Coherent dispersible granules and methods for forming coherent dispersible granules

Coherent dispersible granules, comprising:

• at least one metal oxide domain including metal oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, α-alumina, β-alumina, γ-alumina, ϵ-alumina, bauxite, bauxite residue, alum sludge, alumina trihydrate, alumina monohydrate, boehmite, pseudoboehmite, gibbsite, iron oxide, hematite, maghemite, magnetite, goethite, iron hydroxide, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, copper oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, manganese dioxide, nickel oxide, silicon dioxide, and combinations thereof;
• and
• at least one phosphate domain,
• wherein the at least one metal oxide domain and the at least one phosphate domain are present in the coherent dispersible granules as distinct domains coherently agglomerated together and the coherent dispersible granules have a coherent dispersible granule crush strength of at least 5 lbf, and
• wherein the at least one phosphate domain includes a phosphate selected from the group consisting of:
• superphosphate, present at a metal oxide:phosphate ratio of from 4:1 to 1:4;
• nitrophosphate;
• ammonium phosphate;
• and
• combinations thereof.

A method for forming coherent dispersible granules, comprising:

• forming a phosphate in a reactor vessel;
• introducing metal oxide particles into the presence of the phosphate while the phosphate is being formed;
• co-agglomerating the phosphate and the metal oxide particles in a rotary drum granulator to form coherent dispersible granules;
• and
• drying the coherent dispersible granules,
• wherein the coherent dispersible granules include at least one metal oxide domain and at least one phosphate domain which are present in the coherent dispersible granules as distinct domains and the coherent dispersible granules have a coherent dispersible granule crush strength of at least 5 lbf.