Fertilizer pellets with micronized sulphur
OwnerSatish Iyer, Eric Pedersen +2inventors
InventorsSatish Iyer, Eric Pedersen, Richard Knoll, Babasola Ajiboye
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Abstract
Fertilizer pellets may be formed by compressing or compacting a primary fertilizer powder mixed with micronized sulphur.
Claims19
A pellet formed by compression or compaction comprising a water-soluble NPK fertilizer particles having an average diameter less than about 1 mm, and micronized sulphur particles having an average diameter less than about 10 microns and a concentration from about 10% to about 30% on a dry weight basis of the pellet.
A fertilizer pellet comprising a water-soluble NPK fertilizer particles having an average diameter less than about 1 mm and micronized sulphur particles having an average diameter less than about 10 microns and a concentration from about 10% to about 30% on a dry weight basis, the pellet formed by compression or compaction, having a crush strength greater than about 10 lbs and a dispersibility of more than 25% through a 12 mesh US Standard screen within 300 seconds of submersion in water, achieved without the addition a binder, wetting agent, dispersant or disintegrant.
A method of producing a compacted fertilizer pellet, comprising the steps of producing a water-soluble NPK fertilizer powder having an average particle size between about 100 microns to about 300 microns, adding micronized sulphur having an average particle size less than about 10 microns in a quantity between about 1% to about 30% dry weight to produce a mixture, blending the mixture and compacting the mixture into cohered pellets, using a pressure greater than about 5 Ksi, resulting in pellets having a crush strength greater than about 20 pounds per pellet (9.0 kg).
A method of forming a fertilizer pellet, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a fertilizer powder comprising an NPK fertilizer and having an average particle size of less than about 1 mm, and adding micronized sulphur particles in a quantity of between about 10% to about 30% dry weight, and at least one micronutrient, to the fertilizer powder to form a mixture of the fertilizer powder and the micronized sulphur particles;
- (b) adjusting the moisture content of the mixture to between about 5% to about 25% water (w/w);
- (c) forming pellets from the mixture using a compression pelletizing method;
- and
- (d) screening undersize and oversize material after the pellet forming step to a recycle stream, wherein the recycle stream comprises less than a 100% recycle ratio on a dry weight basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.