# US 10,865,158 B2 · Granular fertilizers comprising macronutrients and micronutrients, and processes for manufacture thereof

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- Number: US 10,865,158 B2
- Document ID: US10865158B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/903,300
- Filed: 2018-02-23
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-23
- Assignees: Compass Minerals América do Sul Indústria e Comércio S.A.
- Applicants: Produquímica Indústria e Comércio S.A.
- Inventors: André Cotrim; Ricardo Oliveira; Michel Castellani; Ithamar Prada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865158B2

## CPC

- C05B 17/02: containing manganese
- C05B 1/02: Superphosphates
- C05B 1/04: Double-superphosphate; Triple-superphosphate; Other fertilisers based essentially on monocalcium phosphate
- C05B 7/00: Fertilisers based essentially on alkali or ammonium orthophosphates (C05B11/00 takes precedence)
- C05B 19/00: Granulation or pelletisation of phosphatic fertilisers, other than slag (granulating apparatus B01J2/00; granulating slag C04B)
- C05C 7/00: Fertilisers containing calcium or other cyanamides
- C05D 1/00: Fertilisers containing potassium (C05D7/00 takes precedence)
- C05D 5/00: Fertilisers containing magnesium (C05D7/00 takes precedence)
- C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers
- C05D 9/02: containing trace elements
- C05G 5/12: Granules or flakes
- C05G 5/30: Layered or coated, e.g. dust-preventing coatings
- C05G 5/37: {layered or coated with a polymer}
- C05B: PHOSPHATIC FERTILISERS
- C05C: NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS
- 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

## Abstract

Novel granular fertilizers and methods of making those fertilizers are provided. The method utilized involves recycling streams, including one that provides water having dissolved solids therein, with that water being used during the mixing and granulation process. This method results in a low-moisture, hard, substantially spherical granule, which can include any number of macronutrients and/or micronutrients. Advantageously, the granular fertilizer can be applied to the soil around plants to supply those plants with the necessary nutrients.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of preparing fertilizer granules, said method comprising:
spraying water comprising dissolved solids on a mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients, said fertilizer ingredients comprising:
(i) 28% to 60% (w/w) magnesium oxide;
(ii) 20% to 42% (w/w) elemental sulfur; and
(iii) 6% to 18% (w/w) high swelling clay; and
granulating said mixture during and/or after said spraying so as to form fertilizer granules.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said mixture is in a granulator plate during said spraying.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising drying said fertilizer granules.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising sizing said fertilizer granules.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said fertilizer ingredients further comprise a member selected from the group consisting of boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to said spraying, said mixture is prepared by mixing one or more reagents with said fertilizer ingredients to form a pre-granulated mixture, said reagents being selected from the group consisting of the water comprising dissolved solids, acids, acidic solution, agglomeration agents; granulation aids;
hardening agents; wetting agents; adhesive agents, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, further comprising:
transferring the pre-granulated mixture to a granulator plate prior to said granulating;
recovering the fertilizer granules from the granulator plate;
drying the fertilizer granules; and
sizing the fertilizer granules.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are ground prior to said spraying.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are ground such that: about 100% passes through 18 Tyler Mesh; at least about 70% passes through 60 Tyler Mesh; and at least about 40% passes through 100 Tyler Mesh.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the fertilizer ingredients prior to said spraying is below about 10%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the reagent is an acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the acid is phosphoric acid added at about 5% or less w/w of the fertilizer granules.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the reagent is a granulation aid selected from the group consisting of sugar, starch, modified starch, kaolin, lignosulfonates, molasses, bentonites, gypsum, limestone, silica, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the granulator plate is at an inclination angle of between about 50° and about 75° relative to horizontal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein during granulation, the granulator plate rotates at a speed of between about 10 and about 15 rpm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the granulator plate comprises at least two scrapers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein one scraper is a fixed scraper arranged to clean the edge of the granulator plate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein one scraper is a movable scraper arranged to clean the bottom of the granulator plate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, said granulator plate comprising a granulator bed and wherein during said spraying and said recovering, the temperature of the granulator bed is between about 40° C. and 75° C.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein said drying comprises heating the fertilizer granules in a first chamber of a rotary dryer, said first chamber having a substantially smooth surface, and then drying the fertilizer granules in at least one additional drying chamber.

### Claim 21 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the fertilizer granules are dried at a temperature of between about 65° C. and about 90° C.

### Claim 22 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, comprising capturing and recycling dust generated during said spraying, transferring, granulating, recovering, drying, and/or sizing.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method according to claim 22, wherein the dust is captured by a cyclone system.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method according to claim 22, wherein the dust is dissolved in water and used for said spraying water comprising dissolved solids.

### Claim 25 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the fertilizer granules are sized such that fertilizer granules having a largest average dimension of between about 2 mm and about 4 mm are retained and fertilizer granules outside that range are recycled.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method according to claim 25, wherein said recycling comprises combining the fertilizer granules smaller than about 2 mm with the mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients to form a second mixture, followed by spraying and granulating of that second mixture.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The method according to claim 25, wherein said recycling comprises combining the fertilizer granules larger than about 4 mm with the mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients to form a second mixture, followed by spraying and granulating of that second mixture.

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer granules have a hardness of at least about 1.5 kg/cm2.

### Claim 29 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein the fertilizer granules have a hardness of at least about 1.5 kg/cm2.

### Claim 30 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein the fertilizer granules have a moisture content of less than about 5% w/w.

### Claim 31 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein said fertilizer ingredients further comprise a member selected from the group consisting of: boron, copper, manganese, zinc, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 32

A method of preparing fertilizer granules, said method comprising:
spraying water comprising dissolved solids on a mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients, said fertilizer ingredients comprising:
(i) 28% to 60% (w/w) magnesium oxide;
(ii) 20% to 42% (w/w) elemental sulfur;
(iii) 6% to 18% (w/w) high swelling clay; and
(iv) 2% to 7% (w/w) binders; and
granulating said mixture during and/or after said spraying so as to form fertilizer granules.

### Claim 33

A method of preparing fertilizer granules, said method comprising:
spraying water comprising dissolved solids on a mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients, said fertilizer ingredients comprising:
(i) a source of zinc at levels sufficient to provide from 7% to 11% (w/w) zinc;
(ii) a source of manganese at levels sufficient to provide from 7% to 11% (w/w) manganese;
(iii) a source of copper at levels sufficient to provide from 2% to 4% (w/w) copper;
(iv) a source of boron at levels sufficient to provide from 2% to 4% (w/w) boron;
(v) 15% to 25% (w/w) hydrated aluminosilicate;
(vi) 2% to 5% (w/w) low water swelling clay; and
(vii) 2 to 5% (w/w) binding agent; and
granulating said mixture during and/or after said spraying so as to form fertilizer granules.

### Claim 34

A method of preparing fertilizer granules, said method comprising:
spraying water comprising dissolved solids on a mixture comprising fertilizer ingredients, said fertilizer ingredients comprising:
(i) 15% to 30% (w/w) zinc sulfate monohydrate;
(ii) 20% to 35% (w/w) manganese sulphate monohydrate;
(iii) 5% to 12% (w/w) copper sulphate monohydrate;
(iv) 10% to 20% (w/w) sodium octaborate;
(v) 15% to 25% (w/w) clinoptilolite;
(vi) 2% to 5% (w/w) calcium lignosulfonate; and
(vii) 2% to 5% (w/w) montmorillonite type clay; and
granulating said mixture during and/or after said spraying so as to form fertilizer granules.