Nitrification inhibitor compositions and methods for preparing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185682-A1
Application number	US-201514982891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to enhanced nitrification inhibitor dry fertilizer compositions, methods for making the same, and their use in agricultural applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing an agricultural active composition comprising the steps of:
providing at least one particle, the particle having an outer surface; supplying at least one inhibitor of nitrification; associating the at least one inhibitor of nitrification with at least a portion of the surface of the particle to form a mixed particulate, the mixed particulate having a mixed particulate surface which includes the at least one inhibitor of nitrification; and coating the mixed particulate surface with a polymeric volatilization barrier.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”), polyethylene oxide (“PEO”), polyvinyl pyrollidone (“PVP”), polyvinyl acetate, and mixtures thereof.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of coating a polymeric volatilization barrier over the mixed particulate surface further comprises incorporating polyvinyl alcohol into the polymeric volatilization barrier.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier is configured to release the at least one inhibitor of nitrification upon contacting moisture after application to a field or crop.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inhibitor of nitrification comprises nitrapyrin.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the nitrapyrin is present in the composition in a range selected from the group of ranges consisting of: about 0.01% wt. to about 10.00% wt.; about 0.05% wt. to about 5.00% wt.; about 0.10% wt. to about 4.00% wt.; about 0.20% wt. to about 3.00% wt.; about 0.30% wt. to about 2.50% wt.; about 0.40% wt. to about 2.00% wt.; and about 0.50% wt. to about 1.00% wt.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particle includes at least one agricultural active compound selected from the group consisting of: fertilizers, fungicides, miticides, herbicides, arthropocides, safeners, pesticides, and mixtures thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least one agricultural active compound is at least one fertilizer selected from the group consisting of: a nitrogen-based fertilizer, a potassium-based fertilizer, a phosphorus-based fertilizer, a zinc-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a copper-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a boron-containing micronutrient fertilizer, an iron-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a manganese-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a sulfur-containing micronutrient fertilizer, and mixtures thereof.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein at least one agricultural active compound is a urea fertilizer.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier is configured to reduce the volatility of the at least one inhibitor of nitrification to a diffusion constant of less than about 1 μm 2 /s.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier is configured to reduce the volatility of the at least one inhibitor of nitrification to a diffusion constant of less than about 0.1 μm 2 /s.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier is configured to reduce the volatility of the at least one inhibitor of nitrification to a diffusion constant of less than about 0.01 μm 2 /s.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier is configured to reduce the volatility of the at least one inhibitor of nitrification to a diffusion constant of about 0.001 μm 2 /s.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particle includes at least one inert filler.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the inert filler is selected from the group consisting of: attapulgite, talc, diatomite, kaolin, silica, clay, sand, mica, bentonite, montmorillonite, white carbon black, carbon black, coal ash, plant ash, wollastonite, zeolite, sepiolite, vermiculite perlite, starch, wax, and mixtures thereof.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of incorporating microencapsulated nitrapyrin particles into the composition, wherein the microencapsulated nitrapyrin is substantially contained within the polymeric volatilization barrier.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the microencapsulated particles include polyurea and have a volume median particle size of from about 1 to about 10 microns.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of measuring the diffusion constant of the composition according to Fick's second law of diffusion.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating step uses at least one device selected from the group consisting of: a pan coater, a spray coater, a fluidized bed coater, a rotating drum, a drier, and combinations thereof.

20 . A method for manufacturing a composition comprising the steps of:
coating nitrapyrin onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is an inert substrate or an agriculturally active substrate; and coating a polymeric volatilization barrier containing polyvinyl alcohol on top of the nitrapyrin.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the inert substrate is selected from the group consisting of: attapulgite, talc, diatomite, kaolin, silica, clay, sand, mica, bentonite, montmorillonite, white carbon black, carbon black, coal ash, plant ash, wollastonite, zeolite, sepiolite, vermiculite perlite, starch, wax, and mixtures thereof.

22 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the agriculturally active substrate is selected from the group consisting of: a nitrogen-based fertilizer, a potassium-based fertilizer, a phosphorus-based fertilizer, a zinc-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a copper-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a boron-containing micronutrient fertilizer, an iron-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a manganese-containing micronutrient fertilizer, a sulfur-containing micronutrient fertilizer, and mixtures thereof.

23 . The method according to claim 20 , further comprising the steps of:
forming a tablet comprising the nitrapyrin and the substrate; and coating the polymeric volatilization barrier containing polyvinyl alcohol on top of the tablet.

24 . A method for manufacturing a composition comprising the steps of:
adding a polymeric volatilization barrier to a liquid emulsion comprising at least one microencapsulated nitrification inhibitor to form a liquid formulation; and spray drying the liquid formulation such that the polymeric volatilization barrier substantially coats the microencapsulated nitrification inhibitor.

25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the polymeric volatilization barrier comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol comprises between about 1 and about 20 percent by weight of the liquid formulation.

27 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol comprises about 10 percent by weight of the liquid formulation.

28 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the at least one microencapsulated nitrification inhibitor comprises nitrapyrin.

Assignees

• Dow Agrosciences Llc

Inventors

• Katz Joshua S

Classifications

• C05G5/37

  layered or coated with a polymer · CPC title

• C05G3/90 Primary

  for affecting the nitrification of ammonium compounds or urea in the soil · CPC title

• C05C9/005 Primary

  Post-treatment · CPC title

• C05D9/02

  containing trace elements · CPC title

• C05D1/005

  post-treatment · CPC title