United States Patent 19 11) Patent Number: 5,395,418 Vetanovetz Et Al
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O US005395418A United States Patent 19 11) Patent Number: 5,395,418 Vetanovetz et al. 45 Date of Patent: 'Mar. 7, 1995 54). SOLUBILITY COMPOUND FERTILIZER 52 U.S. C. ........................................... 71/29; 71/30; COMPOSITIONS 71/64.1 58) Field of Search ...................................... 71/28-30, 75) Inventors: Richard P. Vetanovetz, Emmaus; 71/64.08, 64.1 Robert Peters, Allentown, both of Pa. 56) References Cited 73) Assignee: Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products, U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Allentown, Pa. 5,171,349 12/1992 Vetanovetz et al. ................... 71/29 * Notice: The portion of the term of this patent FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS subsequent to Dec. 15, 2009 has been 2072644 10/1981 United Kingdom.................... 71/30 disclaimed. Primary Examiner-Ferris Lander . - 21 Appl. No.: 990,333 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue 22 Filed: Dec. 11, 1992 57 ABSTRACT Solid compound fertilizers for dissolving into stock Related U.S. Application Data solutions advantageously employing urea phosphate as 63 Continuation of Ser. No. 690,099, Apr. 23, 1991, Pat. a phosphorous source. The use of urea phosphate makes No. 5,171,349, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. it possible to have calcium present as well as nonche No. 648,644, Jan. 31, 1991, abandoned. lated trace metals without precipitation. 51 Int. Cl'................................................ C05C 9/00 16 Claims, No Drawings 5,395,418 1. 2 that it may be used as a fertilizer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. SOLUBLTY COMPOUND FERTLIZER No. 4,456,463 discloses the use of urea-phosphoric acid COMPOSTIONS reaction products as ammonia-stabilized liquid compo nents of fertilizers. Chemical Abstracts 106(3) 101311q. This is a continuation of Ser. No. 690,099, filed Apr. 5 shows a liquid component for use in fertilizers which 23, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,349, which is a con contains a urea phosphate polycondensation product. tinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/648,644 filed Jan. Chemical Abstracts 102(9)77486v also shows this. Other 31, 1991, and now abandoned. references of interest include Chemical Abstracts 101(23)209498s which concerns the biological fate of BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 urea/phosphate fertilizers; Chemical Abstracts 1. Field of the Invention 101 (21) 190398k which discusses the use of urea phos This invention concerns improved solid fertilizer phate fertilizers; Chemical Abstracts 88(19)135558a compositions and in particular solid fertilizer composi which describes the reaction of that phosphoric acid tions useful for preparing aqueous fertilizer solutions for reacts with urea and with calcium salts; and Chemical precision plant nutrition. 15 Abstracts 86(11)70783g which deals with the develop 2. Prior Art ment of liquid multicomponent fertilizers based on po In greenhouses, nurseries and other intensive horti tassium and ammonium nitrates and diphosphates, urea, culture environments, best results are attained when water and trace elements. macro- and micronutrients are carefully delivered to the STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION growing plants. Many growers choose to utilize com 20 pound high analysis water-soluble fertilizers. Typically, An improved solid fertilizer which dissolves com these fertilizers are marketed as solids which are dis pletely in water to give a phosphorous-containing stock solved to prepare concentrated stock solutions which solution has now been found. This fertilizer is charac are then diluted into irrigation water by means of pro terized by being a solid, by having urea phosphate as the portioners or injection devices. 25 principal phosphorous source, by containing calcium The Grace Sierra Horticultural Products Company and/or magnesium and/or nonchelated micronutrient markets a wide range of water-soluble solid compound trace metals such as iron, manganese, copper, boron, fertilizer formulations under the Peters Professional (R) zinc and molybdenum, and by dissolving completely in trademark. These formulations are designed to dissolve water without precipitate formation initially or upon quickly and completely with no precipitation. It is also 30 prolonged standing, such as for 24 hours or longer. desired that a fertilizer formulation have good long In one embodiment, this invention provides a calci term stability as a stock solution so as not to form pre um-containing solid complex fertilizer which dissolves cipitates which can clog proportioners and irrigation completely in water to give a water-based precipitate lines. This has led to a limitation with water-soluble free stable aqueous stock solution, this solid fertilizer fertilizer formulation available heretofore. Calcium is 35 containing solid urea phosphate as the principal phos an important nutrient which is called for in many plant phorous source and calcium nitrate. nutrition formulations, but calcium salts cannot be used In another embodiment, this invention provides a together with the conventional phosphorous sour trace metal-containing solid complex fertilizer which ces-monoammonium phosphate and diammonium dissolves completely in water to give a water-based phosphate-as the pHs which these phosphate sources 40 precipitate free stable aqueous stock solution, this solid provide are too high (not acidic enough) to give ade fertilizer containing solid urea phosphate as the princi quate solubility to the calcium ions and thus give rise to pal phosphorous source and nonchelated micronutrient precipitation of the calcium salts in the stock solution trace metal nitrate or sulfate salts such as at least one of and in the proportioners. iron sulfate or nitrate, manganese sulfate or nitrate, Potassium phosphate or sodium phosphate can be 45 copper sulfate or nitrate, and zinc sulfate or nitrate. This used as soluble phosphorous sources but these are either material may contain magnesium sulfate or nitrate, as expensive or not conducive to plant growth. Phos well. It also may contain calcium nitrate. phoric acid can be used but is a liquid and hazardous to In addition, this invention provides a method for handle. Therefore, a grower wishing to fertilize with preparing a stable water-based phosphorous-containing both calcium and phosphorous, without resorting to the 50 and calcium-containing fertilizer aqueous stock solu use of an alkali metal phosphate or liquid phosphorous tion. This method involves acid, will need to inject these two elements separately. Obtaining a solid compound fertilizer admixture of Secondly, and similarly, the use of chelated trace urea phosphate as a primary phosphorous compo nutrients (micronutrients) has been widely postulated in nent and calcium nitrate, and order to keep these trace nutrients in solution in stock 55 Mixing this admixture with water at a ratio predeter solutions which also contain the monoammonium and mined to yield to a concentration of the admixture diammonium phosphates. If nonchelated micronutrients of 2 to 40% by weight and allowing the admixture (such as simple nitrates or sulfates) are employed with to dissolve completely. the conventional phosphorous sources, the micronutri This same general process can be used to prepare a ents tend to precipitate from solution. Again, these 60 nonchelated trace metal (e.g. FeSO4, etc.)containing chelated micronutrients increase the cost of the fertil phosphorous-containing fertilizer aqueous stock solu izer formulations. tion, which also constitutes an aspect of this invention. The present invention employs urea phosphate in The inclusion of urea phosphate in a dry blended water-soluble solid fertilizer formulations. Urea phos mixture of nutrient sources which include calcium, phate is a known material. The text, Urea and Urea 65 and/or magnesium with or without trace metals such as Phosphate Fertilizers by Clifford W. Fowler (Noyes iron and the like in nonchelated forms such as nitrates Data Corporation, Park Ridge, N.J., 1976) at page 23, and/or sulfates offers several advantages. For one the shows a process for preparing this material and suggests urea phosphate establishes a low pH condition when the W 5,395,418 3 4. blended mixture is added to water to make a concen nitrate. The range of materials falling within the scope trated stock solution. A stock solution pH in the range of this invention have phosphorous contents (as % w of 0 to 2 may be achieved. This low solution pH main P2O5) of from about 2.5% to 44%, nitrogen contents (as tains solubility and clarity of the concentrated stock % w N) of from 1% to 40% and potassium contents (as solution. Urea phosphate, by the effect it has on solution 5 % w K2) of from 0% to 35%. Within these formulation pH, prevents the formation of calcium phosphate, mag ranges and parameters, it is desirable for the urea phos nesium phosphate and iron phosphate, which are not soluble. Similarly, the low pH helps prevent calcium phate to be the primary or principal source of phospho from precipitating in the presence of sulfate ions which rous in the present solid fertilizers. By “primary' or may be present. Therefore, when urea phosphate is used "principal' source is meant that urea phosphate contrib as a primary phosphorous source, it will make possible utes at least about 50%, and preferably at least about the inclusion of phosphorous and a metal such as cal 95% and especially essentially 100% of the phospho cium, magnesium or iron in one compound fertilizer, rous present in these products. In cases where urea without the use of chelates or the disadvantage of a phosphate is not the sole phosphorus source, other precipitate forming. This allows the end user to prepare 5 phosphates such as potassium phosphate and ammo and apply a complete nutrient solution using one stock nium phosphate can make up the balance. solution and utilizing one injector. It also makes possi In addition to the phosphorous and nitrogen and ble the inclusion of nonchelated trace nutrients into optional potassium, the materials of this invention in phosphorous-containing nutrient solutions without pre clude calcium and/or at least one metal selected from cipitation. It also allows the fertilizer solution to have magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, boron, zinc and an increased acidifying effect on the growing medium if 20 molybdenum.