Fertilizer composition from metal nitrate slag

Abstract

Fertilizers containing soluble calcium (Ca), soluble nitrogen (N) present in ammonium and nitrate, and soluble sulfur (S) present in sulfate to provide a quick release fertilizer, and optionally a silicate to provide a slow release form are disclosed. The source for producing the fertilizer may be waste from industrial processes. Methods of making and using the fertilizers are also disclosed.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 425,043, filed on November 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] I. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to fertilizer compositions containing modified components from waste products to produce soluble and slow-release fertilizers. In particular embodiments, the present disclosure relates to fertilizers containing soluble calcium (Ca), soluble nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonium and nitrates, and soluble sulfur (S) in the form of sulfates to provide a fast-release fertilizer, and optionally silicates to provide a slow-release form. One or more sources used to produce the fertilizer may be waste products from industrial processes.

[0005] II. Background

[0006] Soil nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur, as well as trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium, are essential for agricultural prosperity and plant growth. After repeated cropping cycles, the amount of these nutrients in the soil can become depleted, resulting in inhibited plant growth and reduced yields. To counteract this effect, fertilizers have been developed to help replace depleted vital nutrients. Both single-nutrient fertilizers and multi-nutrient fertilizers, such as fertilizer blends, have been developed to meet the diverse needs of crop production worldwide.

[0007] Applying fertilizer doesn't always provide plants with all of its nutrients within a short period of time. Some fertilizers contain nutrients containing compounds that are not readily available to plants after application. In these cases, some people apply fertilizer well before planting, or some people apply excessive amounts of fertilizer close to planting time, in an effort to provide plants with sufficient nutrients early on. However, this comes at the expense of time, may require multiple soil treatments before or after planting, and / or increase costs.

[0008] Plants, such as crops, require nutrients at least throughout their growth and maturity stages. However, many fertilizers, when dispersed into the soil, are degraded or absorbed within a short period of time. To address this issue, fertilizers can be applied to the same plant multiple times or slow-release fertilizers can be used.

[0009] Some methods of applying fertilizer multiple times include dissolving the fertilizer in the water used to irrigate plants and delivering it through the irrigation system. However, agricultural water can vary greatly in temperature and pH and may have dissolved ions, which can cause some of the added fertilizer to become insoluble or to precipitate out of solution.

[0010] Some approaches to slow-release fertilizers involve coating the fertilizer core with a polymer. However, many polymer coatings are expensive and / or can undesirably accumulate in the soil over time after repeated applications. Other approaches involve coating or mixing with insoluble metal oxides, such as MgO and CaO. However, these metal oxides do not provide much, if any, nutrients to plants.

[0011] Some methods attempt to use industrial waste products as fertilizers, which can have a mixture of quick-release nutrients (e.g., water-soluble nutrients) and slow-release nutrients (e.g., insoluble nutrients) that provide a variety of plant nutrients, such as phosphorus and calcium. Compared with purer nutrient sources, these products are also likely to reduce costs and reduce the impact of industrial waste on the environment. However, industrial waste products usually contain chemicals that are rarely used as nutrients for plants or contain chemicals that may be harmful to plants, and various plant nutrients cannot be provided in the ratio required for soil and plants, and / or plant nutrients cannot be provided in the ratio of quick-release to long-term release forms required for soil and plants. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Disclosed herein are solutions to at least some of the problems discussed above, including the generation of fertilizer products that do not require urea, although urea may also be used in addition, using industrial waste products to produce fertilizer products that provide a variety of soluble plant nutrients and that may optionally include components that slow down the release of certain plant nutrients. Thus, fertilizers can provide quick-release nutrients that can be used as dry fertilizers and / or for water irrigation and / or can provide a combination of quick-release nutrients and slow-release nutrients in a single application. In some aspects, fertilizers provide soluble calcium (Ca), soluble nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonium and nitrates, and soluble sulfur (S) in the form of sulfates to provide quick-release fertilizers, as well as optional silicates combined with soluble nutrients to provide a slow-release form. In some aspects, fertilizers contain ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate, and optionally ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide as a binder. In some aspects, fertilizers also contain one or more water-soluble magnesium nitrates, iron nitrates, aluminum nitrates, and manganese nitrates. In some cases, phosphorus may be present in the fertilizer as phosphoric acid and / or phosphates such as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate, and / or manganese phosphate. In some cases, fertilizers are produced by reacting nitric acid with one or more of the following: slag from metal production, and waste gypsum (calcium sulfate) from phosphoric acid production or extraction of titanium oxide. In some cases, the fertilizer can be further modified by reacting with an ammonium source. Silicates can be retained or removed during the production process, such as after reaction with nitric acid and / or with an ammonia source.

[0013] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fertilizer is synthesized by reacting slag with nitric acid to form at least calcium nitrate and silicate and / or silicon dioxide. In some embodiments, the silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide in the reaction product can be removed and dried. In some embodiments, the silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide in the reaction product can be retained for further processing, as described herein. Non-limiting example reactions that can occur include the following:

[0014] CaSiO3+2HNO3→Ca(NO3)2+H2SiO3

[0015] CaO+2HNO3→Ca(NO3)2+2H2O

[0016] MgO+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+2H2O

[0017] FeO+2HNO3→Fe(NO3)2+2H2O

[0018] MnO+2HNO3→Mn(NO3)2+2H2O

[0019] Al2O3+6HNO3→2Al(NO3)3+3H2O

[0020] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fertilizer is synthesized by reacting calcium sulfate with nitric acid to form calcium nitrate and sulfuric acid, either in the same vessel as the reaction of slag with nitric acid or in a separate vessel or at a separate time. Non-limiting example reactions may include the following:

[0021] CaSO4+2HNO3→Ca(NO3)2+H2SO4

[0022] In some embodiments, the synthesis of at least part of the fertilizer is carried out by reacting an ammonium source with the product of the reaction of slag and nitric acid to form ammonium silicate. The ammonia source can be, but is not limited to, ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and / or ammonia gas to produce ammonium nitrate. In some cases, silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide are removed from the product of the reaction of slag and nitric acid before reacting with the ammonium source. In some cases, silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide are not removed before reacting with the ammonium source. In some cases, silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide are removed after reacting with the ammonium source. In some cases, silicate compounds and / or silicon dioxide are not removed after reacting with the ammonium source. Non-limiting example reactions may include the following reactions:

[0023] H2SiO3+2NH3→(NH4)2SiO3

[0024] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fertilizer is synthesized by reacting sulfuric acid with a source of ammonia to form ammonium sulfate in the same vessel as the product of the reaction of the ammonium source with the slag and nitric acid, or in a separate vessel or at a separate time. Non-limiting example reactions may include the following:

[0025] H2SO4+2NH3→(NH4)2SO4

[0026] The final product may contain a mixture of the above chemical components, including but not limited to any one or more of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, manganese nitrate, aluminum nitrate, silicates, hydrogen silicates, metasilicic acid, ammonium silicate, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide and / or aluminum oxide. In some cases, the slag used to produce fertilizer contains phosphorus compounds, and the phosphorus may be present in the final product as phosphoric acid and / or phosphates such as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate and / or manganese phosphate.

[0027] In some aspects, the reactions are carried out in one or more than one container. In some aspects, the reactions are carried out simultaneously or sequentially or a mixture of the two.

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure are improvements to known fertilizers, including those involving the use of waste products to produce quick-release fertilizers and / or soluble fertilizers, including calcium (Ca), nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonium and nitrates, and sulfur (S) in the form of sulfates, and optionally one or more of magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al). Embodiments of the present disclosure can also provide improvements to known fertilizers, including those involving the use of waste products to produce slow-release agents in fertilizers containing nitrogen (N) and silicon (Si). Current slow-release fertilizer products typically use physical intervention to slow the release of the fertilizer, for example, by coating the fertilizer with a polymer insoluble material to slow the release of the fertilizer. Current slow-release fertilizers may also use enzyme inhibitors, such as urease inhibitors or nitrification inhibitors, to slow the utilization of the fertilizer. Although the fertilizers described herein may also contain physical interventions and / or inhibitors, the fertilizers described herein do not always require such measures to produce slow-release nutrient fertilizer compositions, because silicate compounds or silica can be used to physically capture soluble nutrients to prevent quick release when exposed to water.

[0029] Embodiments herein describe mixtures of nutrients, and the preparation of such mixtures, which function to generate quick-release fertilizers and / or soluble fertilizers or slow-release fertilizers in the soil as reservoirs of nutrients that are released over time. The fertilizers may include quick-release aspects of the fertilizers, which may comprise or consist of soluble reactants or soluble products of the reactions described herein, and any combination thereof, such as calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate, and / or ammonium sulfate. The slow-release aspects of the fertilizers may comprise or consist of one or more silicate compounds or silicon dioxide, such as ammonium silicate.

[0030] In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of calcium nitrate and ammonium sulfate. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of ammonium silicate, calcium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of silicate, calcium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of ammonium silicate, silicon dioxide, calcium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. In some aspects, the fertilizer further comprises or consists of one or more of magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, manganese nitrate, aluminum nitrate, sulfuric acid, hydrogen silicate, and metasilicic acid.

[0031] Fertilizers encompassed in certain embodiments herein include those that can be used to immediately replenish deficiencies of calcium, nitrogen, and sulfur, and optionally one or more of magnesium, iron, manganese, and aluminum, in the soil in the form of readily soluble calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, ferric nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate, and / or ammonium sulfate, while also meeting long-term needs for silicon, calcium, nitrogen, and sulfur, and optionally one or more of magnesium, iron, manganese, and aluminum, through controlled, slow release of one or more of ammonium silicate, silicate, hydrogen silicate, or metasilicic acid, and providing calcium, nitrogen, sulfur, and optionally one or more of magnesium, iron, manganese, and aluminum in the form of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, ferric nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate, and / or ammonium sulfate by trapping soluble nutrients.

[0032] Certain aspects relate to fertilizers comprising a homogeneous mixture comprising a quick-release agent as a soluble nitrogen source, a sulfur source, and a calcium source, and optionally one or more magnesium sources, iron sources, manganese sources, and aluminum sources. The quick-release agent may comprise calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate, and / or ammonium sulfate. In some aspects, the homogeneous mixture does not comprise a binder. In some aspects, the homogeneous mixture comprises a binder. The binder may comprise a slow-release agent. The slow-release agent may comprise ammonium silicate, silicic acid, hydrogen silicate, and / or metasilicic acid.

[0033] Certain aspects relate to fertilizers comprising a rapid-release agent at least partially encapsulated by a silicate compound or silica. Certain aspects relate to fertilizers comprising a rapid-release agent at least partially contained on the surface of a silicate compound or silica. Certain aspects relate to fertilizers comprising a rapid-release agent at least partially contained in a dried gel of a silicate compound or silica.

[0034] In some aspects, the fertilizer does not comprise a binder separate from the silicate, such as ammonium silicate, a silicate, a hydrogen silicate, and / or metasilicic acid.The fertilizer can be a granular fertilizer.

[0035] In certain aspects, the fertilizer comprises nitrogen (N) at least any one of the following, at most any one of the following, equal to any one of the following, or between any two of the following: 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, and 25 wt%, and sulfur (S) at least any one of the following, at most any one of the following, equal to any one of the following, or between any two of the following: 5 wt%, 6 wt%, %, 7 wt %, 8 wt %, 9 wt %, 10 wt %, 11 wt %, 12 wt %, 13 wt %, 14 wt %, 15 wt %, 16 wt %, and 17 wt %, and / or at least any one of the following contents, up to any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents of calcium (Ca): 7 wt %, 8 wt %, 9 wt %, 10 wt %, 11 wt %, 12 wt %, 13 wt %, 14 wt %, 15 wt %, 16 wt %, 17 wt %, 18 wt %, 19 wt %, and 20 wt %. In some cases, the weight ratio of the immediate-release agent and the sustained-release agent included is from about 5: 1 to about 1: 5, for example, 5: 1, 4: 1, 3: 1, 2: 1, 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 3, 1: 4, or 1: 5.

[0036] In some aspects, the fertilizer does not contain urea and / or polymers. In some aspects, the fertilizer also contains urea and / or polymers. In some aspects, the fertilizer does not contain ammonium nitrate. In some aspects, the fertilizer does not contain phosphorus and / or potassium.

[0037] In some aspects, calcium sulfate is gypsum. In some aspects, gypsum is and / or is derived from red gypsum or waste gypsum, or is contained in red gypsum or waste gypsum, or is produced by phosphoric acid production. Slag can be a by-product of metal production. In some cases, slag may contain silicon dioxide and / or silicates and calcium, such as calcium oxide and / or calcium silicate, and other metal oxides. Other metal oxides may include but are not limited to oxides of iron, magnesium, aluminum and manganese. In some cases, slag contains phosphorus compounds, such as phosphoric acid. In some aspects, slag is slag from steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, carbon steel and / or phosphate production.

[0038] Some aspects relate to a method for preparing a fertilizer, which includes any fertilizer described herein. The method may include steps (a) and / or steps (b). In step (a), calcium sulfate and slag are reacted with nitric acid to generate a first reaction product, which includes at least calcium nitrate, sulfuric acid, and optionally silicate or silicon dioxide. In some cases, step (a) includes contacting calcium sulfate and slag with nitric acid to generate a first reaction product, which includes at least calcium nitrate, sulfuric acid, and optionally silicate or silicon dioxide. In some cases, step (a) does not react calcium sulfate with nitric acid and slag with nitric acid, but rather reacts the reaction of nitric acid with calcium sulfate and the reaction of slag with nitric acid separately. Then, the two separately reacted products may be combined to form the first reaction product. The two separately reacted products can remain separated when they react in step (b). In some cases, before the reaction of step (b), some or all of the insoluble components of the first reaction product, such as silicate or silicon dioxide, are removed. In some cases, before the reaction of step (b), the insoluble components of the first reaction product are not removed. In some cases, the first reaction product is dried and used as a fertilizer, with or without silicates and / or silica. In some cases, some or all of the insoluble components of the first reaction product, such as silicates or silica, are removed and dried.

[0039] In step (b), the first reaction product with or without silicate and / or silica can be contacted with a source of ammonia to generate a second reaction product, the second reaction product comprising at least ammonium sulfate and unreacted products from the first reaction product and optionally ammonium silicate. In some cases, step (b) includes contacting the first reaction product containing a portion of sulfuric acid and optional silicate and / or silica with a source of ammonia to generate a second reaction product comprising ammonium sulfate and ammonium silicate. In some instances, step (b) includes contacting the first reaction product without silicate or silica with a source of ammonia to generate a second reaction product comprising ammonium sulfate. In some cases, step (b) includes reacting the product of the reaction of nitric acid with calcium sulfate and the product of the reaction of slag with nitric acid with an ammonium source, respectively. The two separately reacted products may then be combined to form a second reaction product. In some cases, the two separately reacted products may remain separate. In some cases, some or all of the insoluble components of the second reaction product, such as ammonia silicate or silica, are removed. In some cases, the insoluble components of the second reaction product are not removed. In some cases, the second reaction product is dried and used as a fertilizer, with or without silicates and / or silica. In some cases, some or all of the insoluble components of the second reaction product, such as ammoniacal silicates or silica, are removed and dried.

[0040] In certain aspects, the method of preparing a fertilizer further comprises drying the fertilizer mixture, e.g., the first reaction product and / or the second reaction product, to form a solid fertilizer composition. Steps (a) and (b) and / or drying can occur at about 30°C to about 150°C, e.g., 30°C, 31°C, 32°C, 33°C, 34°C, 35°C, 36°C, 37°C, 38°C, 39°C, 40°C, 41°C, 42°C, 43°C, 44°C, 45°C, 46°C, 47°C, 48°C, 49°C, 50°C, 51°C, 52°C, 53°C, 54°C, 55°C, 56°C, 57°C, 58°C, 59°C, 60°C, 61°C, 62°C, 63°C, 64°C, 65°C, 66°C, 67°C, 68°C, 69°C, 70°C, 71°C, 72°C, 73°C, 74°C, 75°C, 76°C, 77°C, 78°C, 79°C, 7℃, 58℃, 59℃, 60℃, 61℃, 62℃, 63℃, 64℃, 65℃, 66℃, 67℃, 68℃, 69℃, 70℃, 71℃, 72℃, 73℃, 74℃, 75℃, 76℃, 77℃, 78℃, 79℃, 80℃, 81℃, 82℃, 83℃, 84℃, 85℃, 86℃, 87℃, 88℃, 89℃, 90℃, 91℃, 92℃ , 93℃, 94℃, 95℃, 96℃, 97℃, 98℃, 99℃, 100℃, 101℃, 102℃, 103℃, 104℃, 105℃, 106℃, 107℃, 108℃, 109℃, 110℃, 111℃, 112℃, 113℃, 114℃, 115℃, 116℃, 117℃, 118℃, 119℃, 120℃, 121℃, 122 ℃, 123 ℃, 124 ℃, 125 ℃, 126 ℃, 127 ℃, 128 ℃, 129 ℃, 130 ℃, 131 ℃, 132 ℃, 133 ℃, 134 ℃, 135 ℃, 136 ℃, 137 ℃, 138 ℃, 139 ℃, 140 ℃, 141 ℃, 142 ℃, 143 ℃, 144 ℃, 145 ℃, 146 ℃, 147 ℃, 148 ℃, 149 ℃, and 150 ℃. In some aspects, steps (a) and / or (b) may occur at a temperature between 30 ℃ and 75 ℃, or any temperature therein, or any range therein. In some aspects, the fertilizer composition comprises or consists of any one of the following substances or a combination of the following substances: calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, ferric nitrate, manganese nitrate, aluminum nitrate, silicate, hydrogen silicate, metasilicic acid, ammonium silicate, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide and / or aluminum oxide. In some aspects, the ammonia source comprises a solution of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium, ammonium carbonate, ammonia, succinimide and / or phthalimide. In some cases, the slag used to produce the fertilizer contains a phosphorus compound, and phosphorus may be present in the fertilizer as phosphoric acid and / or phosphates such as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate and / or manganese phosphate.

[0041] The following Aspects 1 to 20 of the present invention are also disclosed.

[0042] Aspect 1 is a fertilizer composition comprising ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate, and ammonium silicate.

[0043] Aspect 2 is the fertilizer composition according to aspect 1, wherein the composition comprises 17 to 22 weight % nitrogen (N), 12 to 17 weight % calcium (Ca), and 7 to 12 weight % sulfur (S).

[0044] Aspect 3 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 and 2, wherein the composition further comprises magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate and / or silicon dioxide.

[0045] Aspect 4 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the composition further comprises calcium sulfate, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and / or ammonia.

[0046] Aspect 5 is the fertilizer composition according to aspect 4, wherein the composition comprises calcium sulfate, and the calcium sulfate is contained in waste gypsum and / or recycled gypsum.

[0047] Aspect 6 is the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the composition does not comprise a binder separate from the ammonium silicate or silicon dioxide.

[0048] Aspect 7 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein at least a portion of the ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate is absorbed on the surface of the ammonium silicate.

[0049] Aspect 8 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the fertilizer composition further comprises a phosphorus source and / or a potassium source.

[0050] Aspect 9 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the fertilizer is homogeneous.

[0051] Aspect 10 is the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the composition comprises a gel.

[0052] Aspect 11 is the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises a dried gel.

[0053] Aspect 12 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein at least a portion of the ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate is encapsulated by ammonium silicate.

[0054] Aspect 13 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the fertilizer composition is a granular fertilizer.

[0055] Aspect 14 is the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the composition does not comprise at least one of urea or a polymer.

[0056] Aspect 15 is a method for producing the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, the method comprising the steps of:

[0057] (a) contacting calcium sulfate and slag with nitric acid to produce a first reaction product, the first reaction product comprising:

[0058] calcium nitrate, sulfuric acid, and silicates and / or silicon dioxide; and

[0059] (b) contacting the first reaction product with a source of ammonia to produce a second reaction product, the second reaction product comprising:

[0060] Ammonium sulfate and ammonium silicate,

[0061] The second reaction product further comprises calcium nitrate from the first reaction product.

[0062] Aspect 16 is a method according to aspect 15, wherein step (a) comprises:

[0063] Calcium sulfate is contacted with nitric acid to produce a product comprising:

[0064] calcium nitrate and sulfuric acid; and

[0065] Nitric acid is contacted with the slag to produce a product comprising:

[0066] Calcium nitrate and silicates and / or silicon dioxide, and / or

[0067] Step (b) comprises:

[0068] The silicate and / or silicon dioxide is contacted with a source of ammonia to produce a product comprising:

[0069] ammonium silicate; and

[0070] Sulfuric acid is contacted with a source of ammonia to produce a product comprising:

[0071] Ammonium sulfate.

[0072] Aspect 17 is the method according to any one of aspects 15 to 16, further comprising drying the second reaction product to form a solid fertilizer composition.

[0073] Aspect 18 is a method according to any one of aspects 15 to 17, wherein the calcium sulfate comprises red gypsum and / or waste gypsum from phosphoric acid production, wherein the source of ammonia is ammonium hydroxide and / or ammonia, and / or wherein the slag is slag from metal and / or phosphate production, and the metal is steel, stainless steel, alloy steel and / or carbon steel.

[0074] Aspect 19 is a method according to any one of aspects 15 to 18, wherein step (a) and / or step (b) occurs at 30° C. to 150° C. and / or lasts for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

[0075] Aspect 20 is a method of fertilizing, comprising contacting a plant, soil, water, or a combination thereof with the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0076] The term "fertilizer" is defined as a material that is applied to soil or plant tissue to provide one or more plant nutrients that are essential or beneficial to plant growth and / or a stimulant or enhancer that increases or promotes plant growth.

[0077] The term "granule" may include solid materials. Granules may have a variety of different shapes, non-limiting examples of which include spheres, pucks, ovoids, rods, oblongs, or any shape.

[0078] The term "particle" may include solid material having a largest dimension less than 1 mm.

[0079] The term "granulate" or "powder" may include a plurality of particles.

[0080] As used herein, the terms "about" or "approximately" are defined as being close to what one of ordinary skill in the art would understand. In a non-limiting embodiment, these terms are defined as being within ±10%, preferably within ±5%, more preferably within ±1%, and most preferably within ±0.5%.

[0081] The terms "wt %," "vol %," or "mole %" refer to the weight percent, volume percent, or mole percent, respectively, of a component based on the total weight, total volume, or total moles of the material. In a non-limiting example, 10 grams of a component in 100 grams of a material is 10% by weight of the component.

[0082] When used with the terms "include" or "comprising", the term without a quantifier can mean "a", but also has the meaning of "one or more", "at least one" and "one or more than one".

[0083] The phrase "and / or" means "and" or "or." For example, A, B, and / or C includes: A alone, B alone, C alone, a combination of A and B, a combination of A and C, a combination of B and C, or a combination of A, B, and C. In other words, "and / or" serves as an inclusive "or."

[0084] The words "comprising," "having," "including," or "containing" are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0085] Compositions and methods for their use may "comprise," "contain," "consist essentially of," or "consist of" any ingredient or any step disclosed throughout the specification. Disclosure of compositions and methods as "consisting essentially of" any ingredient or any step limits the scope of the claims to the specific materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed invention.

[0086] It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method or any composition of the invention, and vice versa. Additionally, the compositions of the invention can be used to implement the methods of the invention.

[0087] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration only, as various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on this detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] The following drawings constitute part of this specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments provided herein.

[0089] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of a system and method for producing fertilizer according to a non-limiting example of the systems and methods disclosed herein.

[0090] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of a system and method for producing fertilizer according to another non-limiting example of the systems and methods disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide the advantage that is better than existing fertilizer, comprise and do not need urea, although urea also can be used in addition, use industrial waste products to produce fertilizer product, wherein said fertilizer product provides the fertilizer product of multiple soluble plant nutrients, and can also optionally comprise the composition that slows down some plant nutrients discharge.Fertilizer can provide and can be used as dry fertilizer and / or be used for the quick-release nutrient of water irrigation and / or can provide the combination of quick-release nutrient and slow-release nutrient in once using.In some respects, this ability does not need to use adhesive, inhibitor or add other interventions of the compound except that silicate and / or silicon dioxide and just can be realized.Silicate and / or silicon dioxide can be stayed in the product or removed.

[0092] I. Fertilizer

[0093] Certain embodiments herein relate to fertilizers comprising the following substances: ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate, and optionally ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide as a binder. Some aspects relate to synthesizing fertilizers using waste products as a source of reactants for producing fertilizer components. Waste products that can be used as a source of reactants include, but are not limited to, waste gypsum, red gypsum, and / or slag. In some aspects, the fertilizer is a mixture that is a uniform mixture. In some aspects, ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide capture at least a portion of the other ingredients in the fertilizer to slow down its release when exposed to water. In some aspects, the fertilizer is contacted with water to dissolve the fertilizer, and the dissolved fertilizer is then applied to plants and / or soil.

[0094] The fertilizer may be a fertilizer granule that may include a mixture containing calcium (Ca), nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonium and / or nitrate, and sulfur (S) in the form of sulfate. The ratio of elements present in the fertilizer may be adjusted depending on the specific application. In some cases, the fertilizer also contains one or more of magnesium, iron, aluminum, and manganese.

[0095] At least a portion of the Ca can be present as calcium nitrate. In some aspects, based on the total weight of Ca in the mixture, at least 90% by weight, or at least 95% by weight, or between 90% by weight and 100% by weight, or at least any one of the following amounts, up to any one of the following amounts, equal to any one of the following amounts, or between any two of the following amounts: 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, and 100% by weight of the Ca in the mixture can be present as calcium nitrate. In some embodiments, the Ca in the mixture may be present as calcium nitrate in an amount of at least any of the following amounts, at most any of the following amounts, equal to any of the following amounts, or between any two of the following amounts: 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, 10 wt%, 11 wt%, 12 wt%, 13 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 7 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, %, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, 73 wt%, %, 74 wt%, 75 wt%, 76 wt%, 77 wt%, 78 wt%, 79 wt%, 80 wt%, 81 wt%, 82 wt%, 83 wt%, 84 wt%, 85 wt%, 86 wt%, 87 wt%, 88 wt%, 89 wt%, 90 wt%, 91 wt%, 92 wt%, 93 wt%, 94 wt%, 95 wt%, 96 wt%, 97 wt%, 98 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.5 wt% and 100 wt%.

[0096] In some aspects, the fertilizer can contain i) calcium nitrate in an amount of at least any one of the following amounts, at most any one of the following amounts, equal to any one of the following amounts, or between any two of the following amounts: 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, 10 wt%, 11 wt%, 12 wt%, 13 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 6 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, %, 47% by weight, 48% by weight, 49% by weight, 50% by weight, 51% by weight, 52% by weight, 53% by weight, 54% by weight, 55% by weight, 56% by weight, 57% by weight, 58% by weight, 59% by weight, 60% by weight, 61% by weight, 62% by weight, 63% by weight, 64% by weight, 65% by weight, 66% by weight, 67% by weight, 68% by weight, 69% by weight, 70% by weight, 71% by weight, 72% by weight, 73% by weight, 74% by weight, 75% by weight, 76% by weight %, 77% by weight, 78% by weight, 79% by weight, 80% by weight, 81% by weight, 82% by weight, 83% by weight, 84% by weight, 85% by weight, 86% by weight, 87% by weight, 88% by weight, 89% by weight, 90% by weight, 91% by weight, 92% by weight, 93% by weight, 94% by weight, 95% by weight, 96% by weight, 97% by weight, 98% by weight, 99% by weight, 99.5% by weight and 100% by weight, ii) ammonium sulfate, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or the fertilizer granules,The content thereof is at least any one of the following contents, at most any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents: 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, 10 wt%, 11 wt%, 12 wt%, 13 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 %, 21% by weight, 22% by weight, 23% by weight, 24% by weight, 25% by weight, 26% by weight, 27% by weight, 28% by weight, 29% by weight, 30% by weight, 31% by weight, 32% by weight, 33% by weight, 34% by weight, 35% by weight, 36% by weight, 37% by weight, 38% by weight, 39% by weight, 40% by weight, 41% by weight, 42% by weight, 43% by weight, 44% by weight, 45% by weight, 46% by weight, 47% by weight, 48% by weight %, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, 73 wt%, 74 wt%, 75 wt%, 76 wt%, %, 77% by weight, 78% by weight, 79% by weight, 80% by weight, 81% by weight, 82% by weight, 83% by weight, 84% by weight, 85% by weight, 86% by weight, 87% by weight, 88% by weight, 89% by weight, 90% by weight, 91% by weight, 92% by weight, 93% by weight, 94% by weight, 95% by weight, 96% by weight, 97% by weight, 98% by weight and 99% by weight, optionally iii) ammonium silicate, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or the fertilizer granules,The content thereof is at least any one of the following contents, at most any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents: 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, 10 wt%, 11 wt%, 12 wt%, 13 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 %, 21% by weight, 22% by weight, 23% by weight, 24% by weight, 25% by weight, 26% by weight, 27% by weight, 28% by weight, 29% by weight, 30% by weight, 31% by weight, 32% by weight, 33% by weight, 34% by weight, 35% by weight, 36% by weight, 37% by weight, 38% by weight, 39% by weight, 40% by weight, 41% by weight, 42% by weight, 43% by weight, 44% by weight, 45% by weight, 46% by weight, 47% by weight, 48% by weight %, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, 73 wt%, 74 wt%, 75 wt%, 76 wt%, %, 77% by weight, 78% by weight, 79% by weight, 80% by weight, 81% by weight, 82% by weight, 83% by weight, 84% by weight, 85% by weight, 86% by weight, 87% by weight, 88% by weight, 89% by weight, 90% by weight, 91% by weight, 92% by weight, 93% by weight, 94% by weight, 95% by weight, 96% by weight, 97% by weight, 98% by weight and 99% by weight, and optionally iv) a silicate, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or the fertilizer granules,Its content is at least any one of the following contents, at most any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents: 1 weight %, 2 weight %, 3 weight %, 4 weight %, 5 weight %, 6 weight %, 7 weight %, 8 weight %, 9 weight %, 10 weight %, 11 weight %, 12 weight %, 13 weight %, 14 weight %, 15 weight %, 16 weight %, 17 weight %, 18 weight %, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, %, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, and 99% by weight. In some aspects, the fertilizer further comprises one or more than one of magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, and manganese nitrate.

[0097] In some aspects, the homogeneous mixture comprises Ca, N, and / or S, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or fertilizer, wherein i) the Ca content of the homogeneous mixture is at least any one of the following, at most any one of the following, equal to any one of the following, or between any two of the following: 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, 10 wt%, 11 wt%, 12 wt%, 13 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, 73 wt%, 74 wt 3 wt%, 14 wt%, 15 wt%, 16 wt%, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 %, 43% by weight, 44% by weight, 45% by weight, 46% by weight, 47% by weight, 48% by weight, 49% by weight, 50% by weight, 51% by weight, 52% by weight, 53% by weight, 54% by weight, 55% by weight, 56% by weight, 57% by weight, 58% by weight, 59% by weight, 60% by weight, 61% by weight, 62% by weight, 63% by weight, 64% by weight, 65% by weight, 66% by weight, 67% by weight, 68% by weight, 69% by weight, 70% by weight, 71% by weight %, 72% by weight, 73% by weight, 74% by weight, 75% by weight, 76% by weight, 77% by weight, 78% by weight, 79% by weight, 80% by weight, 81% by weight, 82% by weight, 83% by weight, 84% by weight, 85% by weight, 86% by weight, 87% by weight, 88% by weight, 89% by weight, 90% by weight, 91% by weight, 92% by weight, 93% by weight, 94% by weight, 95% by weight, 96% by weight, 97% by weight, 98% by weight, 99% by weight, 99.% by weight, 5% by weight, and 100% by weight; ii) the N content of the homogeneous mixture is at least any one of the following contents, at most any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents: 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 3% by weight, 4% by weight, 5% by weight, 6% by weight, 7% by weight, 8% by weight, 9% by weight, 10% by weight, 11% by weight, 12% by weight, 13% by weight, 14% by weight, 15% by weight, 16% by weight, %, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, %, 45 wt%, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, %, 73 wt%, 74 wt%, 75 wt%, 76 wt%, 77 wt%, 78 wt%, 79 wt%, 80 wt%, 81 wt%, 82 wt%, 83 wt%, 84 wt%, 85 wt%, 86 wt%, 87 wt%, 88 wt%, 89 wt%, 90 wt%, 91 wt%, 92 wt%, 93 wt%, 94 wt%, 95 wt%, 96 wt%, 97 wt%, 98 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.% by weight, 5% by weight, and 100% by weight; and iii) the homogeneous mixture has an S content of at least any one of the following contents, at most any one of the following contents, equal to any one of the following contents, or between any two of the following contents: 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 3% by weight, 4% by weight, 5% by weight, 6% by weight, 7% by weight, 8% by weight, 9% by weight, 10% by weight, 11% by weight, 12% by weight, 13% by weight, 14% by weight, 15% by weight, 16% by weight %, 17 wt%, 18 wt%, 19 wt%, 20 wt%, 21 wt%, 22 wt%, 23 wt%, 24 wt%, 25 wt%, 26 wt%, 27 wt%, 28 wt%, 29 wt%, 30 wt%, 31 wt%, 32 wt%, 33 wt%, 34 wt%, 35 wt%, 36 wt%, 37 wt%, 38 wt%, 39 wt%, 40 wt%, 41 wt%, 42 wt%, 43 wt%, 44 wt%, 45 %, 46 wt%, 47 wt%, 48 wt%, 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, 55 wt%, 56 wt%, 57 wt%, 58 wt%, 59 wt%, 60 wt%, 61 wt%, 62 wt%, 63 wt%, 64 wt%, 65 wt%, 66 wt%, 67 wt%, 68 wt%, 69 wt%, 70 wt%, 71 wt%, 72 wt%, 73 wt% %, 74wt%, 75wt%, 76wt%, 77wt%, 78wt%, 79wt%, 80wt%, 81wt%, 82wt%, 83wt%, 84wt%, 85wt%, 86wt%, 87wt%, 88wt%, 89wt%, 90wt%, 91wt%, 92wt%, 93wt%, 94wt%, 95wt%, 96wt%, 97wt%, 98wt%, 99wt%, 99.5wt% and 100wt%.

[0098] Ca, N and / or S can exist as water-soluble compounds or water-insoluble compounds and / or be derived from water-soluble compounds or water-insoluble compounds. In some cases, Ca, N and / or S can exist as salts. In some aspects, Ca, N and / or S can exist as water-soluble salts. In some cases, the water-soluble Ca salt, N salt and / or S salt can be ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate. In some aspects, the fertilizer also contains one or more water-soluble salts of magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate and manganese nitrate. The salt can be in the form of a non-hydrate and / or one or more hydrates.

[0099] In some aspects, the calcium sulfate is gypsum. In some aspects, the gypsum is and / or is derived from, or is contained in, red gypsum or waste gypsum, such as gypsum from phosphoric acid production. In some aspects, the product is partially derived from slag. The slag can be, but is not limited to, slag from the production of steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, carbon steel, and / or phosphates.

[0100] The moisture content of the dried fertilizer can be less than 1% by weight, for example, from 0.1% to 0.9% by weight, or any of the following, or between or any range thereof: 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, or 1% by weight, based on the weight of the fertilizer granules. As a non-limiting example, the moisture content can be determined by drying a sample at 50° C. for 25 minutes and measuring the amount of mass lost by drying the fertilizer.

[0101] Fertilizer can be any suitable shape. Non-restrictive shape comprises sphere, cube, cylinder, spherical, ovate and oblong. In some respects, fertilizer granules can be cylindrical, and it has the cross section that is circular, elliptical, ovate, triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon or hexagon, but also can be made into the cylindrical core that cross section is other shapes. In some respects, the widest dimension of fertilizer granules can be 0.5mm to 6mm, or be 0.5mm to 5mm, be preferably 1mm to 4mm, or be any one size of at least following size, any one size of following size at the most, equal any one size of following size or between any two sizes of following size: 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm and 6mm. In some particular aspects, the fertilizer granules can be substantially spherical, with an average diameter of 0.5 mm to 6 mm, or 0.5 mm to 5 mm, preferably 1 mm to 4 mm, or at least any one of the following sizes, at most any one of the following sizes, equal to any one of the following sizes, or between any two of the following sizes: 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, and 6 mm.

[0102] The fertilizer can be water-dispersible and / or soil-dispersible. In some aspects, the fertilizer granules having a size of 2 mm to 4 mm before addition to water can be broken down into particles having a size of less than 1 mm, less than 0.9 mm, less than 0.8 mm, less than 0.7 mm, less than 0.6 mm, less than 0.5 mm, less than 0.4 mm, or less than 0.3 mm within 1 minute of adding the fertilizer granules to water having a pH of 7 at ambient temperature with stirring at a rate of 90 rpm to 110 rpm.

[0103] The mixture can have a substantially uniform composition. In some cases, the composition of a 1 mm x 1 mm x 1 mm cube at any location in the mixture can be similar (within ±20%, or ±10%, or ±5%, or ±3%, ±2%, or ±1%, or ±0.5%) to the composition of a 1 mm x 1 mm x 1 mm cube at any other location in the mixture.

[0104] In some aspects, fertilizer granules can contain a homogeneous mixture. The homogeneous mixture can have a composition as described above. In some cases, the homogeneous mixture can have an optional coating on the outer surface of the homogeneous mixture. In some cases, ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide can be used as a binder in the fertilizer. In some cases, ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide are the only binders in the fertilizer. In some cases, ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide form an amorphous phase, a continuous phase and / or encapsulate other ingredients in the fertilizer. In some cases, the fertilizer comprises a matrix of ammonium silicate and / or silicon dioxide, which at least partially surrounds and / or encapsulates at least a portion of ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate and / or other soluble components of the fertilizer. In some cases, the fertilizer comprises granules of ammonium silicate, silicon dioxide, calcium nitrate and ammonium sulfate.

[0105] In some aspects, the fertilizer may or may not include additional fertilizer materials. If additional fertilizer materials are included, additional fertilizers may be selected based on the special needs of certain types of soil, climate or other growth conditions to maximize the effectiveness of the fertilizer in promoting plant growth and crop yield. The fertilizer may or may not include additional additives. Non-limiting examples of additives that the fertilizer of the present invention may or may not include include additional nitrogen nutrients, phosphorus nutrients, potassium nutrients, additional trace element nutrients, and / or additional secondary nutrients. Trace element nutrients may be copper, iron, chlorine, manganese, molybdenum or nickel or any combination thereof. Nitrogen nutrients may be urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, urea formaldehyde, ammonium chloride or potassium nitrate or a combination thereof. In some aspects, additional secondary nutrients may include lime and / or superphosphate. In some cases, additional fertilizer materials and / or additional additives are included in the optional coating of the fertilizer.

[0106] In some cases, the inhibitor comprises a nitrification inhibitor and / or a urease inhibitor. Suitable nitrification inhibitors include, but are not limited to, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), dicyandiamide (DCD), thiourea (TU), 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)-pyridine (Nitrapyrin), manufactured by OHP Inc., USA under the trade name In one aspect, the nitrification inhibitor may include DMPP, DCD, TU, nitrapyrin, 5-ethoxy-3-trichloromethyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole, AM, MBT, or ST, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the fertilizer composition may include NBTPT, DMPP, TU, DCD, PPDA, nitrapyrin, 5-ethoxy-3-trichloromethyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole, AM, MBT, ST, or a combination thereof.

[0107] In some cases, the adhesive includes phosphate, polyphosphate, biodegradable polymer or wax or its combination. Suitable wax includes but is not limited to vegetable wax, high melting point wax, ethylene bis stearamide wax, paraffin, polyethylene wax and olefin wax. Suitable phosphate includes but is not limited to diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate. Suitable polyphosphate includes but is not limited to ammonium polyphosphate. Suitable biodegradable polymer includes but is not limited to polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylonitrile, biodegradable polylactic acid and other biodegradable polymer materials, such as polylactic acid, poly (3-hydroxypropionic acid), polyvinyl alcohol, poly ε-caprolactone, poly L-lactide, polybutylene succinate, and biodegradable starch-based polymer. The adhesive can include plaster of Paris, flour, starch, gluten, kaolin, bentonite, colloidal silicon dioxide or its combination. Suitable flour includes but is not limited to rice flour, wheat flour and bleached wheat flour. Suitable starch includes but is not limited to dextrin modified starch.

[0108] In some cases, the pH buffer comprises MgO, KH2PO4, NaHCO3, chalk, aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide / magnesium hydroxide coprecipitate, aluminum hydroxide / sodium bicarbonate coprecipitate, calcium acetate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium borate, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium hydroxide, dibasic sodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium acetate, magnesium borate, magnesium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium lactate, magnesium oxide, magnesium phosphate, magnesium silicate, magnesium succinate, magnesium tartrate, potassium acetate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium borate, potassium citrate, potassium metaphosphate, potassium phthalate, potassium phosphate, potassium polyphosphate, potassium pyrophosphate, potassium succinate, potassium tartrate, sodium acetate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium borate, sodium carbonate, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, sodium hydrogen phosphate, phosphate), sodium hydroxide, sodium lactate, sodium phthalate, sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tartrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, synthetic hydrotalcite, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium phosphate and tromethamine, and combinations thereof.

[0109] Fertilizer as herein described can be included in the composition for being applied to soil.In some respects, except fertilizer as herein described, composition can also comprise other fertilizer compounds, trace element nutrients, major nutrients, urea, extra nitrogen nutrients, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides or its combination.Fertilizer as herein described can also be included in the mixed composition containing other fertilizers.Other fertilizers can be urea, monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), potassium chloride (MOP), monopotassium phosphate (MKP), triple superphosphate (TSP), phosphate rock, single superphosphate (SSP), ammonium sulfate etc.

[0110] The granulated fertilizer can have desired physical properties, such as desired levels of abrasion resistance, granule strength, granulation, hygroscopicity, granule shape, and particle size distribution. In some aspects, the compressive strength of the fertilizer granules can be greater than 1.5 kgf, such as greater than 1.8 kgf, such as 2 kgf to 6 kgf, or at least any one of the following compressive strengths, equal to any one of the following compressive strengths, or between any two of the following compressive strengths: 2 kgf, 2.5 kgf, 3 kgf, 3.5 kgf, 4 kgf, 4.5 kgf, 5 kgf, 5.5 kgf, and 6 kgf. The bulk density of the fertilizer granules can be from 1 g / cm3 to 1.2 g / cm3, or at least any one of the following densities, at most any one of the following densities, equal to any one of the following densities, or between any two of the following densities: 1 g / cm3, 1.02 g / cm3, 1.04 g / cm3, 1.06 g / cm3, 1.08 g / cm3, 1.1 g / cm3, 1.12 g / cm3, 1.14 g / cm3, 1.16 g / cm3, 1.18 g / cm3, and 1.2 g / cm3. In some aspects, 10 mg or more, for example, 10 mg to 40 mg, at least any one of the following masses, at most any one of the following masses, equal to any one of the following masses, or between any two of the following masses of fertilizer granules can be dissolved in 1 ml of water at a pH of 7 by adding 100 mg of fertilizer granules to water at ambient temperature with stirring at a speed of 90 rpm to 110 rpm within 5 minutes of adding 100 mg of the fertilizer granules to the water. In some aspects, the fertilizer granules can lose less than 0.13 weight percent in an attrition loss test, e.g., 0.02 weight percent to 0.12 weight percent, or up to any one of the following weight percents, equal to any one of the following weight percents, or between any two of the following weight percents: 0.02 weight percent, 0.03 weight percent, 0.04 weight percent, 0.05 weight percent, 0.06 weight percent, 0.07 weight percent, 0.08 weight percent, 0.09 weight percent, 0.1 weight percent, 0.11 weight percent, and 0.12 weight percent. Attrition loss can be measured using the following attrition loss test.

[0111] Wear loss test: weigh single particles with a size of 2mm to 4mm and a total volume of 100cm 3 A plurality of sieved fertilizer granules (W1) were placed in a test drum along with 50 stainless steel balls weighing a total of 100 grams. The drum was sealed and rotated at 30 rpm for 10 minutes. The balls were then separated from the sample and the material was sieved on a 2 mm sieve using a vibrating sieve shaker. The total weight of the granules on the 2 mm sieve was then reweighed (W2). The results were calculated as weight loss in % using the following formula:

[0112]

[0113] II. Method for preparing fertilizer

[0114] Reference Figure 1 , depicts a schematic diagram of a system and method for preparing fertilizer according to one embodiment of the present invention. System 100 may include a granulator 102 and a dryer 104. A feed mixture 106 may be granulated in granulator 102, with or without water, to form a wet granular mixture 108. If water is present, the water may be provided with feed mixture 106 and / or may be added separately to granulator 102. Wet granular mixture 108 may be dried in dryer 104 to obtain a dry granular mixture 110 containing fertilizer.

[0115] Reference Figure 2, depicts a schematic diagram of a system and method for preparing fertilizer according to another embodiment of the present invention. System 200 may include a mixer / reactor 212, although the mixer and reactor may be two, three, four, or more components, such as two reactors and a mixer, or a reactor and a mixer. System 200 may include a granulator 202, a pelletizer 214, one or more size screens 216, and a dryer 204, or any combination thereof. Feed mixture components 218 may be added to mixer / reactor 212 individually and / or in any possible combination. In mixer / reactor 212, the feed components may react and / or mix to form feed mixture 206. Feed mixture 206 may be pelletized in granulator 202, with or without additional water, to form wet granular mixture 220. Particles in wet granular mixture 220 may be pelletized in pelletizer 214 to form wet granular mixture 222 containing substantially spherical particles. The wet granular mixture 222 can be passed through one or more size screens 216 to separate particles smaller than or larger than a desired size from the wet granular mixture 222 to obtain a wet granular mixture 224 containing particles of the desired size. At least a portion of the particles 226 separated from the granular mixture 224 containing particles of the desired size can be recycled to the granulator 202. The wet granular mixture 224 containing particles of the desired size can be dried in the dryer 204 to obtain a dry granular mixture 210 containing fertilizer granules. In some aspects, the mixer / reactor 212 can include a ribbon mixer.

[0116] The feed mixture composition 218 may include i) a Ca source such as slag, calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium oxide, ii) a N source such as nitric acid, NH4 +, NH4OH and / or NH3, iii) a source of S, such as calcium sulfate. In some cases, the mixture components provide more than one Ca, N and / or S. In some cases, the mixture components provide additional nutrients and / or trace nutrients, such as P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Al and / or Si, such as magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate, manganese phosphate and / or phosphoric acid. In some aspects, one or more than one component can be added as an aqueous solution. In some cases, the mixture components are provided as a powder. In some cases, one or more than one component can be added as a gas. In some cases, NH is provided at a pressure above 1 bar, for example, at any one of, between, or any range of pressures: 1.2 bar, 1.3 bar, 1.4 bar, 1.5 bar, 2 bar, 2.5 bar, 3 bar, 3.5 bar, 4 bar, 4.5 bar, 5 bar, 5.5 bar, 6 bar, 6.5 bar, 7 bar, 7.5 bar, 8 bar, 9 bar, 10 bar, 15 bar, 20 bar, 25 bar, 30 bar, 35 bar, and 40 bar. In some cases, some of the mixture ingredients are provided as powders.

[0117] Feed mixture 106, feed mixture 206 may contain Ca, N and / or S. In some aspects, feed mixture 106, feed mixture 206 may contain calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, manganese nitrate, aluminum nitrate, silicate, hydrogen silicate, metasilicic acid, ammonium silicate, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide and / or aluminum oxide. In some cases, feed mixture 106, feed mixture 206 may contain calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate, manganese phosphate and / or phosphoric acid.

[0118] Water can be added to the feed mixture in the mixer / reactor 212 and / or pelletizer 102, pelletizer 202. In certain aspects, a total amount of 5 grams to 20 grams, or at least any of the following masses, at most any of the following masses, equal to any of the following masses, or between any two of the following masses, can be added (e.g., along with one or more of the feed mixture components and / or separately) per 100 grams of the feed mixture.

[0119] In some aspects, granulator 102, granulator 202 can be drum granulator, stirring granulator, disc granulator, solid mixer, grinding drum, extruder, high shear mixer granulator, roller granulator, high shear granulator (mycromix) or round bottom flask.In granulator 102, granulator 202, feed mixture 106, feed mixture 206 can be granulated by agglomeration, spray granulation, pressing, slurry granulation and / or high shear mixer granulation. In some special aspects, feed mixture 106, feed mixture 206 can be granulated by pressing in granulator 102, granulator 202. In some aspects, granulator 102, granulator 202 can include at least two rollers, and pressing granulation can include using at least two rollers to compress the feed mixture. In some aspects, in pressing process, two rollers can move in countercurrent direction. In some respects, the feed mixture can be compressed into the granule of molding, such as cylindrical granule, by at least two rollers. In some respects, the surface of a roller can have the hole of expectation, so that the feed mixture is pressed into the hole, and the surface of another roller can push the feed mixture into the hole. Granulation, for example, the pressure in the compressed granulation process can be 1 bar to 40 bar, or any one pressure of at least following pressure, any one pressure of at most following pressure, equal any one pressure of following pressure or between any two pressures of following pressure: 1 bar, 2 bar, 3 bar, 4 bar, 5 bar, 10 bar, 15 bar, 20 bar, 25 bar, 30 bar, 35 bar and 40 bar. In certain aspects, the feed mixture can be granulated in granulator 102, granulator 202 at a temperature between ambient temperature and 50°C, or at a temperature of at least any one of the following temperatures, at most any one of the following temperatures, equal to any one of the following temperatures, or between any two of the following temperatures: -20°C, -15°C, -10°C, 0°C, 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, and 50°C.

[0120] In some aspects, the reaction of the feed mixture components, mixing and granulation of the feed mixture can be carried out in different containers, for example, the mixer / reactor 212 and the granulator 202 can be different containers. In some aspects, the reaction of the feed mixture components, mixing and granulation of the feed mixture can be carried out in the same container, for example, the mixer / reactor 212 and the granulator 202 can be the same container (not shown). In some aspects, the mixer / reactor 212 and the granulator 202 can be more than two containers. As a non-limiting example, in some cases, ammonium silicate and ammonium sulfate are formed in two different containers. In some cases, ammonium silicate and ammonium sulfate are formed in one container. In some cases, silicate and / or silicon dioxide and sulfuric acid are formed in two different containers. In some cases, silicate and / or silicon dioxide and sulfuric acid are formed in one container. In some cases, silicate and / or silicon dioxide and sulfuric acid are formed in two different containers, and ammonium silicate and ammonium sulfate are formed in one container. In some cases, the silicate and / or silicon dioxide, sulfuric acid, ammonium silicate, and ammonium sulfate are formed in one container. In some cases, the silicate and / or silicon dioxide, sulfuric acid, ammonium silicate, and ammonium sulfate are formed in separate containers.

[0121] In some aspects, the silicates and / or silicon dioxide, sulfuric acid, calcium nitrate, ammonium silicate, and ammonium sulfate are formed at a temperature of at least, at most, at, or between any two of the following temperatures: 30°C, 31°C, 32°C, 33°C, 34°C, 35°C, 36°C, 37°C, 38°C, 39°C, 40°C, 41°C, 42°C, 43°C, 44°C, 45°C, 46°C, 47°C, 48°C, 49°C, 50°C, 51°C, 52°C, 53°C, 54°C, 55°C, 56°C, 57°C, 58°C, 59°C, 60°C, 61°C, 62°C, 63°C, 64°C, 65°C, 66°C, 67°C, 68°C, 69°C, 70°C, 71°C, 72°C, 73°C, 74°C, 52℃、53℃、54℃、55℃、56℃、57℃、58℃、59℃、60℃、61℃、62℃、63℃、64℃、65℃、66℃、67℃、68℃、69℃、70℃、71℃、72℃、73℃、74℃、75℃、76℃、77℃、78℃、79℃、80℃、81℃、82℃、83℃、84℃、85℃、86℃、87℃、88℃、89℃、90℃、91℃、92℃、93 ℃, 94℃, 95℃, 96℃, 97℃, 98℃, 99℃, 100℃, 101℃, 102℃, 103℃, 104℃, 105℃, 106℃, 107℃, 108℃, 109℃, 110℃, 111℃, 112℃, 113℃, 114℃, 115℃, 116℃, 117℃, 118℃, 119℃, 120℃, 121℃, 122℃, 123℃, 124℃, 125℃, 126℃, 127℃ , 128°C, 129°C, 130°C, 131°C, 132°C, 133°C, 134°C, 135°C, 136°C, 137°C, 138°C, 139°C, 140°C, 141°C, 142°C, 143°C, 144°C, 145°C, 146°C, 147°C, 148°C, 149°C or 150°C, for example, 30°C to 80°C, or 100°C to 150°C, or 75°C to 150°C, or 55°C to 75°C, or 30°C to 150°C.

[0122] In some cases, the fertilizer can be extruded before drying. The extruder can extrude the fertilizer at a pressure of at least 1 bar, at most 1 bar, at a pressure equal to, or between any two of the following pressures: 1 bar, 2 bar, 3 bar, 4 bar, 5 bar, 6 bar, 7 bar, 8 bar, 9 bar, 10 bar, 11 bar, 12 bar, 13 bar, 14 bar, 15 bar, 16 bar, 17 bar, 18 bar, 19 bar, 20 bar, 21 bar, 22 bar, 23 bar, 24 bar, 25 bar, 26 bar, 27 bar, 28 bar, 29 bar, 30 bar, 31 bar, 32 bar, 33 bar, 34 bar, 35 bar, 36 bar, 37 bar, 38 bar, 39 bar, and 40 bar. The extruder can extrude the fertilizer at a temperature of at least, at most, at, or between any two of the following temperatures: -20° C., -15° C., -10° C., 0° C., 5° C., 10° C., 15° C., 20° C., 25° C., 30° C., 35° C., 40° C., 45° C., and 50° C. The extrudate can be sliced or divided, for example, by a die, before drying.

[0123] In some aspects, the desired size of the final fertilizer product, such as granules, can be 0.5 mm to 5 mm, or 1 mm to 4 mm, and granules smaller than 0.5 mm or 1 mm and / or larger than 4 mm or 5 mm can be separated from the wet granular mixture 222 in one or more size screens 216. In some aspects, the wet granular mixture can be rounded and / or spheroidized in a spheronizer. In some cases, the wet granular mixture is contacted with the spheronizer for at least any of the following times, at most any of the following times, equal to any of the following times, or between any two of the following times: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 35 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, or 60 seconds. In some cases, the pelletizer has a rotating or rotatable disc capable of rotating at at least any of the following speeds, at most any of the following speeds, at least any of the following speeds, or between any two of the following speeds: 200 rpm, 500 rpm, 1000 rpm, 1500 rpm, 2000 rpm, 2500 rpm, 3000 rpm, 3500 rpm, 4000 rpm, 4500 rpm, 5000 rpm. In certain aspects, the wet granular mixture can be dried in dryer 104, dryer 204 at a temperature between 40° C. and 150° C., or at least any one of the following temperatures, at most any one of the following temperatures, at any one of the following temperatures, or between any two of the following temperatures: 40° C., 45° C., 50° C., 55° C., 60° C., 65° C., 70° C., 75° C., 80° C., 85° C., 90° C., 95° C., 100° C., 105° C., 110° C., 115° C., 120° C., 125° C., 130° C., 135° C., 140° C., 145° C., 150° C. In certain aspects, dryer 104, dryer 204 can be a fluidized bed dryer, a rotary drum dryer, or an airflow dryer. In some aspects, the wet particulate mixture can be dried in dryer 104 or dryer 204 at a speed of at least any one of the following speeds, at most any one of the following speeds, equal to any one of the following speeds, or between any two of the following speeds: 5 rpm, 10 rpm, 15 rpm, 20 rpm, 25 rpm, 30 rpm, 35 rpm, 40 rpm, 45 rpm, and 50 rpm, with a hot air stream having a flow rate of at least any one of the following flow rates, at most any one of the following flow rates, equal to any one of the following flow rates, or between any two of the following flow rates: 100 m 3 / h、150m 3 / h、200m 3 / h、250m 3 / h、300m3 / h、350m 3 / h、400m 3 / h、450m 3 / h and 500m 3 / h.

[0124] III. Methods of using fertilizers

[0125] Fertilizers of the present invention, including fertilizer granules, compositions containing fertilizers, and fertilizer mixtures containing fertilizers of the present invention, can be used to increase the content of one or more plant nutrients in the soil and methods for promoting plant growth. These methods can include applying an effective amount of a composition and / or mixture containing the fertilizer of the present invention to the soil. The methods can include improving the growth and yield of crops, trees, ornamental plants, etc., such as the growth and yield of palm, coconut, rice, wheat, corn, barley, oats, and / or soybeans. The methods can include applying the fertilizer mixture of the present invention to at least one of soil, organisms, liquid carriers, liquid solvents, etc. The one or more compositions and / or one or more fertilizer mixtures containing fertilizers can be applied to plants and / or soil as topdressing fertilizers, base fertilizers, and / or by any suitable application method.

[0126] Non-limiting examples of plants that can benefit from the fertilizer of the present invention include lianas, trees, shrubs, culms, ferns, etc. Plants can include orchard crops, lianas, ornamental plants, food crops, timber, and harvested plants. Plants can include gymnosperms, angiosperms, and / or ferns.

[0127] The effectiveness of a fertilizer composition comprising the present invention can be determined by measuring the phosphorus and, optionally, other nutrient levels in the soil at various times after application of the fertilizer composition to the soil. It will be appreciated that different soils have different properties that can affect the stability of nutrients in the soil. The effectiveness of a fertilizer composition can also be directly compared to other fertilizer compositions by conducting side-by-side comparisons in the same soil under the same conditions.

[0128] Example

[0129] The present invention will be described in more detail by way of specific examples. The following examples are provided only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art will easily recognize the various noncritical parameters that can be varied or changed to produce substantially the same results.

[0130] Example 1

[0131] Fertilizer preparation

[0132] 100g of slag can be mixed with 166g of nitric acid at 40°C and stirred for 2 hours to form a gel. The metal oxides in the slag can react with the nitric acid and convert into metal nitrates. The gel can be cooled to room temperature and filtered to separate the filtrate from the silica gel. The separated filtrate and silica gel can be dried separately at 120°C for 4 hours. The resulting dried filtrate can contain a mixed nitrate fertilizer. The amount of metal nitrates in the produced fertilizer can be 205g, while the amount of separated silica gel produced can be 32g.

[0133] Example 2

[0134] Fertilizer preparation

[0135] A slag mixture containing 50 g of calcium sulfate and 50 g of calcium silicate is added to 200 ml of nitric acid solution (containing 94.6 g of nitric acid). The mixture can be stirred at 40°C for 2 hours. After 2 hours, a 30% ammonium hydroxide solution providing the equivalent of 25.5 g of ammonia can be added and allowed to react for 2 hours. The temperature can be raised to 60°C to allow the water to evaporate slowly. The product can be dried in an oven at 120°C for 4 hours to form a solid material. The solid material can be ground into particles to fit a size of 20 to 40 mesh.

[0136] The produced fertilizer may contain 133.5 g of calcium nitrate, 48.5 g of ammonium sulfate and 48.2 g of ammonium silicate. The fertilizer may contain 19.5 wt% N, 4.5 wt% Ca and 12.9 wt% S.

[0137] ***

[0138] In light of the present disclosure, all methods disclosed and claimed herein can be prepared and implemented without undue experimentation. Although the compositions and methods of the present invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations can be implemented in the methods and in the steps or sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the present invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain reagents that are both chemically and physiologically related can be substituted for the reagents described herein while achieving the same or similar results. All such similar substitutions and changes that are apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fertilizer composition comprising ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate and ammonium silicate.

2. The fertilizer composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 17 to 22 weight % of nitrogen (N), 12 to 17 weight % of calcium (Ca), and 7 to 12 weight % of sulfur (S).

3. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the composition further comprises magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, manganese nitrate and / or silicon dioxide.

4. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition further comprises calcium sulfate, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and / or ammonia.

5. The fertilizer composition of claim 4, wherein the composition comprises calcium sulfate, the calcium sulfate being contained in waste gypsum and / or recycled gypsum, and / or the composition comprises slag from metal production.

6. The fertilizer composition of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the composition does not comprise a binder separate from the ammonium silicate or silicon dioxide.

7. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least part of the ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate is absorbed on the surface of the ammonium silicate.

8. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fertilizer composition further comprises a phosphorus source and / or a potassium source.

9. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fertilizer is homogeneous.

10. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the composition comprises a gel.

11. The fertilizer composition of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises a dried gel.

12. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least part of the ammonium sulfate and / or calcium nitrate is encapsulated by ammonium silicate.

13. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the fertilizer composition is a granular fertilizer.

14. The fertilizer composition of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the composition does not comprise at least one of urea or a polymer.

15. A method for producing a fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting calcium sulfate and slag from metal production with nitric acid to produce a first reaction product comprising: calcium nitrate, sulfuric acid, and silicates and / or silicon dioxide; and (b) contacting the first reaction product with a source of ammonia to produce a second reaction product comprising: Ammonium sulfate and ammonium silicate, The second reaction product further comprises calcium nitrate from the first reaction product.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (a) comprises: Calcium sulfate is contacted with nitric acid to produce a product comprising: calcium nitrate and sulfuric acid; and Nitric acid is contacted with slag from metal production to produce a product comprising: Calcium nitrate and silicates and / or silicon dioxide, and / or Step (b) comprises: The silicate and / or silicon dioxide is contacted with a source of ammonia to produce a product comprising: ammonium silicate; and Sulfuric acid is contacted with a source of ammonia to produce a product comprising: Ammonium sulfate.

17. The method of any one of claims 15 to 16, further comprising drying the second reaction product to form a solid fertilizer composition.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the calcium sulfate comprises red gypsum and / or waste gypsum from phosphoric acid production, wherein the source of ammonia is ammonium hydroxide and / or ammonia, and / or wherein the slag from metal production is slag from steel production.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein step (a) and / or step (b) occurs at 30°C to 150°C and / or lasts for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

20. A method of fertilizing, the method comprising contacting plants, soil, water, or a combination thereof with the fertilizer composition of any one of claims 1 to 14.

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