Process for producing a silica gel fertilizer and the product thereof

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A NEW FERTILIZER COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PREPARING A DILUTE SOLUTION OF A MINERAL ACID, MIXING INTO SAID SOLUTION A FERTILIZER MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIUM NITRATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM CHLORIDE, MONOAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CYANAMIDE, CALCIUM NITRATE, UREA, SUPERPHOSPHATE, TRIPLE SUPERPHOSPHATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM NITRATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM METAPHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM SULFATE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, AND MAGNESIUM-POTASSIUM SULFATE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF TO ATTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DISSOLUTION OF SAID MATERIAL TO FORM A FERTILIZER SOLUTION, PREPARING A DILUTE SOLUTION OF AN ALKALI METAL SALT OF SILICIC ACID, MIXING THE TWO LAST MENTIONED SOLUTIONS TOGETHER WITH AGITATION, THEN ADDING A PREVIOUSLY PREPARED SOLUTION OF TACE ELEMENTS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, MANGANESE, IRON, BORON, ZINC AND MOLYBDENUM, AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF, SAID SOLUTION BEING ADDED IN A RATIO OF FROM 0.25 TO 1 GALLON PER 100 POUNDS OF FERTILIZER COMPOSITION TO BE PRODUCED, PUMPING THE RESULTING SOLUTION TO A VESSEL ADAPTED TO SEGREGATING THE GEL SOLUTION DURING COOLING, COOLING SAID VESSEL BELOW 80*C. UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE REACHED FORMS A SILICA GEL ABOUT 27*C. REMOVING SAID GEL FROM SAID VESSEL AND BREAKING IT INTO PARTICLES THAT CAN BE STAINED THROUGH AN 8-MESH SCREEN, ANY FINES PASSING THROUGH A 20-MESH SCREEN BEING PELLETED BEFORE RECOMBINING WITH SAID PARTICLES PASSING THROUGH ONLY AN 8-MESH SCREEN, CHARGING THE 8-20 MESH PRODUCT TO A TRAY DRIER OVEN, PASSING AIR THROUGH SAID PRODUCT, HEATING SAID AIR PROGRESSIVELY FROM 99 TO 120*C. DURING A FOUR HOUR CYCLE IN SAID OVEN, EVACUATING SAID OVEN FOR 30 MINUTES DURING WHICH A VACUUM OF ABOUT 3 MILLIMETERS OF MERCURY IS OBTAINED, RESULTING IN PRODUCT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SILICA GEL FORMING A POROUS MATRIX WHEREIN IS DISPERSED A WATER-SOLUBLE FERTILIZER MATERIAL.