Technology to coat fertilizer and improve fertilizer efficiency and their associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208361-B2
Application number	US-201715772963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2017
Priority date	Jul 4, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

In embodiments, the present invention relates to liquid formulations containing hydrophobic, biodegradable polymers dispersed within a Non-aqueous Organic Solvent Delivery System (NOSDS) that is designed to coat fertilizer granules with a hydrophobic film utilizing simple application equipment such as mixers, blenders and tumblers. This film can impede the dissolution of fertilizer components by water improving fertilizer efficiency. The NOSDS can be aprotic solvents, protic solvents and mixtures of protic and aprotic solvents which are environmentally friendly, have flashpoints above 145° F., and are inherently rated safe for contact with humans and animals. The hydrophobic polymers are the reaction product of aldehyde(s) and nitrogen containing compounds.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coating composition comprising one or more biodegradable hydrophobic polymers of a molecular weight range of 50-200,000 daltons and a Non-aqueous Organo Solvent Delivery System (NOSDS), wherein said composition is a solution, wherein the biodegradable hydrophobic polymers comprise the reaction products of aldehyde(s) and nitrogen containing compounds and wherein the NOSDS is comprised of a) one or more protic solvents selected from the group consisting of: 1) an alcohol from the family of C 1-10 alkanols, 2) one or more polyols from the group consisting of trimethylol propane, trimethylol ethane, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, sorbitan, glucose, fructose, galactose, and glycerin, 3) one or more poly(C 1-10 alkylene) glycols represented by the structure:
H(C t H u ) v OH
t is an integer: 1-10
u is an integer: 2-20
and v is an integer: 1-20,

4) one or more alkylene glycols from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,3 propylene glycol, 1,2 propylene glycol, and butylene glycol, 5) isopropylidene glycerol 6) one or more alkylene glycol alkyl ethers represented by the structure:

Where R 1 is: CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , C 3 H 7 or C 4 H 9
Where R 2 is: H or the structure

where R 3 is: H or CH 3
where R 4 is H and/or CH 3
and f is an integer between 1 and 15

7) one or more alkyl lactates from the group consisting of ethyl, propyl and butyl lactate, 8) one or more alkanolamines represented by the structure:

where R 5 is: C 2 H 4 OR 8 or C 3 H 6 OH
where R 6 is: H, C 2 H 4 OR 8 or C 3 H 6 OH
where R 7 is: H, C 2 H 4 OR 8 or C 3 H 6 OH
where R 8 is: (C 2 H 4 O) g H
and g is an integer between 1-10
and 9) glycerol carbonate

b) and/or one or more aprotic solvents from the group consisting of 1) dimethyl sulfoxide and 2) dialkyl, diaryl, or alkylaryl sulfoxide(s) having the formula:
R 9 S(O) x R 10
wherein R 9 and R 10 are each independently a C 1-6 alkylene group, an aryl group, or
1) C 1-3 alkylenearyl group, or R 9 and R 10 with the sulfur to which they are attached form a 4 to 8 membered ring wherein R 9 and R 10 together are a C 1-6 alkylene group which optionally contains one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, N, and P in the ring and x is 1 or 2,

3) one or more alkylene carbonates selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate and butylene carbonate, 4) one or more polyols capped with acetate or formate wherein the polyol portion selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,3 propylene glycol, 1,2 propylene glycol, butylene glycol, trimethylol propane, trimethylol ethane, pentaerythritol, sorbitol and sorbitan, glucose, fructose, galactose and glycerin, 5) one or more alkylene glycol alkyl ethers acetates selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate, tripropylene glycol methyl ether acetate, and/or tripropylene glycol butyl ether acetate and, 6) isophorone, 7) one or more diesters consisting of dimethylsuccinate, dimethyl adipate, diethyl glutarate, and dimethyl glutarate, 8) dimethylacetamide, 9) dimethylformamide, 10) dimethyl -2-imidazolidinone, 11) 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 12) hexamethylphosphoramide, 13) 1,2-dimethyloxyethane, 14) 2-rnethoxyethyl ether, 15)cyclohexylpyrrolidone and 16) limonene, wherein the coating composition is substantially free of water and wherein said coating composition comprising said biodegradable hydrophobic polymers are applied to fertilizer granules while not causing clumping of the fertilizer granules.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the aldehyde(s) comprise one or more compounds of the structure:
a)

where Q is: O, S
where R 11 is: —H, alkyl radical —C 1 H 3 to —C 6 H 13 , —CH═CH 2 , —C 4 H 3 O, —C 7 H 7 , —C 6 H 5 , —C 6 H 11 , CHO, C 2 H 3 O, C 3 H 5 O, C 4 H 7 O, C 7 H 5 O or —R 12 O 2 R 13 ,
where R 12 is: —C, —C 2 H 2 , —C 3 H 4 , —C 4 H 6 , —C 5 H 8 , —C 6 H 10
where R 13 is: —H, CH 3 , C 2 H 3 , C 3 H 7 , C 4 H 9.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen containing compounds comprise one or more of the group consisting of the following structures:
a)

where A is: O, S
where R 14 is: —H, alkyl radical —C 1 H 3 to —C 6 H 13 , —C 6 H 5 , —CONH 2 , —(CONH) a NH 2
where a is an integer: 1-10
where R 15 is: —H, alkyl radical —C 1 H 3 to —C 6 H 13 , —C 6 h 5 , —CONH 2 , —(CONH) b NH 2
where b is an integer: 1-10
where R 16 is: —H, alkyl radical —C 1 H 3 to —C 6 H 13 , —C 6 h 5 , —CONH 2 , —(CONH) c NH 2
where c is an integer: 1-10
where R 17 is: —H, alkyl radical —C 1 H 3 to —C 6 H 13 , —C 6 h 5 , —CONH 2 , —(CONH) d NH 2
where d is an integer: 1-10

b)

and their tautomeric forms,

c)

where X 1 is: —NHR 18 , —H, —OH, —C 6 H 5 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 3
where R 18 is: H, an alkyl radical —CH 3 to —C 12 H 25 , —C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 OH, C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 NH 2 , C 3 H 6 —N(CH 3 ) 2 , C 2 H 4 OH, —C 6 H 5
where X 2 is: —NHR 19 , —H, —OH, —C 6 H 5 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 3
where R 19 is: H, an alkyl radical —CH 3 to —C 12 H 25 , —C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 OH, C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 NH 2 , —C 3 H 6 —N(CH 3 ) 2 , C 2 H 4 OH, —C 6 H 5
where X 3 is: —NHR 20 , —H, —OH, —C 6 H 5 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 3
where R 20 is: H, an alkyl radical —CH 3 to —C 12 H 25 , —C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 OH, C 2 H 4 OC 2 H 4 NH 2 , —C 3 H 6 —N(CH 3 ) 2 , C 2 H 4 OH, —C 6 H 5
and d)
NH 2 CO—R 21

where R 21 is an alkyl radical CH 3 to —C 17 H 35 .

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable hydrophobic polymers comprise the reaction products of aldehyde(s) and nitrogen containing compounds in which the aldehydes comprise one or more of:
methanal , ethanal, propanal, butanal, pentanal, hexanal, methylethanal, methylpropanal, methylbutanal, phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde , 2-propenal, 3-oxopropanoic, 2-methyl-3-oxopropanoic acid, 4-oxobutanoic acid, oxoacetic acid, 5-oxopentanoic acid, 6-oxohexanoic acid, 2-oxopropanal, cyclohexanal, furfural, methyl esters of 3-oxopropanoic, 2-methyl-3-oxopropanoic acid, 4-oxobutanoic acid, oxoacetic acid, 5-oxopentanoic acid and 6-oxohexanoic acid, ethandial, 3-propanedial, butanedial, pentanedial, phthalaldehyde or methanethial.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable hydrophobic polymers comprise the reaction products of aldehyde(s) and nitrogen containing compounds in which the nitrogen containing compounds comprise one or more of the group consisting of urea, biuret, polyurea, thiourea, methylurea, dimethylurea, ethylurea, diethylurea, propylurea, dipropylurea, butylurea, dibutylurea, phenylurea, diphenyl urea, pentylurea, dipentylurea, hexyl urea, dihexyl urea, methylthiourea, dimethylthiourea, ourea, ethylthiourea, diethylthiourea, propylthiourea, diporpylthiourea, butylthiou

Assignees

• Mcknight Gary David
• Rayborn Randall Linwood
• Barber Charles Joseph
• Xu Wei

Inventors

• Mcknight Gary David
• Rayborn Randall Linwood
• Barber Charles Joseph
• Xu Wei

Classifications

• C05G5/30

  Layered or coated, e.g. dust-preventing coatings · CPC title

• C05C9/005

  Post-treatment · CPC title

• C05G5/37 Primary

  layered or coated with a polymer · CPC title

• C05C11/00

  Other nitrogenous fertilisers · CPC title

• C05G3/44

  for affecting solubility · CPC title