CA2043873A1 - Process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient and the product thereof - Google Patents

Process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient and the product thereof

Info

Publication number
CA2043873A1
CA2043873A1 CA 2043873 CA2043873A CA2043873A1 CA 2043873 A1 CA2043873 A1 CA 2043873A1 CA 2043873 CA2043873 CA 2043873 CA 2043873 A CA2043873 A CA 2043873A CA 2043873 A1 CA2043873 A1 CA 2043873A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
nutrient
sulphur
particles
elemental sulphur
granulated
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2043873
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Raymond C. Lee
Duncan C. Mcrae
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SULCHEM PRODUCTS (1989) Ltd
Original Assignee
Raymond C. Lee
Duncan C. Mcrae
Sulchem Products (1989) Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Raymond C. Lee, Duncan C. Mcrae, Sulchem Products (1989) Ltd. filed Critical Raymond C. Lee
Publication of CA2043873A1 publication Critical patent/CA2043873A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GRANULATED
SULPHUR NUTRIENT AND THE PROD CT THEREOF

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient composed of particles of a size of 200 U.S. mesh or smaller, including the steps of comminuting, mixing, granulating and drying comprising comminuting elemental sulphur or elemental sulphur and sulphate containing compounds to 200 U.S. mesh or smaller, mixing the individual comminuted sulphur particles with a binder dispersant, granulating the binder retaining sulphur particles into granules, drying the resulting granules to set the binder dispersant.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a process for the manufacture of granules of agglomerated sulphur nutrients comprised of sulphur particles ground to at least 200 U.S. mesh and bound together by a binder dispersant. The invention also relates to nutrients produced by this process, namely granules comprised of elemental sulphur or elemental sulphur and sulphate containing particles, wherein the individual particles are 200 U.S. mesh or finer.
The process used in the manufacture of the comminuted agglomerated sulphur product includes comminution of elemental sulphur or sulphate containing compounds to at least 200 U.S. mesh, mixing the individual sulphur particles with an organic binder dispersant, granulating the binder dispersant sulphur particles, and drying said granules to set the binder dispersant.
The agglomerated sulphur or sulphate containing granules manufactured by the process of this invention are dispersible in water tanks to prepare a sulphur suspension nutrient or the granules may be used in dry blends as fertilizer in which event the granules are broken down by moisture in the soil. Elemental sulphur is not soluble and must be broken down by interaction with soil microorganisms into inorganic sulphate, the plant available form. The conversion of elemental sulphur to inorganic sulphate is dependent upon the dispersion rate of the granules, the size and shape of the elemental sulphur particles in the granules, and the 20~3~73 availability of microorganisms. The dispersion rate of granules is dependent upon the characteristics of the binder dispersant.
Elemental sulphur particles of a particle size smaller than that passing a 200 U.S. mesh screen responds quickly to microorganisms. As the particle si~e of the elemental sulphur increases above a particle size which will pass through a 200 U.S. mesh screen, the surface area per unit weight of sulphur decreases and the rate of conversion to usable sulphates decreases substantially.
Elemental sulphur particles containing 5 to 10%
swelling clay are sold as sulphur bentonites. In sulphur bentonite fertilizers the sulphur particles normally range in size from 50 to 75% less than 40 mesh and 15 to 25% smaller than 200 mesh. These bentonite clays with a majority of elemental sulphur particles in the 40 mesh size take substantially a year before fifty per cent of the sulphur is converted to plant available sulphate.
When the elemental sulphur particle size is 200 mesh or finer, conversion to fifty per cent plant available sulphate can be achieved in 5 weeks where there is sufficient moisture and microorganisms.
Another fertilizer incorporating elemental sulphur is urea sulphur (36-0-0-20S). The urea sulphur is manufactured by the drum granulated urea-sulphur melt process using molten sulphur. The urea-elemental sulphur mix contains both nitrogen and sulphur and provides 20~3~7~

significantly less elemental sulphur per unit of weight than a comparable elemental sulphur made by the process of this invention.
Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a process for producing a granulated oxidizable sulphur product for bulk blending or fluid suspension comprised of elemental sulphur particles which will pass through a 200 mesh screen and an organic binder. In the first step of the process elemental sulphur is comminuted and classified to remove particles of 200 U.S. mesh or less. The particles of 200 U.S. mesh or less are then mixed with a binder dispersant. The binder dispersant must be capa~le of binding particles together into granules, dried into a finished product which is dispersible into particles by water in the field or in a container. One satisfactory binder dispersing agent is calcium lignosulphonate. The calcium lignosulphonate is heated to 90 to 100 Fahrenheit in a heater and delivered through a metering pump to a mixer where it is vigorously mixed with the comminuted particles of elemental sulphur.
The particles of elemental sulphur containing binder dispersant proceed to a granulator. In the granulator the small particles of elemental sulphur and binder dispersant are rolled relative to one another until granules of 10-16 U.S. mesh or other desired mesh sizes are formed for dr~ blend elemental sulphur. The granules leaving the granulator are transported to a dryer where the granules are dried. From the dryer the granules are transported to a multi-deck screen. In the manufacture of one product granules comprised of 90-95% elemental sulphur granules of a granular size of 10-16 U.S. mesh suitable for dry blending with other blends are removed on one screen and granules of 16-30 U.S. mesh are separated on another screen. The granules are transported either directly to the bagger or to temporary storage before bagging.
The instant invention provides a process for the preparation of elemental sulphur granules composed of particles of elemental sulphur of 200 U.S. mesh or less bound by an organic binder dispersant and suitable for dry blending with other fertilizers or independent application.
The drawing which is shown as Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the principal apparatus used in the process of this invention.
As shown in Figure 1, elemental sulphur is stored in an elemental sulphur storage tower 9. The elemental sulphur is preferably in chunks of three quarters of an inch or less suitable for introduction into a grinder 10.
In the instant process a 200 hundred horse power grinder is used to comminute the elemental sulphur into particles of 200 U.S. mesh or less. An air classifier 11 which forms part of the grinder is used to separate the smaller -5- '~A3~73 particles of elemental sulphur to storage and the particles above 200 U.S. mesh are recirculated through the grinder 10 for further comminution.
The other element used in the agglomeration process is Marasperse 5558, a calcium lignosulphate used as a binder dispersant and manufactured by Reed Lignin Incorporated, of Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.A. The binder dispersant is stored in storage tank 13.
Marasperse 5558 is viscous when cold and is heated up to between 70 and 100C in heater 14 prior to use and held in a holding tank. The heated Marasperse 5558 is transmitted from the heated holding tank through a metering pump to a mixer 15 where the binder dispersant is mixed with the comminuted elemental sulphur particles.
The elemental sulphur particles and calcium lignosulphate are mixed thoroughly in mixer 15. A
turbulator is employed for mixing, however other devices which will vigorously mix the elemental sulphur and the binder dispersant may be used.
The Marasperse 5558 used is 58% solids and about 4 to 5% by weight of water is added to the Marasperse 5558 as it is introduced into the mixer 15.
From the mixer 15 the elemental sulphur granules and retained binder dispersant are transported to a pan granulator 16. Other apparatus for building up granules may be used. A fine mist of water is applied as required to the elemental sulphur particles containing binder -6- 2~873 dispersant as required to promote agglomeration to form granules of six U.S. mesh or less or other desired granule size at which granules fall off the pan granulator 16 and are transported to a vibrating fluid bed dryer 17.
The granules of elemental sulphur leaving the agglomerator have a moisture content between 10 and 12~.
The granules of elemental sulphur and binder are dried as they are transported along the fluid bed dryer 17 until the moisture content of the elemental sulphur granules leaving the fluid bed dryer 17 have a moisture content below three-quarters of one percent and preferably below one-half of one-percent.
From the fluid bed dryer 17 the elemental sulphur granules are transported to a multi deck screen 18 where granules of 16 to 30 U.S. mesh suitable for use for lawn and garden are removed on one screen and granules of 6 to 16 U.S. mesh suitable for dry blending agricultural use are removed on another screen. Depending on demand larger granules may be comminuted and returned to the mixer 15.
The process creates very fine elemental sulphur particles, particularly during the grinding stage and the mixing stage. Such fine materials may form a combustible or explosive mass and the process must be monitored, recorded and controlled for automatic shut down in the known manner.

~7- 20~3873 The process of this invention has been used to manufacture 0-0-0-(90-95) elemental sulphur granules comprised of particles of 200 U.S. mesh or less bound by the dispersible calcium lignosulphate described in this application. The 0-0-0-(90-95) elemental sulphur when granulated is dry blendable with other nutrients to provide a blended fertilizer having the proper amount of sulphur for the soil being fertilized. The 0-0-0-(90-95 nutrient is 90-95% elemental sulphur by weight and all the particles forming the granules are two hundred U.S.
mesh or less such that the elemental sulphur particles are immediately available for conversion by microbiological activity to the sulphate form in which the sulphur is available to the plants.
Even finel~ divided elemental sulphur particles under 200 U.S. mesh requires up to five weeks in the presence of sufficient moisture and microbiological activity to be substantially transformed into the plant available sulphate form. In order to offer a nutrient for use or blending containing immediately available sulphate, a mixture of 60% by weight of elemental sulphur particles of less than 200 U.S. mesh is mixed with 30~ by weight of crystals of ammonium sulfate ground to 200 U.S.
mesh or less and 10% by weight of Marasperse 5558 in the mixer. After mixing this mix is treated in the sam~
manner as the previously described 0-0-0-(90-95)S
elemental sulfur product. The product containing 2043~73 ammonium sulfate described above results in a nutrient having the composition 7-0-0-68S.
Both of the granular products referred to above offer the end user the option of using the products in dry blends or as a suspension nutrient because of the dispersion capability of the binder dispersant.
The 0-0-Q-(90-95)S and 7-0-0-68S are composed of bound particles which are 100% 200 U.S. mesh and 90% 300 mesh. As the particles bound in the granules become bigger than 200 mesh the particles react more slowly to transformation to sulphate by microbiological activity.
The above disclosure has been set forth in order to illustrate the nature of this invention and the manner of practicing the same and changes can be made in the process and the product without deviating from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (22)

1. A process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient composed of particles of a size of 200 U.S. mesh or smaller, including the steps of comminuting, mixing, granulating and drying comprising comminuting elemental sulphur or elemental sulphur and sulphate containing compounds to 200 U.S. mesh or smaller, mixing the individual comminuted sulphur particles with a binder dispersant, granulating the binder dispersant retaining sulphur particles into granules of a selected size, and drying the resulting granules to set the binder dispersant.
2. The process of claim 1 in which the binder dispesant is a lignosulphonate.
3. The process of claim 1 in which the binder dispersant is calcium lignosulphonate.
4. The process of claim 3 in which after drying the granules are screened into sizes acceptable for dry blending with other nutrients and bagged or stored.
5. The process of claim 1 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised exclusively of elemental sulphur particles.
6. The process of claim 1 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised of substantially 90-95% of elemental sulphur particles.
7. The process of claim 3 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised of elemental sulphur particles and sulphonate containing particles.
8. The process of claim 3 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised of fifty-five to sixty-five per cent by weight of elemental sulphur particles, twenty-five to thirty-five per cent by weight of sulphonate containing particles and ten per cent by weight of binder dispersant.
9. A granulated oxidizable sulphur nutrient comprised of elemental sulphur particles bound together by a binder dispersant in which said elemental sulphur particles before granulation will pass through a 200 U.S. mesh screen.
10. The nutrient of claim 9 in which the binder dispersant is lignin based.
11. The nutrient of claim 9 in which the binder dispersant is a calcium lignosulphate.
12. The nutrient of claim 9 in which said elemental sulphur particles will pass through a 100 U.S. mesh screen before granulation.
13. The nutrient of claim 9 which contains negligible quantities of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and at least 90-95 per cent elemental sulphur.
14. The nutrient of claim 9 in which the granulated nutrient may be utilized as a suspension nutrient or as a sulphur component in dry blends.
15. A granulated sulphur nutrient comprised of elemental sulphur particles and sulfate particles bound together by a binder dispersant in which said elemental sulphur and sulphate particles will pass through a 200 U.S. mesh screen.
16. The process of claim 3 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised of substantially 90-95% of elemental sulphur particles.
17. The process of claim 3 in which the granulated sulphur nutrient is comprised of elemental sulphur particles and sulphonate containing particles.
18. The nutrient of claim 15 in which said elemental sulphur particles and sulphate containing particles will pass through a 100 U.S. mesh screen before granulation.
19. The nutrient of claim 15 in which the sulphate containing particles are comprised of ammonium sulphate.
20. The nutrient of claim 15 in which the nutrient is comprised of 55-65% by weight of elemental sulphur, 25-35% by weight of ammonium sulphate and 10% by weight of binder-dispersant.
21. The nutrient of claim 15 in which the granulated nutrient may be utilized as a suspension nutrient or as a sulphur component in dry blends.
22. The process of claim 1 in which the particles are comminuted to 100 U.S. mesh or smaller.
CA 2043873 1991-04-19 1991-06-04 Process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient and the product thereof Abandoned CA2043873A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US68689191A 1991-04-19 1991-04-19
US07/686,891 1991-04-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2043873A1 true CA2043873A1 (en) 1992-10-20

Family

ID=24758161

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2043873 Abandoned CA2043873A1 (en) 1991-04-19 1991-06-04 Process for the manufacture of granulated sulphur nutrient and the product thereof

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2043873A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5788896A (en) * 1997-02-27 1998-08-04 Alberta Research Council Method of producing micron sized sulphur granules
US6783567B1 (en) * 2002-07-29 2004-08-31 Joseph A. Waters Composition and method for soil acidification
CN110698308A (en) * 2019-11-27 2020-01-17 湖北富邦科技股份有限公司 Medium trace element mixing agent and application thereof

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5788896A (en) * 1997-02-27 1998-08-04 Alberta Research Council Method of producing micron sized sulphur granules
US6783567B1 (en) * 2002-07-29 2004-08-31 Joseph A. Waters Composition and method for soil acidification
CN110698308A (en) * 2019-11-27 2020-01-17 湖北富邦科技股份有限公司 Medium trace element mixing agent and application thereof

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