# US 10,865,159 B2 · Methods of manufacture for coated granular fertilizers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,159 B2 - Document ID: US10865159B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/776,260 - Filed: 2016-11-11 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-16 - Assignees: Sabic Global Technologies B.V. - Applicants: SABIC Global Technologies B.V. - Inventors: Ganesh Kannan; Christina Posada; James Haigh; Sabeshan Kanagalingam; Travis Harper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865159B2 ## CPC - C05G 5/37: {layered or coated with a polymer} - C05C 9/005: {Post-treatment} - C05G 3/00: Mixtures of one or more fertilisers with additives not having a specially fertilising activity - C05G 3/20: for preventing the fertilisers being reduced to powder; Anti-dusting additives - C05G 3/40: for affecting fertiliser dosage or release rate; for affecting solubility - C05G 3/80: Soil conditioners - C05G 5/12: Granules or flakes - C05G 5/38: {layered or coated with wax or resins} - 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 - C05C: NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS ## Abstract A process of manufacturing a coated fertilizer comprising: providing at least partially coated fertilizer granules having an at least partial coating comprising a polymer and a wax; and conditioning the at least partially coated fertilizer granules at a temperature of 40 to 130° C. for a time of 1 minute to 4 hours, to form a coating comprising interpenetrating domains comprising polymer domains and wax domains. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of manufacturing a coated fertilizer comprising: pre-treating a fertilizer granule with conditions effective to improve surface adherence properties to a coating by heating the fertilizer granule to a temperature greater than or equal to 90° C. for a time period of greater than or equal to 1 hour, to obtain a pre-treated fertilizer granule; at least partially coating the pre-treated fertilizer granule to obtain an at least partially coated fertilizer granule, wherein the coating comprises a polymer and a wax; and conditioning the at least partially coated fertilizer granule at a temperature of 40 to 130° C. for a time of 1 minute to 4 hours, to form a conditioned coating comprising interpenetrating domains comprising polymer domains and wax domains. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least partially coating the pre-treated fertilizer granule comprises: at least partially dissolving a first polymer and a first wax in a first solvent to form a first solution; at least partially dissolving a second polymer and a second wax in a second solvent to form a second solution, wherein the concentration of wax in the first solution is different from the concentration of wax in the second solution; and contacting the first solution and the second solution with a plurality of fertilizer granules. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the first wax and the second wax are the same, the first polymer and the second polymer are the same and the first solvent and second solvent are the same. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least partially coating the pre-treated fertilizer granule comprises: at least partially dissolving a first polymer and a first wax in a first solvent to form a first solution; at least partially dissolving a second polymer and a second wax in a second solvent to form a second solution, wherein the first polymer is different from the second polymer, the first solvent is different from the second solvent, or the first wax is different from the second wax; and contacting the first solution and the second solution with a plurality of fertilizer granules. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, further comprising evaporating the first solvent and second solvent from the fertilizer granules after contacting them with the first solution and second solution at a temperature less than the conditioning temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the first solution, the second solution, or both further comprise an additional polymer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the conditioning temperature is 70 to 100% of the melting temperature of the first wax, second wax or both. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising using a rotating drum to contact the coating on the fertilizer granule. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the fertilizer granules comprise urea. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer domains comprise a biopolymer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein the biopolymer is a polysaccharide, a polyester, lignin or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the wax domains comprise a C5-C35 wax. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the first solution and the second solution comprise the same polymers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the polymers are in the same concentration. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the first wax and the second wax are the same wax. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the first solvent and the second solvent are the same. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, comprising pre-treating for a time period of greater than or equal to 5 hours. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the pre-treated fertilizer granule comprises a smoothed surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the pre-treated fertilizer granule has a percent nitrogen release after 7 days of less than or equal to 70%.