Expandable shape-retaining peat moss briquettes and method of producing same

Claim 1

The method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants, comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 15 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-half their uncomPressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies; d. whereby said rigid bodies are expandable on contact with water, said expansion being in the direction of said compression to a thickness intermediate their compressed and uncompressed thickness to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes.

Claim 2

The method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants, comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 15 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-half their uncomPressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies; d. whereby said rigid bodies are expandable on contact with water, said expansion being in the direction of said compression to a thickness intermediate their compressed and uncompressed thickness to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes.

Claim 7

The method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants, comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 20 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss and said drying being discontinued before said mix contains less than 10 percent water by weight; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-eighth their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies; d. whereby said rigid bodies are expandable by contact with water, said expansion being in the direction of said compression to a thickness intermediate their compressed and uncompressed thicknesses to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes.

Claim 8

The method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants, comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 20 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss and said drying being discontinued before said mix contains less than 10 percent water by weight; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-eighth their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies; d. whereby said rigid bodies are expandable by contact with water, said expansion being in the direction of said compression to a thickness intermediate their compressed and uncompressed thicknesses to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes.

Claim 10

A method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 15 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-half their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies of the general shape of plant-growing briquettes, said rigid briquettes being expandable by contacting them with water to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes for growing plants therein.

Claim 11

A method of producing expandable, shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants comprising: a. applying an aqueous bituminous emulsion to finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent water by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 15 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-half their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid bodies of the general shape of plant-growing briquettes, said rigid briquettes being expandable by contacting them with water to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes for growing plants therein.

Claim 13

A method of producing expandable shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants comprising: a. spraying an aqueous bituminous emulsion onto finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 20 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss and said drying being discontinued before said mix contains less than 10 percent water by weight; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-eighth their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid briquettes, said rigid briquettes being expandable by contacting them with water to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes for growing plants therein.

Claim 14

A method of producing expandable shape-retaining peat moss briquettes for use in growing plants comprising: a. spraying an aqueous bituminous emulsion onto finely-divided moisture-containing peat moss particles while intermixing said peat moss particles to distribute said emulsion therethrough, said peat moss containing from 25 to 50 percent by weight, said emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed bituminous phase, said emulsion breaking upon said intermixing to deposit dispersed particles of bitumen, the resulting admixture containing from 20 to 40 percent by weight of bitumen based upon the dry weight of said peat moss; b. drying said peat moss-bitumen mix to a water content of below 25 percent by weight at which said mix is compressible without squeezing out water, the temperature of said mix during drying being controlled to prevent damage to the horticultural properties of the peat moss and said drying being discontinued before said mix contains less than 10 percent water by weight; and c. compressing individual portions of said dried mix in one direction, said compressing integrating said mix portions by reducing their thickness to less than one-eighth their uncompressed thickness in the direction of said compression and being sufficient to form said portions into rigid briquettes, said rigid briquettes being expandable by contacting them with water to form soft, moist, shape-retaining cakes for growing plants therein.