Enhanced fertilizer products with polymer adjuvants
AssigneeSpecialty Fertilizer Products, LLC
InventorJohn Larry Sanders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved fertilizer mineral compositions are provided by coating a mineral, such as gypsum, a member of the Kieserite Group, potassium magnesium sulfate, elemental sulfur, and mixtures thereof, with low pH maleic-itaconic copolymers. The preferred copolymers are aqueous dispersions of acid or partial salt maleic-itaconic copolymers, and are applied by spraying or other means onto the surface of the mineral and allowed to dry. The copolymer coatings increase the solubility of sulfate and calcium or magnesium ions from the fertilizer minerals, allowing accelerated plant availability and uptake of such nutrients.
Claims22
A fertilizer composition comprising respective quantities of a fertilizer mineral selected from the group consisting of gypsum, one or more members of the Kieserite Group, potassium magnesium sulfate, elemental sulfur, and mixtures thereof, and a copolymer in contact with said fertilizer mineral, said copolymer selected from the group consisting of acid or salt copolymers containing individual quantities of maleic and itaconic moieties, said copolymer being the dried residue of an aqueous copolymer dispersion having a pH of from about 0.1-2.
A method of fertilizing soil comprising the step of applying a fertilizer composition to soil, said composition comprising respective quantities of a fertilizer mineral selected from the group consisting of gypsum, one or more members of the Kieserite Group, potassium magnesium sulfate, elemental sulfur, and mixtures thereof, and a copolymer in contact with said fertilizer mineral, said copolymer selected from the group consisting of acid or salt copolymers containing individual quantities of maleic and itaconic moieties, said copolymer being the dried residue of an aqueous copolymer dispersion having a pH of from about 0.1-2.
A method of preparing a fertilizer composition including the steps of providing a quantity of a fertilizer mineral selected from the group consisting of gypsum, one or more members of the Kieserite Group, potassium magnesium sulfate, elemental sulfur, and mixtures thereof, and at least partially coating said fertilizer mineral with a copolymer selected from the group consisting of acid or salt copolymers containing individual quantities of maleic and itaconic moieties, said copolymer being in aqueous dispersion and having a pH of from about 0.1-2, and allowing said dispersion to substantially dry so that the dried residue of the dispersion is in contact with said fertilizer mineral.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.