# US 10,351,482 B1 · Mine waste source for bio-mineral fertilizer to remineralize agricultural soil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,351,482 B1 - Document ID: US10351482B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/582,964 - Filed: 2017-05-01 - Granted: 2019-07-16 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-15 - Assignees: Advanced Materials Processing, LLC - Applicants: Advanced Materials processing, Inc. - Inventors: Leonard Nanis; Dennis Amoroso; James Shumard; Garrett Chavez; Thomas Sharples; Ryan Sigler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10351482B1 ## CPC - C05D 9/02: containing trace elements - C05D 1/04: from minerals or volcanic rocks - C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers - C05F 17/10: Addition or removal of substances other than water or air to or from the material during the treatment (for activating or stimulating the treatment C05F17/20) - C05F 17/50: Treatments combining two or more different biological or biochemical treatments, e.g. anaerobic and aerobic treatment or vermicomposting and aerobic treatment - C05F 17/80: Separation, elimination or disposal of harmful substances during the treatment - Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel - Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin - Y02W 30/40: Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse - C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE - C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Natural biomineral fertilizers for sustainable farming are produced in an environmentally sound manner from mine waste. Finely divided mine waste and process tailings serve as a novel source of rock powder for use as fertilizer. Mine waste and process tailings may be treated with non-toxic chemicals to selectively remove certain unwanted elements such as mercury. Solid and liquid fertilizers are also obtained by digesting mine waste and process tailings in combination with bio-waste plus selected bacteria under anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic digestion also generates methane gas for use as fuel for generating electricity or for process heating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing a soil additive using mine waste for agricultural use, comprising: treating the mine waste to selectively remove one or more elements; and combining the treated mine waste with organic material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said treating the mine waste includes leaching said one or more elements from the mine waste to produce the treated mine waste. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said combining the treated mine waste with organic material includes using anaerobic digestion to produce a solid soil additive and a liquid soil additive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said treating the mine waste includes combining the mine waste with leach liquid in a stirred reactor, and separating the leach liquid from the remaining solid to provide the treated mine waste. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said treating the mine waste includes leaching said one or more elements from the mine waste to produce the treated mine waste using a leachate fluid, and treating the leachate fluid after treating the mine waste to recover the one or more elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including dispersing the combination of the treated mine waste and organic material over an agricultural field. ### Claim 7 A method for producing a soil additive using mine waste for agricultural use, comprising: treating the mine waste to selectively remove one or more elements; and combining the treated mine waste with organic material to provide a combination; and subjecting the combination to anaerobic digestion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, including capturing combustible gas byproducts of the anaerobic digestion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, including separating liquid from solid products of the anaerobic digestion to produce a solid soil additive and a liquid soil additive. ### Claim 10 A method for producing a soil additive using mine waste for agricultural use, comprising: treating the mine waste to selectively remove one or more elements; and combining the treated mine waste with organic material, wherein said mine waste includes mercury byproduct of an amalgamation process, and the one or more elements is mercury. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A soil conditioning composition manufactured according to the method of claim 10. ### Claim 12 A method for producing a soil additive using mine waste for agricultural use, comprising: treating the mine waste to selectively remove one or more elements; and combining the treated mine waste with organic material, wherein said one or more elements includes mercury, and said treating the mine waste includes leaching the mercury from the mine waste using a water solution of sodium thiosulfate and copper sulfate pentahydrate. ### Claim 13 A method for producing a soil additive using mine waste for agricultural use, comprising: combining the mine waste with a leaching agent in a stirred reactor to remove one or more elements from the mine waste, and separating a leachate liquid from the remaining solid to provide treated mine waste; and combining organic material and the treated mine waste to provide a combination, and using anaerobic digestion of the combination to produce a soil additive. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, including capturing combustible gas byproduct of the anaerobic digestion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, including separating liquid from solid products of the anaerobic digestion to produce a solid soil additive and a liquid soil additive. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said mine waste includes mercury byproduct of an amalgamation process, and the one or more elements includes mercury. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said mine waste includes mercury and the leachate liquid comprises a water solution of sodium thiosulfate and copper sulfate pentahydrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, including treating the leachate liquid after treating the mine waste to recover a metal or compound including an element of the one or more elements.