# US 10,766,827 B1 · Pelletized basalt for use as a soil amendment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,827 B1 - Document ID: US10766827B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/829,258 - Filed: 2020-03-25 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-08 - Assignees: Specialty Granules Investments LLC - Applicants: Specialty Granules Investments LLC - Inventors: John Horton; Justin P. Dunlap - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766827B1 ## CPC - C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers - C05G 5/12: Granules or flakes - C09K 17/40: containing mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds - C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE - C05G: MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENT SUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVING A SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES, SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS (organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia, or the like C05F11/08; organic fertilisers containing plant vitamins or hormones C05F11/10); FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A composition including at least about 50 wt % basalt and no more than about 20 wt % binding agent, wherein the composition is in the form of a plurality of particles. The composition can find applications in agriculture, horticulture, and gardening, and can be used, e.g., as soil amendment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A soil amendment composition comprising: at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 50 wt % to 98 wt % based on a total weight of the soil amendment composition; and a binding agent, wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition, wherein the binding agent is humic acid, wherein the soil amendment composition is in the form of a plurality of particles, and wherein the plurality of particles have an average particle size of about 0.25 mm to about 10 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the soil amendment composition comprises basalt. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the soil amendment composition comprises metabasalt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The soil amendment composition of claim 4, wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The soil amendment composition of claim 5, wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 5 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 80 wt % to 98 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The soil amendment composition of claim 7, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 90 wt % to 98 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, further comprising an inorganic compound that includes at least one of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The soil amendment composition of claim 9, wherein the inorganic compound is present at 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, further comprising lime. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the soil amendment composition is substantially free of a microbial component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, where the plurality of particles have an average particle size of about 1 mm to about 4 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The soil amendment composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of particles have an average particle size about 2 mm to about 3 mm. ### Claim 15 A soil amendment composition comprising: at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 50 wt % to 98 wt % based on a total weight of the soil amendment composition; and a binding agent, wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition, wherein the soil amendment composition is in the form of a plurality of particles, wherein the binding agent is a combination of humic acid and lignosulfonate, and wherein a weight ratio of the humic acid and the lignosulfonate is 10:1 to 99:1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The soil amendment composition of claim 15, wherein the soil amendment composition comprises basalt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The soil amendment composition of claim 15, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is selected from the group consisting of (a) tholeiitic basalt, (b) high-alumina basalt, (c) alkali basalt, (d) boninite, (e) ocean island basalt, and (f) lunar basalt. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The soil amendment composition of claim 15, wherein the soil amendment composition comprises metabasalt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The soil amendment composition of claim 15, wherein the plurality of particles have an average particle size of about 0.25 mm to about 10 mm.