DE202011109640U1 - Liquid fertilizer from fire extinguishing powder - Google Patents

Abstract

Liquid fertilizer based on ABC fire extinguishing powder, characterized in that the water-soluble mineral nutrients contained in the powder are dissolved.

Description

The present invention relates to a fertilizer in liquid form, which is made from no longer marketable fire extinguishing powder and thus made available for use as a plant nutrient source.

ABC fire-extinguishing powders are usually mixed with monoammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate in various proportions by weight. Monoammonium phosphate can be between 51 and 95%, ammonium sulfate between 0 and 40%. Due to this composition, ABC fire extinguishing powders can be used as fertilizers. According to the Fertilizers Ordinance of 16.12.2008, ABC fire-extinguishing powders, as far as they contain ammonium phosphate, are suitable as fertilizers, as long as the hydrophobing of the powders does not preclude sufficient plant availability.

Since fire-extinguishing powders are not only highly hydrophobic but also very fine-grained (45 to 65% of the particles are <0.04 mm, particles larger than 0.2 mm have a share of less than 5%), application of the powders is considered such not recommended. Numerous publications have already described methods which are intended to enable the use of fire-extinguishing powders.

In the patent DE 100 63 918 B4 For example, a method is described in which the extinguishing powders are dispersed in water using surfactants (cationic, anionic, nonionic and amphoteric) and then dissolved with the addition of an inorganic acid. The process appears uneconomical and expensive, since concentrated phosphoric acid is used for the work-up, which represents a considerable cost factor. As a possible use, the addition in fertilizers is described.

In the published patent application DE 10 2005 015 928 A1 a method is described in which the fire-extinguishing powder is incorporated into manure and can then be applied as fertilizer. Thereby max. Stir 350 kg of powder in a m ³ slurry and store for 1 week. Subsequently, this fertilizer mixture can be applied. Disadvantage of this invention is that the use of liquid manure creates an extremely odorous product, which is difficult to market.

The same is in the published patent application DE 10 2005 063 039 A1 described. The fire-extinguishing powders are mixed with vinasse, a by-product of the molasses fermentation industry. This creates a dispersible and non-dusting powder. The product results in a dispersible whole fertilizer. A disadvantage of this invention is that, although the hydrophobicity of the fire extinguishing powder particles is repealed, but the plant nutrients are only slightly available due to the silicone content of the fire extinguishing powder.

The present invention relates to a fertilizer from ABC fire extinguishing powder from spent fire extinguishers, which in contrast to previous products in a liquid concentrate, which can also be upgraded according to its field of use by admixing special nutrient salts. The fertilizer is prepared by extraction of the spent fire extinguisher powder with water, wherein the hydrophobicity of the powder is abolished using foam extinguisher fluids that have become unusable for extinguishing purposes, which in turn contain surfactant components. The invention thus also makes a contribution to the implementation of the cycle concept.

For nurseries and tree nurseries, the supply of plant nutrients, which are removed during the cultivation of the plants on the plant substrate, of great importance. Already in the growing phase, the supplementation of the plant nutrients to maintain the nutrient supply is of great importance.

It was an object of the present invention to prepare a suspension of fire-extinguishing powder, foam extinguisher liquid and water in such a way that a large part of the nutrient salts contained in the powders dissolves and the smallest possible proportion of residual material remains, which must be separated. The freed from powder residues nutrient solution is a ready-to-use fertilizer concentrate, which is more or less diluted according to the intended application field for the cultivation of plants applicable.

This task could be solved by treating old fire extinguisher powder from ABC extinguishers first by treating with foam extinguisher liquid so that the hydrophobicity is completely eliminated. Subsequently, the no longer dusting powder can be mixed with water until the nutrient salts have gone into solution. The insoluble powder components are separated from the nutrient solution. Depending on the needs of the user, specific nutrients can be mixed in the form of mineral salts.

In one embodiment, the production of a liquid fertilizer variant will be explained.

• • 300 g zu entsorgendes ABC-Feuerlöschpulver
• • 15 ml Schaumlöscherflüssigkeit
• • Wasserzugabe, (max. 1000 ml)

As ingredients are used:

• • 300 g of ABC fire-extinguishing powder to be disposed of
• • 15 ml foam extinguisher fluid
• • water addition, (max 1000 ml)

• • 30 g NH₄-N/L entspricht N_Total/L
• • 16 g S/L
• • 18 g P/L

The extraction of nutrients takes place over a period of about 2 hours. After separation of the insoluble residual powder, a fertilizer solution concentrate is obtained. A typical nutrient composition of the concentrate solution at a mixing ratio of one part powder and three parts water is:

• • 30 g NH ₄ -N / L corresponds to N _Total / L
• • 16 g S / L
• • 18 g P / L

In a further embodiment, the invention consists in the addition of defined amounts of another nitrogen form such. B. KNO ₃ .

• 1 L Extraktlösung
• 220 g KNO₃

As ingredients are used:

• 1 L extract solution
• 220 g KNO ₃

• • 55 g N_Total/L bestehend aus: 30 g NH₄-N/L 25 g NO₃-N/L
• • 16 g S/L
• • 18 g P/L
• • 12 g K/L

A typical nutrient composition for this further embodiment is:

• • 55 g N _Total / L consisting of: 30 g NH ₄ -N / L 25 g NO ₃ -N / L
• • 16 g S / L
• • 18 g P / L
• • 12 g K / L

Another embodiment is that nutrient salts for micronutrients are added to the nutrient solution. In this case, nutrient salts such as magnesium sulfate, manganese sulfate, sodium tetraborate, sodium molybdate u. a. be used.

The composition of the nutrient solution with respect to the micronutrients such as magnesium, manganese, boron and molybdenum, according to the requirements of the crops to be fertilized, adjustable. When selecting the nutrient salts to be used, it is important to ensure their compatibility with each other, their temperature stability and their solution equilibria, since incompatibilities may lead to the risk of precipitation of nutrient salts.

The amount of fertilizer to be used depends on the needs of the particular culture to be fertilized as well as the nutrient composition. Appropriate fertilizer recommendations are indicated on the packaging.

The invention is a fertilizer concentrate. Dilution of the concentrate is required. This depends on the culture to be fertilized and its sensitivity to the salt concentrations in the solution. Appropriate recommendations for dilution are given on the packaging.

The product may be offered for sale in packaged quantities or delivered in bulk to professional consumers.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 10063918 B4 [0004]
• DE 102005015928 A1 [0005]
• DE 102005063039 A1 [0006]

Claims (4)

Liquid fertilizer based on ABC-Altfeuerlöschpulver, characterized in that the water-soluble mineral nutrients contained in the powder are brought into solution. Liquid fertilizer according to claim 1, characterized in that by water extraction from 300 g spent fire extinguishing powders per liter of extractant about 30 g of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrogen, about 18 g of phosphorus and about 16 g of sulfur are in solution. Liquid fertilizer according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that by admixing further nutrient salts z. B. potassium nitrate, the nutrient content is changed with respect to the main nutrients. Liquid fertilizer according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in addition to nutrient salts with the main nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and micronutrient salts are included.