# US 10,865,154 B2 · Pelletized spent lime and process of making same from wastewater treatment residue

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- Number: US 10,865,154 B2
- Document ID: US10865154B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/280,840
- Filed: 2019-02-20
- Published: 2019-08-22
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-21
- Assignees: Prolime Inc.
- Applicants: Prolime Inc.
- Inventors: Robert V. Rogers; Jason A. Rogers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865154B2

## CPC

- C05D 3/02: from limestone, calcium carbonate, calcium hydrate, slaked lime, calcium oxide, waste calcium products
- A01C 21/00: Methods of fertilising {, sowing or planting}
- B01J 2/14: in rotating dishes or pans
- B01J 2/28: using special binding agents
- C02F 1/5236: {using inorganic agents}
- C02F 2303/18: Removal of treatment agents after treatment
- C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

Water-dispersible pellets are provided that includes spent lime particles present from 80 to 99.5 total weight percent. A binder component is also present from 20 to 0.5 total weight percent. The pellets have a mean pellet domain size. The spent lime particles, and the binder component present in a form such that contact with water causes pellet dispersion into more than 100 pieces. A process of forming spent lime pellets is also provided that include spent lime being dewatered to a free-flowing powder. A binder is then added under conditions to induce agglomeration of the free-flowing powder to the form the pellets. A process of treating a target crop is also provided based on such pellets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A group of water-dispersible pellets, each pellet of the group of pellets comprising:
spent lime particles present from 96 to 99.5 total weight percent and wherein the spent lime particles have a mean particle size based on particle number of between 10 and 175 microns; and
a binder component present from 4 to 0.5 total weight percent, the group of pellets having a mean pellet domain size, the spent lime particles, and the binder component present in a form such that contact with water causes pellet dispersion into more than 100 pieces for each pellet of the group of pellets.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein the spent lime particles are greater than 80 total weight percent of calcium carbonate and hydrates thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein the binder is at least one of: carboxymethylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxy-methylethylcellulose, hydroxyethylpropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethyl-cellulose, methylcellulose; amylose, seagel, starch acetates, starch hydroxyethyl ethers, ionic starches, long-chain alkyl starches, dextrins, amine starches, phosphates starches, dialdehyde starches, corn starch, potato starch; pectin, amylopectin, xylan, glycogen, agar, alginic acid, phycocolloids, chitin, gum arabic, guar gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, locust bean gum, lignin, nitrolignin, calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate, or molasses.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein the binder includes a lignosulfonate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein water causes each pellet of the group of pellets to disperse into between 300 and 10,000 pieces.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein the mean pellet domain size ranges from 0.5 mm to 4 mm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The group of pellets of claim 1 wherein the dispersion occurs in a time period of between 30 seconds and 1 hour.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A process of forming a group of spent lime pellets comprising:
dewatering spent lime present from 96 to 99.5 total weight percent to a free-flowing powder; and
adding a binder component present from 4 to 0.5 total weight percent under conditions to induce agglomeration of the free-flowing powder so as to form the group of pellets of claim 1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein the free-flowing powder has a moisture content of between 0.1 and 5 total weight percent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein said dewatering is by settling.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein said dewatering is by pressing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 further comprising grinding the spent lime to obtain spent lime particles with a mean particle size based on particle number of between 10 and 175 microns.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 further comprising washing the spent lime prior to said dewatering.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein said adding occurs in a pan agglomerator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 further comprising incorporating a soil nutrient into the pellets.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 further comprising grading the spent lime pellets into size-dependent grades.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A process of treating a target crop comprising:
broadcasting pellets of claim 1 onto an area of soil containing the target crop;
exposing the area to an amount of water sufficient to induce pellet dispersion into substituent spent lime particles adapted to percolate into the soil to treat the target crop.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17 wherein the target crop is turf.