Suspension fertilizers and method of producing same

Claim 2

In a method for producing a suspension fertilizer which includes saturating an aqueous phase with at least one phosphate containing fertilizer chemical and thereafter causing said saturated aqueous phase to become supersaturated from which phosphate crystals may be formed, the improvement which comprises adding before said aqueous phase becomes supersaturated between about 0.05% and about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer of an alkali metal or ammonium salt, or mixtures thereof, of humic acid or a material which contains humic acid selected from the group consisting of leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein there is added from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said salt.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said alkali metal is potassium.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein said salt is added in the form of an aqueous solution.

Claim 6

In a method for producing a suspension fertilizer containing from 0.25% to about 3% by weight bentonite which includes reacting ammoniating fluid and phosphoric acid at a first temperature substantially above 50° C, and controlling the water content of said ammoniating fluid and phosphoric acid to effect a supersaturated solution while cooling the resulting liquid, the improvement which comprises adding to said solution before cooling between about 0.05% and about 3% by weight humic acid, based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 7

In a method for producing a suspension fertilizer containing from 0.25% to about 3% by weight bentonite which includes reacting ammoniating fluid and phosphoric acid at a first temperature substantially above 50° C, and controlling the water content of said ammoniating fluid and phosphoric acid to effect a supersaturated solution while cooling the resulting liquid, the improvement which comprises adding to said solution before cooling between about 0.05% and about 3% by weight humic acid, based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 wherein said suspension fertilizer contains from 0.25% to about 2% by weight bentonite and from 0.1% to about 3% by weight of an alkali metal or ammonium salt, or mixtures thereof, of humic acid or a material which contains humic acid selected from the group consisting of leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 wherein said alkali metal is potassium and wherein said salt is added to the reaction vessel in the form of an aqueous solution.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 wherein said ammoniating liquid and said phosphoric acid are added concurrently.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7 wherein said bentonite is added after all of the desired amount of said ammoniating fluid and said phosphoric acid have reacted.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 wherein said bentonite is added after all of the desired amount of said ammoniating fluid and said phosphoric acid have reacted.

Claim 13

The method of claim 5 wherein said humic acid is present in the reaction vessel in the form of an aqueous slurry, and wherein said aqueous slurry is reacted with said ammoniating fluid to produce a solution of ammonium humate in-situ within the reaction vessel before addition of phosphoric acid.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 wherein said bentonite is added after all of the desired amount of said ammoniating fluid and said phosphoric acid have reacted.

Claim 15

The method of claim 5 wherein said humic acid is added to the reaction vessel before all of the desired amount of said ammoniating fluid and said phosphoric acid have reacted.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 wherein said humic acid is added in the form of an aqueous solution of potassium humate or ammonium humate.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14 wherein said bentonite is added after all of the desired amount of said ammoniating fluid and said phosphoric acid have reacted.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16 wherein there is added from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said salt.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 wherein said alkali metal is potassium and wherein said salt is added in the form of an aqueous solution.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19 wherein there is added from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said salt and from 0.25% to 2% by weight bentonite.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19 wherein said alkali metal is potassium and wherein said salt is added in the form of an aqueous solution.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 wherein said bentonite is added after said solution becomes supersaturated.

Claim 27

A high analysis suspension-type fertilizer having plant-food content and desirable flow properties which comprises: i. water; ii. a nitrogen-containing compound to provide at least 10% nitrogen by weight; iii. a phosphorous containing compound to provide at least 35% by weight P 2 O 5 ; and iv. 0.05% to 3% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of humic acid, leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and the alkali metal and ammonium salts thereof; wherein said concentrations are based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 28

A high analysis suspension-type fertilizer having plant-food content and desirable flow properties which comprises: i. water; ii. a nitrogen-containing compound to provide at least 10% nitrogen by weight; iii. a phosphorous containing compound to provide at least 35% by weight P 2 O 5 ; and iv. 0.05% to 3% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of humic acid, leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and the alkali metal and ammonium salts thereof; wherein said concentrations are based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 29

The suspension fertilizer of claim 23 which contains from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said material and from 0.25% to 3% by weight bentonite.

Claim 30

A high analysis suspension-type fertilizer having plant-food content and desirable flow properties, which comprises: i. water; ii. a nitrogen containing compound to provide at least 8% nitrogen by weight; iii. a phosphorous containing compound to provide at least 12% by weight P 2 O 5 ; iv. a potassium compound to provide at least 7% by weight K 2 O; and v. 0.05% to 3% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of humic acid, leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and the alkali metal and ammonium salts thereof; wherein said concentrations are based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 31

A high analysis suspension-type fertilizer having plant-food content and desirable flow properties, which comprises: i. water; ii. a nitrogen containing compound to provide at least 8% nitrogen by weight; iii. a phosphorous containing compound to provide at least 12% by weight P 2 O 5 ; iv. a potassium compound to provide at least 7% by weight K 2 O; and v. 0.05% to 3% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of humic acid, leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and the alkali metal and ammonium salts thereof; wherein said concentrations are based on the total weight of said suspension fertilizer.

Claim 32

The suspension fertilizer of claim 25 which contains from 0.25% to 3% by weight bentonite.

Claim 33

The suspension fertilizer of claim 25 which contains from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said material and from 0.25% to 3% by weight bentonite.

Claim 34

The suspension fertilizer of claim 25 wherein said nitrogen compound is selected from the group consisting of NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 , NH 4 CL, NH 4 NO 3 , KNO 3 , urea and mixtures thereof, wherein said phosphorus containing compound is selected from the group consisting of NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , K 2 HPO 4 , and mixtures thereof; and wherein said potassium containing compound is selected from the group consisting of KCl, KNO 3 , KH 2 PO 4 , K 2 HPO 4 , and mixtures thereof.

Claim 35

The suspension fertilizer of claim 28 which contains from 0.1% to 3% by weight of said material and from 0.25% to 3% by weight of bentonite.

Claim 36

The method of claim 1 which comprises the additional step of drying said suspension fertilizer at a temperature up to about 400° F.

Claim 37

The solid fertilizer composition useful in preparing stable suspension fertilizer compositions by shearing said solid fertilizer composition in water which comprises the dried product obtained in claim 30.

Claim 38

The method of claim 5 which comprises the additional step of drying said suspension fertilizer at a temperature up to about 400° F.

Claim 39

The solid fertilizer composition useful in preparing stable suspension fertilizer compositions by shearing said solid fertilizer composition in water which comprises the dried product obtained in claim 32.

Claim 40

The solid fertilizer composition useful in preparing stable suspension fertilizer compositions by shearing said solid fertilizer composition in water which comprises the solid fertilizer composition which results from removing the water from the suspension fertilizer of claim 23.

Claim 41

A process for producing stable suspension fertilizers, which comprises: reacting in sufficient amounts a mixture of an ammoniating fluid and wet-process phosphoric acid until the resulting suspension contains at least 10% nitrogen by weight, and at least 35% phosphorous expressed as P 2 O 5 ; adding to said reaction mixture before it becomes supersaturated from 0.25% to 3% by weight bentonite and 0.05% to 3.0% by weight, based on the total weight of said suspension, of an alkali metal or ammonium salt, or mixture thereof, of humic acid or a material which contains humic acid selected from the group consisting of leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and mixtures thereof, said bentonite and said salt being dispersed in water before addition to said reaction mixture; and adding to said reaction mixture containing bentonite and said salt a sufficient amount of a material selected from a nitrogen-containing compound, and a potassium-containing compound to prepare a suspension fertilizer containing at least 8% nitrogen and at least 12% phosphorous expressed as P 2 O 5 .

Claim 42

A process for producing stable suspension fertilizers, which comprises: reacting in sufficient amounts a mixture of an ammoniating fluid and wet-process phosphoric acid until the resulting suspension contains at least 10% nitrogen by weight, and at least 35% phosphorous expressed as P 2 O 5 ; adding to said reaction mixture before it becomes supersaturated from 0.25% to 3% by weight bentonite and 0.05% to 3.0% by weight, based on the total weight of said suspension, of an alkali metal or ammonium salt, or mixture thereof, of humic acid or a material which contains humic acid selected from the group consisting of leonardite, lignite, marine sediments, and mixtures thereof, said bentonite and said salt being dispersed in water before addition to said reaction mixture; and adding to said reaction mixture containing bentonite and said salt a sufficient amount of a material selected from a nitrogen-containing compound, and a potassium-containing compound to prepare a suspension fertilizer containing at least 8% nitrogen and at least 12% phosphorous expressed as P 2 O 5 .

Claim 43

The process of claim 35 wherein said alkali metal is potassium.