GRANULES OF POLYHALITE AND UREA

Abstract

There is provided herein a fertilizer granule comprising Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate.

Claims

1. A fertilizer granule comprising Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate.

2. The granule of claim 1, further comprising potash, magnesite and clay.

3. The granule of claim 2, wherein said Potash is in the form of Muriate of Potash (MOP).

4. The granule of claim 1, wherein said Urea is present in a concentration of 40-50% w/w of the weight of the granule, said Polyhalite is present in the concentration of 15-30% w/w of the weight of the granule and said Ammonium Sulphate is present in a concentration of 5-15% w/w of the weight of the granule.

5. The granule of claim 4, wherein said urea is present in a concentration of 45% w/w of the weight of the granule, said Polyhalite is present in the concentration of 23% w/w of the weight of the granule and said Ammonium Sulphate is present in a concentration of 10% w/w of the weight of the granule, introduced as ammonia and sulfuric acid.

6. The granule of claim 5 wherein the strength of said granule is 3.8 KgF/Granule when measured after production.

7. The granule of claim 6, wherein the particle size distribution of said granule is 2.0-4.75 mm.

8. A process for the production of a fertilizer comprising: mixing a feed of Polyhalite with a feed of urea, magnesite, clay and the sulfuric acid to yield a mixture. Adding Ammonia to the mixture which causes a chemical reaction between the Ammonia and the acidic compound to yield an exothermic reaction with elevated temperatures. This exothermic reaction causes melting of the urea, thereby providing a mixture with melted urea; Granulating the mixture with the melted urea in a drum granulator to yield particle masses; Screening said particle masses in a screener to yield different fractions in three different sizes: Oversized particles which undergo a crushing process and are returned to the granulator as recycle, desired size granular particles which are transferred to coating and fine particle which are transferred back to the mixture.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said exothermic reaction exceeds 130 Degrees Celsius.

10. The granule of claim 1, comprising a core and one or more coating layers.

11. The granule of claim 10, wherein said Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate are contained in said core.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a fertilizer granule comprising Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate.

[0028] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the term “fertilizer” may include any material of natural or synthetic origin that may be applied to soils or to plant tissues to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants, including, for example, Single nutrient (“straight”) fertilizers such as Ammonium nitrate, Urea, calcium ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, e.g., “Single superphosphate” (SSP), phosphogypsum, Triple superphosphate (TSP) or a mixture thereof; Multinutrient fertilizers such as Binary (NP, NK, PK) fertilizers, e.g., monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and/or diammonium phosphate (DAP), NPK fertilizers which are three-component fertilizers providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; fertilizers which include one or more of the main micronutrients sources of iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, zinc, and copper and the like; Compound fertilizers, e.g., which contain N, P, and K; Organic fertilizers such as peat, animal wastes, plant wastes from agriculture, and sewage sludge; and/or Other elements such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.

[0029] According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a fertilizer granule comprising Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate, wherein the Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate are mixed together.

[0030] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the fertilizer granule may comprise a core and one or more coating layers. According to some embodiments, the core may comprise Urea, Polyhalite and Ammonium Sulphate.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the granule may further include potash, magnesite and clay.

[0032] Magnesite allows for the presence of magnesium in the final product, wherein magnesium is beneficial for the growth of the plant.

[0033] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the clay may be present in a concentration of 5-20% w/w, preferably 15% w/w, of the weight of the granule,

[0034] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the magnesite may be present in a concentration of 0.5-3% w/w, preferably 1% w/w, of the weight of the granule.

[0035] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the granule of the present invention may also include a conditioning agent. According to some embodiments, the conditioning agent may be present in a concentration of 1-5% w/w of the weight of the granule.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the Potash may be in the form of Muriate of Potash (MOP). Muriate of potash, also known as potassium chloride contains 60% potash may preferably be used to correct the K.sub.2O.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the urea may be present in a concentration of 40-50% w/w, preferably 45% w/w, from the weight of the granule, the Polyhalite may be present in the concentration of 15-30% w/w, preferably, 23% w/w, from the weight of the granule and the Ammonium Sulphate may be present in a concentration of 5-15% w/w, preferably 10% w/w, from the weight of the granule.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the strength of the granule of the present invention may be 3.8 KgF/Granule when measured after production.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the particle size distribution (PSD) of the granule of the present invention may be 2.0-4.75 mm.

[0040] According to some demonstrative embodiments, there is provided herein a process for the granulation of Polyhalite and urea, wherein the process may include exposing urea Ammonia and an acidic component, e.g., sulphoric acid, thereby causing a chemical reaction forming ammonium slats.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the process may include: [0042] mixing a feed of Polyhalite with a feed of urea, magnesite, clay and sulfuric acid to yield a mixture. [0043] Adding Ammonia to the mixture which causes a chemical reaction melting the urea, thereby providing a mixture with melted urea; [0044] Granulating the mixture with the melted urea in a drum granulator to yield particle masses; [0045] Screening said particle masses in a screener to yield different fractions in three different sizes: Oversized particles which undergo a crushing process and are returned to the granulator as recycle, desired size granular particles which are transferred to coating and fine particle which are transferred back to the mixture.

[0046] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the present invention allows for the effective granulation of polyhalite and urea.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the process of the present invention allows for a chemical melting of the urea, resulting in the effective adherence of urea to polyhalite within the resulting granule.

H.sub.2SO.sub.4+2NH.sub.3.fwdarw.(NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4

[0048] According to some embodiments, oil may be added to the resulting granules, e.g., to improve the rheology of the product and diminish dust formation. For example in an amount anti caking agent, coating agent can be added. According to some embodiments, any suitable oil may be used, including for example, mineral oil or similar, slack wax or similar, paraffin wax or similar or mixture of them

[0049] According to these embodiments, in wet granulation the process includes the following steps:

[0050] Mixing urea, Polyhalite, magnesite, clay sulfuric acid and water at room temperature; ammonia was added to produce ammonium sulphate. According to these embodiments the reaction between sulfuric acid and ammonia emitted heat that melt part of the Urea.

[0051] Feeding the mixture into a granulator to provide wet granules; drying of the granules, sieving of the granules.

[0052] According to some embodiments, after sieving there are three types of yield:

1. Desired sized granules—from 2 to 4.75 mm
2. Oversized (OS) granules—are returned to the grinding stage, e.g., between 4-20% of the yield.
3. Undersized (US) flakes—are returned to the granulation.
4. according to some embodiment anticaking agent is added.

[0053] According to some embodiments, the nutrients may include:

Nitrogen (N): leaf growth;
Potassium (K): Strong stem growth, movement of water in plants, promotion of flowering and fruiting.

[0054] Three secondary macronutrients: calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphur (S);

micronutrients: copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and of occasional significance there are silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), and vanadium (V) plus rare mineral catalysts.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the mixture of the present invention may also include additional fertilizer besides urea, ammonium salts and Polyhalite

[0056] According to some demonstrative embodiments, the sieving is done using a sieve having opening with a diameter of between 1.4-4.75 mm preferably between 2-475. mm.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the mixing is may performed in a blade blender and/or any other suitable devise capable of having a rotation speed that creates a swirling motion for a perfect homogenization and a high blending.

[0058] According to some embodiments the resulting granules may be further coated with a suitable coating. For example, the coatings may include biodegradable coatings, sustained release coatings, controlled release coatings, oily coatings, wax coatings, starch coating anticaking agent.

[0059] The resulting mixture may include the following properties as detailed in table 1

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Raw N-TOTAL K2O SO4 Ca Mgo Material % % % % % % Urea 45 46 Polyhalite 23 13 56.4 12.2 5.6 Ammonium 10 21 73 Sulphate MOP 3 60 Magnesite 1 85 Clay 15 Water 1 Anticaking 1 Agent Total 100 22.9 5.0 20.5 2.8 2

Example-1

[0060] Feed

TABLE-US-00002 Materials Feed rate (ton/h) Ratio (%) Polysulphate 230 23.3 Urea 447 45.2 Ammonium Sulphate 100 10.1 MOP 33 3.3 Magnesite 8 0.8 Clay 150 15.2 Anticaking agent 10 1 Water 10 1

[0061] The urea, Polyhalite, ammonium sulphate, potash, magnesite, clay conditioning agent and water were mixed and transfer to drum granulator

[0062] The following conditions were set:

TABLE-US-00003 Parameter Value/ Order of feeding material All together Pre-mixing blunger mixer adding ammonia . Water % 7% moisture in bed Granulator Type rotary Granulation Speed 12.5 rpm Diameter of Granulator 2.50 m Granulation Temperature 70 C. Retention Time Granulator Abt 3 min. Retention Time Drying Abt 20 min Dryer Type rotary Drying Temp Product exit 70 C. Recycle Ratio 2:1 Curing time Min 5 days

[0063] The Product Composition

TABLE-US-00004 Element concentration Unit Total N 23.8 % SO4 20.5 % K2O 5 % Ca 2.8 % MgO 2 % Cl 5.5 % Insol 15.9 % H.sub.2O 3.7 % pH 6.5

[0064] The product was kept in pile at ambient condition.

[0065] Quality after Month of Production

TABLE-US-00005 Value Unit Strength 3.8 Kg/granule Abrasion -12 mesh 0.88 % Abrasion -32 mesh 0.35 % Abrasion -100 mesh 0.22 % Eco Dust 0.09 %

[0066] While this invention has been described in terms of some specific examples, many modifications and variations are possible. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be realized otherwise than as specifically described.