GB422061A - Improvements in the manufacture and production of fertilizers from carbonaceous material - Google Patents

Abstract

Fertilizers are obtained by treating solid carbonaceous material of vegetable origin with chlorine, preferably in the presence of moisture, and neutralizing the reaction mass with basic substances. The carbonaceous material may be admixed with crude phosphate before the treatment, and in this case the initial mixture preferably also contains an alkali or ammonium sulphate and a mixture of chlorine and sulphur dioxide may be employed as the treating agent in the presence of water. The carbonaceous materials referred to are fossil material such as mineral coal, brown coal particularly when having a high humic acid content, peat and coking products thereof such as brown coal low temperature coke, and solid residues from the extraction or destructive hydrogenation of such materials; recent carbonaceous material such as wood, lignin and cellulose may also be employed. Suitable basic substances are gaseous, liquid or aqueous ammonia, ammonium salts such as the carbonate or bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, lime or calcium carbonate or mixtures of these substances. Other fertilizers such as phosphoric or nitric acid or potassium salts, e.g. potassium chloride, may be admixed with the material before, during or after neutralisation. Gaseous chlorine with or without diluents such as air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide may be employed in the treatment at ordinary temperature, or in the case of carbonized products at elevated temperatures up to red heat. The chlorine treatment may also be conducted in aqueous suspension or by means of liquid chlorine under pressure. When the reaction is completed excess of chlorine and, if desired, the major portion of the absorbed hydrogen chloride may be expelled by a current of air, if desired, while heating. The fertilizers may be pressed into tablets. Examples are given.