Compositions and methods comprising nitrification inhibitors containing a mixture of protic and aprotic solvent systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650306-B2
Application number	US-201514689470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to increasing longevity of the nitrogen content of soil through improved liquid delivery formulations of nitrification inhibitors. The liquid formulation can also be comprised of nitrification inhibitors and optionally urease inhibitors that are blended solutions of each. The nitrification inhibitors are present in a mixture that comprises both a protic and an aprotic solvent system. The novel formulations are designed to be applied to fertilizers, especially urea and manure based fertilizers. The delivery formulations provide an environmentally sound and inherently safe solvating system that improves the storage stability of the urease inhibitors by utilizing liquid organic non-water containing solvents, maintains the nitrification inhibitors in solution to storage temperatures of at least 10° C., and provides improved application to fertilizer of nitrification inhibitors. These delivery formulations enable safe storage, transport and subsequent application or blending with urea-based or manure-based fertilizers that can be applied to soil in either a liquid or granular form to provide improved nitrogen retention in the soil for uptake for plant life.

First claim

We claim:

1. A composition comprising one or more nitrification inhibitors in an organic liquid solvating system comprising a mixture of aprotic solvents and protic solvents
wherein a first aprotic solvent is dimethyl sulfoxide, dialkyl sulfoxide, diaryl sulfoxide, or an alkylaryl sulfoxide having the formula
R 1 —S(O)—R 2 ,

wherein R 1 is methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl and R 2 is ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl,
and a protic solvent is one or more members selected from the group consisting of
a) an alcohol or polyol from the family of alkylene and poly(alkylene) glycols
b) an alkylene glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and butylene glycol,
c) glycerin,
d) an alkylene glycol alkyl ether selected from the group comprising of dipropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, and tripropylene glycol butyl ether
and

e) ethyl, propyl, or butyl lactate

wherein the organic liquid solvating system meets the following criteria:
a. environmentally safe
b. has a flashpoint above 145° F.
c. inherently rated safe for contact with humans and animals
d. able to provide improved and even application to fertilizer granules of nitrification inhibitors while not causing clumping of the granules
e. results in a composition comprising at least one of nitrification inhibitor at levels of 1-50% with a Chill Point <40° F.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrification inhibitor comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of 1) dicyandiamide, 2) 2-chloro-6 trichloromethyl)pyridine, 3) 4-amino-1,2,4-6-triazole-HCl, 4) 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyltriazine, 5) thiourea, 6) 1-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine, and 7) 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein one of the aprotic solvents in the mixture is dimethyl sulfoxide.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein dimethyl sulfoxide comprises between about 10 and 90% of the composition.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the one or more nitrification inhibitors comprises one or more of the following: 1) dicyandiamide, 2) 2-chloro-6 trichloromethyl)pyridine, 3) 4-amino-1,2,4-6-triazole-HCl, 4) 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyltriazine, 5) thiourea, 6) 1-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine, or 7) 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate; in a formulation wherein nitrification inhibitor(s) is/are present in an amount that is between about 5-45% of a total formulation amount and the composition also contains a mixture of DMSO and one or more protic solvents in ratios that are between about 20/80 to 80/20.

6. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of aprotic solvents present in the amount of 0.5-40%, surfactants, buffers, fragrance/odor masking agents, colorants, micro-nutrients, dispersed nitrification inhibitors, dispersed urease inhibitor(s), crystallization inhibitors and/or flow modifiers.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nitrification inhibitors comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of 1) dicyandiamide, 2) 2-chloro-6 trichloromethyl)pyridine, 3) 4-amino-1,2,4-6-triazole-HCl, 4) 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyltriazine, 5) thiourea, 6) 1-Mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine, and 7) 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate in a formulation wherein nitrification inhibitor(s) is/are present in an amount that is between about 5-45% of a total formulation amount and the formulation also comprises N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide in an amount that is between about 5-45% of the total formulation amount.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is substantially free of water.

9. A fertilizer granule or liquid additive, which comprises one or more nitrification inhibitors in an organic liquid solvating system comprising a mixture of aprotic and protic solvents
wherein a first aprotic solvent is dimethyl sulfoxide, dialkyl sulfoxide, diaryl sulfoxide, or an alkylaryl sulfoxide having the formula
R 1 —S(O)—R 2 ,

wherein R 1 is methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl and R 2 is ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl,
and a second protic solvent is one or more members selected from the group consisting of
a) an alcohol or polyol from the family of alkylene and poly(alkylene) glycols
b) an alkylene glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and butylene glycol,
c) glycerin,
d) an alkylene glycol alkyl ether selected from the group comprising of dipropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, and tripropylene glycol butyl ether
and

e) ethyl, propyl, or butyl lactate

wherein the organo liquid solvating system meets the following criteria:
a. environmentally safe
b. has a flashpoint above 145° F.
c. inherently rated safe for contact with humans and animals
d. able to provide improved and even application to fertilizer granules of nitrification inhibitors while not causing clumping of the granules
e. results in a composition comprising at least one of nitrification inhibitor at levels of 1-50% with a Chill Point <40° F.

10. The fertilizer granule or liquid additive of claim 9 , wherein the one or more nitrification inhibitors is selected from the group consisting of 1) dicyandiamide, 2) 2-chloro-6 trichloromethyl)pyridine, 3) 4-amino-1,2,4-6-triazole-HCl, 4) 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyltriazine, 5) thiourea, 6) 1-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine, and 7) 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate.

11. The fertilizer granule or liquid additive of claim 9 , further comprising one or more urease inhibitors selected from the group consisting of phosphoric triamides, thiophosphoric triamides and alkylated thiophosphoric triamides, wherein the alkylated thiophosphoric triamides has one or more alkyl groups that independently contain between 1 and 6 carbon atoms.

12. The fertilizer granule or liquid additive of claim 11 , wherein the one or more nitrification inhibitors comprises 1) dicyandiamide, 2) 2-chloro-6 trichloromethyl)pyridine, 3) 4-amino-1,2,4-6-triazole-HCl, 4) 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyltriazine, 5) thiourea, 6) 1-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-Amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine, or 7) 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate; and the one or more urease inhibitors comprises phosphoramides.

13. A method of making a composition to be added to a fertilizer comprising:
heating a mixture comprising one or more nitrification inhibitors in an organic liquid solvating system comprising a mixture of aprotic and protic solvents,
wherein a first aprotic solvent is dimethyl sulfoxide, dialkyl sulfoxide, diaryl sulfoxide, or an alkylaryl sulfoxide having the formula
R 1 —S(O)—R 2 ,

wherein R 1 is methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl and R 2 is ethyl, n-propyl, phenyl or benzyl,
and a second protic solvent is one or more members selected from the group consisting of
a) an alcohol or polyol from the family of alkylene and poly(alkylene) glycols
b) an alkylene glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and butylene glycol,
c) glycerin,
d) an alkylene glycol alkyl ether selected from the group comprising of dipropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, and tripropylene glycol butyl ether
and

e) ethyl, propyl, or butyl lactate

wherein the organo liquid solvating system meets the following criteria:
a. environmentally safe
b. has a flashpoint above 145° F.
c. inherently rated safe for contact with humans and animals
d. able to provide improved and even application to fertilizer granules of nitrification inhibitor

Assignees

• Mcknight Gary David
• Rayborn Randall Linwood
• Xu Wei
• Perkins Raymond Patrick
• Yang Zehui
• Parker David
• Semple Andrew

Inventors

• Mcknight Gary David
• Rayborn Randall Linwood
• Xu Wei
• Perkins Raymond Patrick
• Yang Zehui
• Parker David
• Semple Andrew

Classifications

• C05G3/90 Primary

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

• C05C9/00 Primary

  Fertilisers containing urea or urea compounds · CPC title

• C09K15/18

  containing an amine or imine moiety · CPC title

• C09K15/30

  containing heterocyclic ring with at least one nitrogen atom as ring member · CPC title

• C09K15/28

  containing nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur · CPC title