KR100882956B1 - Coal-based organic growth compound - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to biodegradable plant growth compositions consisting essentially of coal particulates, sodium molybdate, linear alcohol alkoxylates, magnesium sulfate, sand or other fillers and water.

Description

Coal-Based Organic Growth Compound {COAL-BASED ORGANIC GROWTH COMPOUND}             

The present invention relates to biodegradable organic growth compositions based on particulate coal.

The plant growth compositions of the present invention provide improvements in the formulations described in US Pat. No. 4,541,857, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Patent No. 4,541,857 describes sodium molybdate, which is a releasable plant nutrient that acts to release plant nutrients in a form that plants can use, and ferric sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, copper sulfate, sulfur, sodium borate A plant fertilizer composition is described that comprises a mixture of fine coal containing one or more adjuvants selected from hydrates, calcined limestone and cobalt carbonate. The coal fines have a maximum mesh size of about 100 mesh and constitute about 50 to 75% by weight of the total weight of the composition, molybdate is present in an amount ranging from 0.001 to 0.100% of the composition, and the adjuvant (s) is the remainder of the composition Configure

Summary of the Invention

As noted above, the present invention provides certain improvements in the compositions described in US Pat. No. 4,541,857. These improvements maintain the useful features of the compositions described in the prior patents, while also providing additional benefits as described in detail below, including, for example, increased growth and yield of plants and expanded applicability and use of the compositions. Create

An important modification in the compositions of US Pat. No. 4,541,857 provided by the present invention is the use of linear alcohol alkoxylates, for example poly (ethylene oxide) ethers of C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ linear primary alcohols.

Other essential features of the compositions of the present invention include the use of significant amounts of sand and small amounts of water. Further features will also be apparent from the more detailed description of the invention which follows.

The plant growth composition of the present invention consists essentially of the following components:

(1) 40 to 80% by weight of fine coal, preferably 70 to 80% by weight;

(2) 0.01 to 1% by weight of sodium molybdate, preferably 0.5 to 1% by weight;

(3) 0.2 to 2% by weight of water;

(4) 0.1 to 1 weight percent linear alcohol alkoxylate;

(5) 0.001 to 4% magnesium sulfate; And

(6) Residual amount of sand, typically in an amount of about 20 to 60 weight percent of the total composition.

Thus, the composition consists mainly of coal and sand in its preferred embodiments, but molybdate, linear alcohol alkoxylates, magnesium sulfate and water are also essential for the success of the present invention.

Among the above components, coal particulates are advantageous as described in the prior US Pat. No. 4,541,857 cited above. As such, the coal particulate can be of any type, for example anthracite, bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal or lignite, and can be of various qualities, generally containing from about 0.5 to 3.0% of the known nitrogen. Other plant nutrients present in coal and useful for use by plants in accordance with the present invention include iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur or sulfates, calcium, chloride and at least traces of manganese, copper, boron, cobalt, alumina and selenium. . High sulfur content coals have been found to be particularly useful.

Advantageously, coal has a particle size of 100 mesh or less, ie it is a particle size passing through a 100 mesh Tyler Screen. Larger and smaller sizes can be effectively used, for example, in the range of -50 mesh to -300 mesh. However, particulates larger than 100 mesh tend to release plant nutrients more slowly. Therefore, it is desirable to use 100 mesh size or finer coal particulates, ie particulates that can pass through a 100 mesh Tyler screen.

Any type of coal may be used, but preferably one of the high sulfur content coal compositions specifically exemplified in US Pat. No. 4,541,857 may be referred to as typical for use herein. This coal has the following elemental analysis on a dry basis:                 

Carbon: 73.19%

Hydrogen: 5.05%

Nitrogen: 1.32%

Chlorine: 0.07%

Sulfur: 4.50%

Ash content: 6.00% and

Oxygen: 9.87%

Such compositions may also be defined on a mineral assay-burn basis as described below:

Phosphorous pentoxide: 0.26%

Silica: 32.95%

Ferric oxide: 33.09%

Alumina: 22.13%

Titania: 0.68%

Lime: 2.66%

Manganese: 0.52%

Sulfur trioxide: 3.24%

Potassium oxide: 1.43%

Sodium oxide: 0.51% and

Unmeasured: 2.53%                 

As described in US Pat. No. 4,541,857, sodium molybdate is considered to act to release plant nutrients from the particulates in such a way that it can break down coal particulates in certain ways and allow plants to use plant nutrients efficiently and advantageously. do. The amount of molybdate may vary and in some cases may be outside the ranges described above depending on the nature and size of the coal particulates, but the best results are that the molybdate content is in the range of 0.5 to 1% by weight of the total composition. Considered to be obtainable in some cases. Although more than this preferred amount can be used, effective decomposition of coal is considered to be realized by using molybdate in the above amounts.

The linear alcohol alkoxylates are preferably ethoxylated primary linear C ₁₂ to C ₁₅ alcohols, for example dodecyl alcohol or mixtures thereof with other C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohols, ie primary linear alcohols, preferably Is a polyethylene oxide ether of 12-15 carbons of primary alcohol. Preferred linear alcohol alkoxylates for use herein are commercially available as "Basic H" surfactants. Such materials or equivalents thereof may be used for the purposes of the present invention.

As noted above, the composition should also contain small amounts of water, typically no greater than about 2% by weight. Such small amounts of water are considered to promote the effects of alkoxylates and to assist in activating plant growth elements in the coal component.                 

Any convenient source of sand can be used. The amount of sand used may vary and will depend, at least to some extent, on the nature and composition of the coal component and the amount of other materials present. Generally speaking, however, the amount of sand in the composition will fall within the above-mentioned range, ie, 20 to 60% by weight, as mentioned herein.

Optimal results are considered to be obtained when sand is used which contains small amounts, for example 0.001 to 0.01% by weight of magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate and other similar traces of metal sulfate.

In addition to any magnesium sulfate which may be included in the sand, it is useful to add magnesium sulfate in an amount of 0.001 to 4% by weight of the composition.

The composition can be prepared in any convenient manner. Preferably, however, the coal and sand are mixed together homogeneously, then the sodium molybdate, alkoxylate and magnesium sulfate in water are sprayed onto the coal / water mixture with stirring to ensure a homogeneous homogeneity. The product can then be dried and then put into bags for later use or applied directly to the soil at the location of use.

Alternatively, a mixture of coal and sand can be placed at the site of use, for example around the bottom of the fruit water, and then the aqueous mixture of molybdate and alkoxylate can be sprayed onto the coal / sand mixture. Magnesium sulfate can be included in an aqueous spray of alkoxylate and molybdate or in a coal / sand mixture.

In a typical formulation, 1-4 ounces of sodium molybdate and up to 1 gallon of alkoxylate are mixed with approximately 50 gallons of water to form a spray mixture with or without magnesium sulfate. The mixture is then sprayed onto an anhydrous mixture of coal fines, sand and magnesium sulfate. Advantageously, a mixture of molybdate and alkoxylate in water can be sprayed onto the anhydrous mixture after applying an anhydrous mixture of coal, sand and magnesium sulfate to the field or soil where plant growth is required. As such, the entire composition, including molybdate and alkoxylates, can be prepared before application to the answer or soil. Whether preformed or prepared in situ, sprays of molybdate and alkoxylates are considered to aid in activating nutrients or growth elements in coal.

The composition of the present invention is widely available, but not entirely, under most soil conditions. An important advantage of the present invention is that, as described below, it is considered that the composition can reform soil that is insufficient for agricultural purposes to highly useful soil. In a wide range of tests, the products consistently exceeded yields by 50 to 100% per acre production as measured for conventionally available conveniently available N-P-K fertilizers.

The invention is illustrated by the examples:

Example 1

70 lbs of high sulfur content was ground to a particle size -100 mesh and mixed with 25 lbs of sand and 4 lbs of magnesium sulfate. The resulting mixture was then placed in the spring around a peach tree cultivated on uncultivated clay soil in Western Pennsylvania. Clay soils and Western Pennsylvania climate are generally undesirable for growing peaches. The tree did not bear fruit for eight years.

After spraying (but not rolling) the anhydrous mixture around the tree, the mixture was sprayed with 50 gallons of water, 1 gallon of basic H (polyethylene oxide ether of C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ primary alcohol) and 4 ounces of sodium molybdate Sprayed with a liquid composition. No pesticides, herbicides, insecticides or fungicides were used. The harvested peaches appeared to be flawless with good color and excellent taste. Yield over the growing period (approximately four months) was high enough to use wooden support piles to support the tree to withstand the weight of the fruit.

Example 2

In this case, Example 1 was repeated except that the composition was used for an apple tree of 30 years of age which had passed its heyday and was grown on clay soil in Pennsylvania. In this case, even if the apple tree had previously produced fruit, the yield was poor. About 100 pounds of the composition was sprayed around the tree stump and then the liquid mixture mentioned in Example 1 was sprayed. The composition was applied around the tree in April. The tree blossomed in May and fruited in late summer. Apple yields have increased significantly over the last few years. The quality of the apples was also remarkable.

Example 3

The experiments of Example 2 were also improved in yield, quality and size when repeated on Stonehead cabbage grown in the same Pennsylvania clay soil. The typical cabbage diameter expected was about 6 inches. However, by applying the composition to the soil in the spring immediately after harvesting, cabbage 14 inches in diameter was harvested consistently in midsummer. Pesticides were not used, but no debate actually existed. The results were obtained despite the fact that weeds were not deliberately removed and, as a result, against cabbage against soil nutrients.

In carrying out the tests mentioned in the above examples, it was noted that the earthworms appeared during the crop cultivation and remained in the soil, thereby acting to nourish the soil.

Example 4

The growth composition of Example 1 was compared to a commercially available N-P-K fertilizer in a 24 acre cornfield test. The field was not suitable for use for 40-50 years. It was located in the mountains and had an inch of soil before reaching the shale rock, and provided the worst type of field test conditions. It was estimated that 4000 pounds of limestone, 120 pounds of nitrogen, and 180 pounds of phosphorus were used on each acre to effectively grow corn on site. However, it was decided to use only about 200 pounds per acre of a composition of the present invention that did not contain limestone.

Photos were taken periodically. N-P-K corn fields containing 4 acres of small compartments failed as expected. Crops with inhibited ear growth of corrugated "stock" corn only observed scattered did not occur on any of the 4 acres. This was characteristic of previous results.

The proximal portion of the test field, only 12 yards from the N-P-K corn subcompartment, included 20 acres using the growth composition according to Example 1. A total of 20 acres harvested useful corn plants, some of which were 104 inches tall. The crop was a complete success harvesting an average of 100 bushels of full form "stock" corn per acre for each of the 20 test acres, while the overall yield was 50 bushels of corn for the entire 24 acre field. The experiment did not use pesticides or herbicides and did not cause stem damage or discoloration; Corn grains were found to be in complete line. In addition, in addition to the significantly increased yield per acre, the compositions according to the invention were used in significantly less amounts in the 20 acre zone than in the 4 acre failed N-P-K fields.

The results of Example 4 suggest that the growth composition of the present invention can be used for corn production in farmland which may be considered insufficient or otherwise insufficiently useful. Such production can be highly useful, for example in ethanol production.

It will be appreciated that the amount of the composition of the invention applied to the soil can vary widely. Application of 200 pounds of the composition per acre, for example 200 of the composition of Example 1, has been found to be effective typically to provide the desired results. Such amounts may be used and the optimal amount for any particular situation can be readily determined by varying the dosage and observing the results. Use of about 100 to 300 pounds per acre, or more, is generally sufficient to achieve the desired results, with about 200 pounds per acre being preferred.

Although the present invention has presented the above embodiment for improving the yield of fruits (apples and peaches), corn and cabbage, the present invention is not limited to the fruits or vegetables. Similar improved results could be obtained using, for example, tomatoes, grasses, alfalfa and the like. In another application of the present invention, the composition was used to grow effective grass sheaths on soil exposed by coal mine stripping. In this particular situation, it was not possible to provide the hides as previously required by the State Federal Agency. The composition of the present invention was sprayed into the soil as an aqueous spray (hydroseeding) containing forage seeds, and the complete skin was harvested in about 2 weeks.

Solids, volatile solids, total carbon (Total C), total nitrogen (Total N), organic nitrogen (Org-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH ₄ -N) of the composition according to the invention as used in the above examples , Phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) Analysis for, zinc (Zn) and boron (B) gave the following results:

Principal Components (all values are in units of mass ± standard deviation in%)

Solid 95.9 ± 0.14

Volatiles 35.8 ± 4.7

Total C 22.7 ± 1.1

Total N 4.98 ± 0.16                 

Org N 3.17 ± 0.35

NH ₄ -N 1.82 ± 0.50

P 2.1 ± 0.33

K 5.6 ± 0.69

Mg 2.1 ± 0.11

Ca 6.6 ± 0.35

Na 029 ± 0.02

Fe 0.63 ± 0.02

Al 2.1 ± 0.16

Mn 0.31 ± 0.02

Trace elements (all values are in mg / kg or ppm ± standard deviation)

Cd 0.46 ± 0.02

Cr 49.85 ± 4.59

Cu 9.35 ± 0.35

Pb 42.15 ± 2.05

Ni 1.5 ± 014

Zn 33.5 ± 2.19

B 184 ± 13

Mo content was not measured in the analysis.                 

Based on this analysis, it could be seen as a 5-5-7 (NPK) composition in which N is represented by% N, P is represented by% P ₂ O ₅ , and K is represented by% K ₂ O, which is a representative fertilizer assay. to be. The correct composition is 5-4.8-6.8. Thus, 10 tonnes of dry matter of these materials will supply 100 N Total N, and 2.4 tonnes of dry matter will supply P 100 lbs. No trace element is present as a fertilizer at a concentration that may cause concern for the soil application of the material. Even if Cr, Pb and Zn concentrations are higher than 10 ppm, these values are also not present above those which can be measured in uncontaminated (pure) soils because these elements are also present in the rock material. High concentrations of organic C and N indicate that the addition of the substance to the soil increases the organic content of the soil, resulting in a total improvement in soil better than that resulting from the addition of an equivalent amount of nutrient alone.

It will be appreciated from the above that the compositions of the present invention provide a number of important advantages. On the other hand, the composition has the direct effect of fertilizing without depleting the soil, in addition to improving crop yields and acting in smaller amounts than in optimal soil. As is well known, the use of N-P-K fertilizers has the opposite effect. Around the world, soil has been severely depleted of nutrients and used for centuries but has been contaminated by the use of pesticides, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides, especially over the last 50 years. All have been required at increasing costs for harvesting crops from soils that are depleted of excessive, repeated and always increasing amounts of NPK (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium carbonate) or artificial fertilizers, all of which are corn, tomato, watermelon or This occurred with reduced quality of crops such as other vegetables or fruits. Testing of the compositions with the present invention suggests that less growth compounds per acre are required to meet and exceed crop yields from artificial commercial fertilizer blends (N-P-K). In addition, the compositions of the present invention appear to minimize the need for pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. This was valid for all crops tested, from corn to cabbage, tomatoes, melons, peaches, apples, beans and other vegetables. In all tests so far, no pesticides or preparations were required or used for crops. No adverse effects were observed and were found to be effective at the opposite result from the actual addition of nutrients to the soil and the resulting improved crop yields.

In addition to reducing costs while improving plant growth results, the compositions of the present invention provide a number of other advantages. For example, the compositions of the present invention can be used to reclaim soils previously unavailable, such as coal open-mining and deep-mining soils. As a test, the compositions of the invention were applied to the surface of "hot" or acidic soil resulting from coal mining operations in Pennsylvania as in Examples 1-4. Previous attempts to produce geckos as required by the institution have failed. However, within about 10 days after the application of the composition of the present invention, effective skin was obtained over the zone.

As can be appreciated from the above, the advantages of the compositions of the present invention include: It avoids the use of expensive N-P-K fertilizers or equivalents and the disadvantages of such fertilizers. This substantially eliminates or reduces the need for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and the composition clearly tends to control these pests naturally. This is considered to enable and promote more uniform moisture permeation in the soil which makes nutrients released from coal more available to plants over a shorter period than is possible using conventional fertilizers. In addition, the compositions of the present invention have no adverse effects on soil pH, resulting in the appearance of earthworms that produce greener plant leaves, promote seed germination, increase plant yield, and aid in soil nutrient fertilization. To promote larger, taller, thicker plants, crops and plant stems; It retains moisture in the soil, which reduces soil erosion, moisture evaporation and moisture outflow, thus promoting more efficient use of moisture, while separately promoting drainage in soil areas of excess moisture accumulation and promoting moisture retention during dry weather. On the other hand, it aids in the outflow of moisture through the soil in hot or dry weather.

Various modifications can be made in the present invention as described above and as defined in the claims below.

Claims (7)

Biodegradable plant growth composition consisting essentially of coal particulates, sodium molybdate, linear alcohol alkoxylates, magnesium sulfate, sand and water. The method of claim 1, wherein 40 to 80% by weight of 100 mesh or finer coal fine particles; 0.01 to 1 weight percent sodium molybdate; 0.2 to 2 weight percent water; 0.1 to 1 weight percent linear alcohol alkoxylate; 0.001% to 4% magnesium sulfate; And a composition consisting essentially of residual amounts of sand. A method for improving crop yield, comprising applying the composition of claim 1 to the soil of a crop. A method of promoting plant growth in said reclaimed soil, comprising applying the composition of claim 1 to coal open-mining or deep-mining soil. The method of claim 4, wherein the plant growth is promoted without the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said composition is applied to the periphery of fruit water to promote plant growth such that the yield or quality of the fruit produced, or both, is improved. The method of claim 5, wherein the composition is applied to soil in which the vegetable or fruit grows to promote growth of the vegetable or fruit.