical fermentation wastes, microbial digests of organic products, agricultural waste products, food stuffs and digested food stuffs, food byproducts, animal manures, digested animal manures, organic biosolids, biosolids containing microorganisms, wastewater plant biosolids, extracted liquid organic fractions from municipal solid waste, animal residuals and digested animal residuals, algae harvested from eutrophic surface water sources, iron humates containing fulvic and/or humic acids, and combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising adding an odor control agent, wherein the odor control agent comprises one or more of calcium ferrate, sodium ferrate, potassium ferrate, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, rozenite, melanterite, ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate, ferrous sulfate monohydrate, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and salts, derivatives and combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the amount of acid creates a temperature of 100°

C. or greater.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the second vessel has a pressure of 2 atmospheres or greater and a temperature of 120°

C. or greater.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and second vessels are at ambient pressure.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the organic material contains plastic and hair and the method does not require removal of either before processing.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the liquid mixture has a viscosity of 2,000 cP or less after addition of anhydrous ammonium.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein the fertilizer is dried to a solids content of at least 98 percent.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising adding zinc sulfate and/or soluble forms of boron to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

41. The method of claim 30, further comprising adding nutrients, peptides, vitamins, polypeptides, amino acids, saccharides, polysaccharides, herbicides and/or pesticides to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

42. The method of claim 30, further comprising adding one or more agents that create and/or reduce that electrostatic state of the organic material to the organic material, the mixture and/or the liquid mixture.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more agents comprise one or more of anionic and cationic chemicals, chelating agents, ionic sequestering agents, metal ions, citric acid, amino acids, glutamic acid, histidine, lysine, glycine, peptides, proteins, sugars, saccharides and polysaccharides, iron, sulfur, phosphorous and nitrogen-binding compounds and combinations thereof.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein the fertilizer comprises granules.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein granules are selected by size with the sizes being less than 0.5 mm, between 0.5 and 4 mm, and greater than 4 mm.

47. The method of claim 30, wherein the liquid mixture is sterile.