Fertilizer comprising metal slag and coke

Abstract

Fertilizers containing a mixture comprising coke and metal slag are disclosed. The coke may be from or included in mixed plastic waste slag and / or the metal slag may be from metal production. The coke, plastic waste slag and / or metal slag may react with nitric acid. The fertilizer may also contain urea stabilized with silicate and / or silica. The invention also discloses a preparation method and a use method of the fertilizer.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 425,076, filed on November 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art I. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to fertilizer compositions that use waste products as raw materials. In particular embodiments, the present disclosure relates to fertilizers containing char products and / or slag products.

[0004] II. Background

[0005] Soil nutrients 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 stunted 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.

[0006] Some approaches attempt to utilize some industrial waste products as fertilizers to provide a variety of plant nutrients, such as phosphorus and calcium. These products also have the potential to reduce costs and the environmental impact of industrial waste compared to purer nutrient sources. However, industrial waste products often contain chemicals that are of little use as plant nutrients or may be harmful to plants, fail to provide a variety of plant nutrients in the ratios required by the soil and plants, and / or fail to provide plant nutrients in the ratios of immediate-release to extended-release forms required by the soil and plants.

[0007] The application of fertilizer is not always able to provide the nutrients of the whole amount in fertilizer for plants in a short time.Some fertilizers contain nutrients, and the nutrients contain compounds that are difficult for plants to utilize after application.In these cases, some fertilizers are applied far before the planting of plants, or some excessive fertilization is applied when approaching the planting of plants, to provide sufficient nutrients for plants in the early stage.However, this can be at the expense of time, and it may be necessary to process the soil multiple times before or after planting, and / or increase the cost.

[0008] Plants, such as crops, require nutrients at least throughout the plant's growth and maturity period. However, many fertilizers, when applied to the soil dispersion, degrade or are absorbed within a short period of time after application. To address this issue, fertilizers can be applied to the same plant multiple times or slow-release fertilizers can be used. Some methods of slow-release fertilizers include coating the fertilizer core with a polymer. However, many polymer coatings are expensive and / or accumulate undesirably in the soil over time after repeated applications. Some methods of slowing the release of fertilizers include coating or mixing insoluble metal oxides, such as MgO and CaO. However, even if these metal oxides are available, they do not provide much nutrients to the plant. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Disclosed herein are solutions to at least some of the problems discussed above, including the generation of fertilizer products from waste products and the generation of fertilizer products whose nutrients have slow-release properties. Certain solutions dilute mixed plastic waste (MPW) slag with slag from a metal manufacturing process (metallic slag), and the treated mixture is used as a component of a soil fertilizer containing organic matter from at least the MPW slag. In some cases, the MPW slag and / or the metallic slag react with nitric acid to produce soluble nitrate nutrients and silicates and / or silica. In some cases, urea is also combined to form silicate-stabilized urea.

[0010] This paper discloses the fertilizer value of MPW slag. A mixture of metal oxides and char produced by the conversion and decomposition of mixed plastics is taught for agricultural applications. Previous literature on mixed plastic conversion byproducts suggests landfilling char-contaminated mixed plastic slag. The fertilizer described herein further provides a valuable alternative to landfilling mixed plastic decomposition slag.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fertilizer is synthesized by reacting slag, such as metallic slag and / or MPW slag, with nitric acid to produce at least calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate and / or silicates 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 outlined herein. Non-limiting exemplary reactions that can occur include:

[0012] CaSiO3+2HNO3→Ca(NO3)2+H2SiO3

[0013] MgSiO3+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+H2SiO3

[0014] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fertilizer is synthesized by combining urea with silica and / or silicates to form stabilized urea for long-term release of nitrogen.

[0015] In some aspects, slag and / or reaction products from slag are combined with a source of carbon. In some aspects, the source of carbon comprises coke. The coke may be coke from or contained in slag from mixed plastics processing. The slag and / or reaction products can be combined with the source of carbon in any ratio, such as from about 5:1 to about 1:5, such as 5:1, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, or 1:5.

[0016] The final product may contain a mixture of the above chemical components, including, but not limited to, any one or more of the following: calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, silicates, hydrogen silicates, metasilicic acid, ammonium silicate, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, urea, silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, barium oxide and / or barium compounds, zinc oxide and / or zinc compounds, and / or cadmium oxide and / or cadmium compounds. In some cases, the slag used to produce the fertilizer contains phosphorus compounds, and the phosphorus may be present in the final product in the form of phosphoric acid and / or phosphate salts, such as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate, and / or manganese phosphate.

[0017] 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.

[0018] Current slow-release fertilizer products often use physical interventions to slow the release of the fertilizer, such as by coating the fertilizer with a polymeric insoluble material to slow the release of the fertilizer. Current slow-release fertilizers may also employ enzyme inhibitors, such as urease inhibitors or nitrification inhibitors, to slow the utilization of the fertilizer. While the fertilizers described herein may also contain physical interventions and / or inhibitors, the fertilizers described herein do not always require such measures to produce a slow-release nutrient fertilizer composition, as silicate compounds or silica may be used to physically encapsulate soluble nutrients to prevent their immediate release upon exposure to water.

[0019] Embodiments herein describe mixtures of nutrients, and the preparation of such mixtures, which function to produce a quick-release fertilizer and / or a soluble fertilizer or a slow-release fertilizer in the soil as a reservoir of nutrients that are released over time. The fertilizer may include a quick-release aspect of the fertilizer, which may comprise or consist of added fertilizers such as urea, soluble reactants or products of the reactions described herein, and any combination thereof, such as calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, aluminum nitrate, and / or manganese nitrate. The slow-release aspect of the fertilizer may comprise or consist of one or more of a silicate compound, silicon dioxide, and / or a quick-release fertilizer encapsulated in a silicate compound and / or silicon dioxide.

[0020] In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of coke and metal slag. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of coke and one or more of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, nitric acid, metasilicic acid, urea, silicon dioxide, and silicates. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of metal slag and coke contained in mixed plastic waste slag. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises or consists of coke contained in mixed plastic waste slag, metal slag, and one or more of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, urea, silicon dioxide, and silicates. In some aspects, the fertilizer further comprises or consists of one or more of calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, silicon oxide, barium oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, and / or aluminum oxide.

[0021] In some aspects, the fertilizer is a homogeneous mixture. In some aspects, the homogeneous mixture does not contain a binder. In some aspects, the homogeneous mixture contains a binder. The binder may include a slow-release agent. The slow-release agent may include ammonium silicate, a silicate, a hydrogen silicate, and / or metasilicic acid. In some aspects, coke acts as a binder.

[0022] In some aspects, the fertilizer does not include a binder that is separated from the coke, silicates such as ammonium silicate, silicon dioxide, hydrogen silicates, and / or metasilicic acid. In some aspects, the fertilizer does not include a binder that is separated from the coke. The fertilizer can be a granular fertilizer.

[0023] 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 phosphorus and / or potassium.

[0024] Slag can be a by-product from the production of metals, plastics, phosphates, etc. In some cases, slag can contain silica and / or silicates and calcium, such as calcium oxide and / or calcium silicate, as well as other metal oxides. The other metal oxides may include, but are not limited to, iron, magnesium, aluminum, and manganese. In some cases, slag contains phosphorus compounds, such as phosphoric acid. In some aspects, slag is slag from the production of metals such as steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, and / or carbon steel. In some aspects, slag is slag from the production of plastics such as mixed plastics and / or mixed plastic waste. In some cases, slag contains coke. In some cases, slag contains organic matter, such as high molecular weight organic compounds. In some cases, slag from plastic production contains organic matter and / or coke. In some embodiments, pyrolysis of mixed plastics produces coke. The coke may contain one or more minerals present in the plastic. Elements that may be present in the decomposition of plastics include Ca, Ba, Zn, Cd, including coke. In some aspects of the cracking and dechlorination of mixed plastics, CaO is used as an adsorbent to capture chlorine. The CaO may come from mixed plastic conversion processes where it may be mixed with char fragments resulting from the decomposition of plastics.

[0025] Certain aspects relate to a method for preparing a fertilizer, comprising any of the fertilizers described herein. The method may comprise step (a) and / or step (b) and / or step (c). In step (a), calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate, such as those contained in metal slag, are contacted with coke, such as coke contained in plastic waste slag.

[0026] In an optional step (b), which may be performed before, during, or after step (a), nitric acid is contacted with calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate, such as calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate contained in metal slag, and / or with coke, such as coke contained in plastic waste slag, to produce a product comprising calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate and silicate, silicon dioxide, and / or metasilicic acid. In some cases, step (b) does not react the calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate with nitric acid and / or the coke with nitric acid together, but rather reacts the nitric acid with the calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate and the coke with nitric acid separately.

[0027] In optional step (c), which may be carried out before, during or after steps (a) and / or (b), the product of step (a) and / or the product of (b) and / or the silicate, silicon dioxide and / or metasilicic acid may be contacted with urea to produce a product comprising stabilized urea that is at least partially entrapped to slow the release of urea when the fertilizer comes into contact with water.

[0028] In certain aspects, the method of making a fertilizer further comprises drying the product and / or fertilizer mixture to form a solid fertilizer composition. Step (a), step (b), step (c) and / or drying can be performed at a temperature of about 15°C to about 150°C, for example, 15°C, 16°C, 17°C, 18°C, 19°C, 20°C, 21°C, 22°C, 23°C, 24°C, 25°C, 26°C, 27°C, 28°C, 29°C, 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℃, 46℃, 47℃, 48℃, 49℃, 50℃, 51℃, 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℃ 4℃、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℃、1 ℃, 148 ℃, 149 ℃ or 150 ℃. In some aspects, step (a), step (b) and / or step (c) may be carried out at a temperature between 15 ℃ and 75 ℃, or any temperature or range therein.

[0029] In some aspects, the method includes combining metal slag with a source of carbon to produce a mixture. The source of carbon can be coke. The source of carbon can be mixed plastic waste slag. In some aspects, the metal slag is contacted with nitric acid. In some aspects, the source of carbon is contacted with nitric acid. In some aspects, the mixture is contacted with nitric acid. In some aspects, contacting the metal slag, the source of carbon, or the mixture produces calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate.

[0030] In some aspects, the fertilizer composition comprises or consists of any one or a combination of the following: calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, iron nitrate, manganese nitrate, aluminum nitrate, silicate, silicon dioxide, hydrogen silicate, metasilicic acid, ammonium silicate, magnesium silicate, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, calcium silicate, urea, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, lead oxide, barium oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, and / or aluminum oxide. In some cases, the slag used to produce the fertilizer contains phosphorus compounds, and the phosphorus may be present in the fertilizer in the form of phosphoric acid and / or phosphates, such as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate, and / or manganese phosphate.

[0031] The following Aspects 1 to 20 of the present invention are also disclosed.

[0032] Aspect 1 is a fertilizer composition comprising: coke; and metal slag comprising slag from metal production.

[0033] Aspect 2 is the fertilizer composition according to aspect 1, wherein the composition comprises coke to metal slag in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:5.

[0034] Aspect 3 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 and 2, wherein the fertilizer contains mixed plastic waste slag containing char.

[0035] Aspect 4 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the metallic slag comprises at least silicate and at least one metal oxide.

[0036] Aspect 5 is the fertilizer composition according to aspect 4, wherein the silicate comprises calcium silicate.

[0037] Aspect 6 is the fertilizer composition according to aspect 4 or 5, wherein the silicate comprises magnesium silicate.

[0038] Aspect 7 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 4 to 6, wherein the metal oxide comprises calcium oxide, silicon oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, and / or manganese oxide.

[0039] Aspect 8 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 4 to 7, wherein the ratio of the silicate to the metal oxide is 2:1 to 1:2.

[0040] Aspect 9 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, further comprising additional nutrients, the additional nutrients comprising nitrogen, phosphorus and / or sulfur.

[0041] Aspect 10 is the fertilizer composition of aspect 9, wherein the additional nutrients include urea, calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, phosphoric acid, and / or calcium sulfate.

[0042] Aspect 11 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the coke and / or metallic slag are reaction products of coke and / or metallic slag, respectively, with nitric acid.

[0043] Aspect 12 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the fertilizer composition comprises calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, silicate, and / or SiO 2 .

[0044] Aspect 13 is the fertilizer composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the fertilizer composition is dried.

[0045] Aspect 14 is a method of producing a fertilizer composition, the method comprising combining a coke source with a metallic slag, including slag derived from metal production, to form a mixture.

[0046] Aspect 15 is a method according to aspect 14, wherein the char is contained in mixed plastic waste slag.

[0047] Aspect 16 is a method according to any one of aspects 14 to 15, further comprising contacting the metallic slag and / or the coke source with nitric acid.

[0048] Aspect 17 is the method according to aspect 16, wherein the contacting step is continued at 20° C. to 80° C. for 30 minutes to 6 hours.

[0049] Aspect 18 is a method according to any one of aspects 16 to 17, wherein the contacting step produces calcium nitrate and / or produces magnesium nitrate.

[0050] Aspect 19 is the method according to any one of aspects 14 to 18, further comprising drying the mixture.

[0051] Aspect 20 is the method of any one of aspects 14 to 19, wherein the method produces the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 13.

[0052] Aspect 21 is a method of fertilizing, comprising contacting a plant, soil, water, or a combination thereof with the fertilizer composition of any one of aspects 1 to 13.

[0053] 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.

[0054] The term "granule" may include solid materials. Granules may have a variety of different shapes, non-limiting examples of which include spherical, puck, oval, rod-shaped, oblong, or random shapes.

[0055] The term "particle" may include solid material having a largest dimension less than 1 mm.

[0056] The term "granulate" or "powder" may include a plurality of particles.

[0057] 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%.

[0058] 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.

[0059] When used with the terms "include" or "comprising", an element without a quantifier can mean "a", but it also means "one or more", "at least one" and "one or more than one".

[0060] 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."

[0061] The words "comprising," "having," "including," or "containing" are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0062] The 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 "consisting essentially of" any ingredient or any step limits the scope of the claims to specific materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed invention.

[0063] 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.

[0064] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 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

[0065] The following drawings form 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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

[0068] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide advantages over existing fertilizers, including that the nutrients contained in the fertilizers have slow-release properties. Certain aspects provided herein allow fertilizers to slowly release nutrients into the soil over a period of time, for example, throughout the growth cycle of a plant. In some embodiments, the fertilizer comprises a silicate or a silicate that reacts with nitric acid, urea, and / or a source of carbon, such as coke. The fertilizer can be a chemical composition and / or a homogeneous mixture. Certain aspects are related to the production of carbonaceous fertilizers that use metal manufacturing slag and mixed plastic conversion slag as base materials. Such slags may produce metal nitrate nutrients after reaction with nitric acid. The fertilizer may contain urea, which increases the nitrogen content of the fertilizer.

[0069] Certain aspects include fertilizers and their use and / or production, wherein the fertilizers contain organic materials. Organic materials can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In certain aspects, the organic materials include biomass-derived charcoal. In certain aspects, the biomass-derived charcoal has a greater surface area than other charcoals. The greater surface area can enhance the adsorption of ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, and some other water-soluble salt nutrient ions. In certain aspects, the fertilizers are used for plant nutrition, to improve soil health, or both.

[0070] Fertilizers containing biochar can be used as soil conditioners. Biochar-based fertilizers can help reduce carbon dioxide in the soil and inhibit soil microorganisms responsible for greenhouse gas release; therefore, they have a positive impact on mitigating global warming. Based on this, the present invention aims to develop fertilizers containing organic materials.

[0071] Certain aspects herein use mixed plastic byproduct char as a source of organic matter and as a binder for the mineral component of an organo-mineral fertilizer. Certain aspects co-utilize metal production slag and plastic conversion slag, for example by recycling, to produce useful soil fertility products and amendment products.

[0072] I. Fertilizer

[0073] Certain embodiments herein relate to compound fertilizers comprising coke and slag. In some aspects, the coke provides carbon content, which can enrich the soil with organic matter, such as high-weight organic compounds. In some aspects, the slag comprises calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate, one or both of which can be contacted with nitric acid. In some aspects, the contacted calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate forms calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate. Some aspects relate to synthesizing nutrient complexes using waste sources and / or byproduct sources of fertilizer ingredients. In some aspects, the ingredients include byproducts of metal manufacturing processes. In some aspects, the ingredients include byproducts of plastic and / or plastic precursor manufacturing processes. In some aspects, the fertilizer is a homogeneous mixture.

[0074] The fertilizer may be a fertilizer granule that may include a mixture of carbon (C), calcium (Ca), silicon (Si), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and / or manganese (Mn), any of which may be present in salt or molecular form. The ratio of the elements present in the fertilizer may be adjusted according to the specific application.

[0075] In some embodiments, the amount of coke in the mixture is 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 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%. %, 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 %, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 99.5% by weight. The char component of the mixture provides carbon to the soil and / or serves as a binder to form pellets containing other added nutrients. In some aspects, the added nutrients of the mixture can be any compound containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and / or sulfur.

[0076] In some embodiments, the amount of slag or slag product in the mixture is 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 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% 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 9 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%, 100 wt%, 101 wt%, 102 wt%, 103 wt%, 104 wt%, 105 wt%, 106 wt%, 107 wt%, 108 wt%, 109 wt%, 110 In some aspects, the slag product comprises slag having reacted with acid such as nitric acid. In some aspects, the slag or slag product comprises calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate and / or aluminum oxide. In some aspects, the slag comprises a mixture of the compounds shown in Table 1.

[0077] Table 1: Examples of steel slag compositions

[0078]

[0079] In some embodiments, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 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%. 5 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 1 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%, 7%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 99.5% by weight of the mixture is coke, and the remainder is 99.5 wt%, 99 wt%, 98 wt%, 97 wt%, 96 wt%, 95 wt%, 94 wt%, 93 wt%, 92 wt%, 91 wt%, 90 wt%, 89 wt%, 88 wt%, 87 wt%, 86 wt%, 85 wt%, 84 wt%, 83 wt%, 82 wt%, 81 wt%, 80 wt%, 79 wt%, 78 wt%, 77 wt%, 76 wt%, 75 %, 74 wt%, 73 wt%, 72 wt%, 71 wt%, 70 wt%, 69 wt%, 68 wt%, 67 wt%, 66 wt%, 65 wt%, 64 wt%, 63 wt%, 62 wt%, 61 wt%, 60 wt%, 59 wt%, 58 wt%, 57 wt%, 56 wt%, 55 wt%, 54 wt%, 53 wt%, 52 wt%, 51 wt%, 50 wt%, %, 49 wt%, 48 wt%, 47 wt%, 46 wt%, 45 wt%, 44 wt%, 43 wt%, 42 wt%, 41 wt%, 40 wt%, 39 wt%, 38 wt%, 37 wt%, 36 wt%, 35 wt%, 34 wt%, 33 wt%, 32 wt%, 31 wt%, 30 wt%, 29 wt%, 28 wt%, 27 wt%, 26 wt%, 25 wt%, %, 24%, 23%, 22%, 21%, 20%, 19%, 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 11%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% or 0.5% by weight of the slag or slag product.

[0080] At least a portion of the carbon can be present as coke. In some aspects, the carbon present as coke can be at least 90% by weight, or at least 95% by weight, or between 90% 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, based on the gross weight of the carbon in the mixture. In some embodiments, the amount of carbon or coke in the mixture may be 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%, 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 %, 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%, %, 4 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%.

[0081] At least a portion of the Ca may be present in the form of calcium silicate, calcium nitrate, and / or calcium oxide. In some embodiments, 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 of Ca in the mixture is present in the form of calcium silicate: 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 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%.In some embodiments, 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 of Ca in the mixture is present as calcium nitrate: 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%.In some embodiments, 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 of Ca in the mixture is present as calcium oxide: 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%.

[0082] At least a portion of the Mg may be present in the form of magnesium silicate, magnesium nitrate, and / or magnesium oxide. In some embodiments, 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 of Mg in the mixture is present in the form of magnesium silicate: 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 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%.In some embodiments, the Mg in the mixture is present as magnesium 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 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%.In some embodiments, the Mg in the mixture is present as magnesium oxide 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 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%.

[0083] In some aspects, the mixture can include metal oxides including calcium oxide, silicon oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, manganese oxide, cadmium oxide, barium oxide, zinc oxide, and / or lead oxide 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 %, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or fertilizer granules. %, 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%, 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% by weight and 100% by weight; ii) urea in an amount of 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: 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, based on the total weight of the mixture and / or fertilizer granules. %, 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 %, 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, 10% by weight, 11% by weight, 12% by weight, 13% by weight, 14% by weight, 15% by weight, 16% by weight, 17% by weight, 18% by weight, 19% by weight, 20% by weight, 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% 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, 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, %, 14% by weight, 15% by weight, 16% by weight, 17% by weight, 18% by weight, 19% by weight, 20% by weight, 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, 2 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%, 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% and 99%.

[0084] Any salt or any molecule described herein can exist and / or be a source of water-soluble compounds or water-insoluble compounds. In some cases, Ca, Mg, N, P, and / or S can exist in the form of a salt, such as calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate. The salt can exist in the form of a non-hydrate and / or one or more than one hydrate.

[0085] The moisture content of the dried fertilizer can be less than 1% by weight, e.g., 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 measured by drying a sample at 50° C. for 25 minutes and measuring the mass loss of the fertilizer after drying.

[0086] Fertilizer can be any suitable shape. Non-restrictive shape comprises sphere, cube, cylinder, hockey, 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 0.5mm to 5mm, preferably 1mm to 4mm, or be any one size of following size at least, 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.

[0087] The fertilizer can be water dispersible and / or soil dispersible. In some aspects, at ambient temperature, under stirring at a speed of 90 rpm to 110 rpm, fertilizer granules having a size of 2 mm to 4 mm before addition of water can be broken 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 being added to water having a pH of 7.

[0088] 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.

[0089] In some respects, fertilizer granules can comprise 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, the fertilizer comprises granules of one or more than one slow-release agent and / or one or more than one quick-release agent.

[0090] In some aspects, the fertilizer may or may not include additional fertilizer materials. If additional fertilizer materials are included, additional fertilizers can be selected based on the special needs of certain types of soil, climate or other growing 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 can be included or excluded from the fertilizer of the present invention include additional nitrogen nutrients, additional phosphorus nutrients, additional potassium nutrients, additional trace nutrients and / or additional secondary nutrients. Trace element nutrients can be copper, iron, chlorine, manganese, molybdenum or nickel or any combination thereof. Nitrogen nutrients can be urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, urea formaldehyde, ammonium chloride and potassium nitrate. In some aspects, additional secondary nutrients can include lime and / or superphosphate. In some cases, additional fertilizer materials and / or additional additives are included in the optional coating of the fertilizer.

[0091] In some cases, the inhibitor includes 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), Terrazole (available from OHP Inc., USA) and urease inhibitors. 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] Fertilizers as described herein may be included in compositions suitable for soil application. In some aspects, in addition to fertilizers described herein, compositions may also include other fertilizer compounds, trace element nutrients, primary nutrients, urea, additional nitrogen nutrients, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides or combinations thereof. Fertilizers as described herein may also be included in mixed compositions containing other fertilizers. Other fertilizers may be urea, monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), monopotassium phosphate (MKP), triple superphosphate (TSP), phosphate rock, superphosphate (SSP), ammonium sulfate, etc.

[0095] The fertilizer formed into granules 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, the fertilizer granules can dissolve 10 mg or more, such as 10 mg to 40 mg, or 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: 10 mg, 11 mg, 12 mg, 13 mg, 14 mg, 15 mg, 16 mg, 17 mg, 18 mg, 19 mg, 20 mg, 21 mg, 22 mg, 23 mg, 24 mg, 25 mg, 26 mg, 27 mg, 28 mg, 29 mg, 30 mg, 31 mg, 32 mg, 33 mg, 34 mg, 35 mg, 36 mg, 37 mg, 38 mg, 39 mg, and 40 mg, within 5 minutes of adding 100 mg of the fertilizer granules to water at a pH of 7 at ambient temperature and with a stirring speed of 90 rpm to 110 rpm. 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.

[0096] Wear loss test: weigh single particles with a size of 2mm to 4mm and a total volume of 100cm3 A plurality of sieved fertilizer granules (W1) was placed in a test drum along with 50 stainless steel balls weighing a total of 100 g. 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 mesh vibrator. The total weight of the granules on the 2 mm sieve was then reweighed (W2). The results were calculated as % weight loss using the following formula:

[0097]

[0098] II. Method for preparing fertilizer

[0099] Reference Figure 1 , a schematic diagram of a system and method for preparing fertilizer according to one embodiment of the present invention is depicted. System 100 may include a granulator 102 and a dryer 104. A feed mixture 106, with or without water, may be granulated in granulator 102 to form a wet granular mixture 108. If water is present, it 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.

[0100] 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. The granules in wet granular mixture 220 may be pelletized in pelletizer 214 to form wet granular mixture 222 containing substantially spherical granules. The wet granular mixture 222 can be passed through one or more size screens 216 to separate granules smaller than or larger than a desired size from the wet granular mixture 222 to obtain a wet granular mixture 224 containing granules of the desired size. Granules 226, at least partially separated from the granular mixture 224 containing granules of the desired size, can be recycled to the granulator 202. The wet granular mixture 224 containing granules 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.

[0101] Feed mixture components 218 may include: i) a coke source, such as plastic waste slag, such as mixed plastic waste slag; ii) a calcium silicate and / or magnesium silicate source, such as slag from metal production; iii) a nitrogen source, such as nitric acid and / or urea; and / or iv) a silica and / or silicate source. In some cases, the mixture components may provide additional nutrients and / or trace nutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium, iron, and / or sulfur. In certain aspects, one or more components may be added as aqueous solutions. In some cases, the mixture components are provided as powders. In some cases, one or more components may be added as gases. In some cases, NH is provided at a pressure above 1 bar, for example, at a pressure between, or any range of pressures including 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 in the form of powders.

[0102] The feed mixture 106 and the feed mixture 206 may contain the following components: nitric acid, metallic slag, coke such as coke from or contained in mixed plastic waste slag, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, urea, silicates, silicon dioxide, and urea coated with silicates and / or silicon dioxide, etc.

[0103] 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 g to 20 g, or 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, can be added to the feed mixture (e.g., with one or more of the feed mixture components and / or separately) per 100 g of the feed mixture.

[0104] 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.

[0105] In some aspects, the reaction of feed mixture components, mixing and the granulation of feed mixture can be carried out in different containers, for example, mixer / reactor 212 and granulator 202 can be different containers. In some aspects, the reaction of feed mixture components, mixing and the granulation of feed mixture can be carried out in the same container, for example, mixer / reactor 212 and granulator 202 can be the same container (not shown). In some aspects, mixer / reactor 212 and granulator 202 can be more than two containers. As a non-limiting example, in some cases, nitrate (for example, calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate) and urea wrapped by silicon dioxide and / or silicate are formed in two different containers. In some cases, nitrate (for example, calcium nitrate and / or magnesium nitrate) and urea wrapped by silicon dioxide and / or silicate are formed in one container. In some cases, a mixture of coke and metal slag and urea wrapped by silicon dioxide and / or silicate are formed in two different containers.

[0106] In some aspects, the products described herein are formed at a temperature of at least, at most, at, or between any two of the following temperatures: 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℃, 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℃ 9°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, 40°C to 150°C, or 100°C to 150°C, or 75°C to 150°C or 55°C to 75°C.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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 disk or a rotatable disk that can rotate at least any of the following speeds, at most any of the following speeds, at 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 granule mixture can be dried in dryer 104, dryer 204 at a temperature of 40° C. to 85° C., or at least any of the following temperatures, at most any of the following temperatures, at any 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., and 85° C. In some aspects, dryer 104 or dryer 204 can be a fluidized bed dryer, a rotary drum dryer, or an airflow dryer. In some aspects, the wet granular mixture can be dried in dryer 104 or dryer 204 at a rotation 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 flow 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、300m 3 / h、350m 3 / h、400m 3 / h、450m 3 / h and 500m 3 / h.

[0109] In certain aspects, the fertilizer is prepared by mixing slag, such as slag from a metal manufacturing plant, with coke, such as coke fragments produced during the pyrolysis of mixed plastics, which may contain from about 4% to about 5% metal oxides, such as CaO, CdO, BaO, ZnO, and PbO. The ratio of the mixture can vary widely, including a ratio of 5:1 to 1:5 of metal slag to coke (such as mixed plastic waste (MPW) slag). The mixture of metal slag and coke (such as MPW slag) can be added to a solution of urea and / or nitric acid, wherein the weight ratio of urea to slag is 4:1 and the weight ratio of nitric acid to slag is 1:1. In certain aspects, the material is dried at about 80°C for about 4 hours.

[0110] In certain aspects, the preparation of fertilizers includes the following reactions:

[0111] CaSiO3+2HNO3→Ca(NO3)2+H2SiO3 [1]

[0112] MgSiO3+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+H2SiO3 [2]

[0113] NH2CONH2 + H2SiO3 → urea stabilized by silicates and / or silica[3]

[0114] Reaction [3] may include incorporating urea into the pores of the silicate, silica, hydrated silica and / or metasilicic acid by covalently binding urea to the silicate, silica, hydrated silica and / or metasilicic acid, which may enhance its stability and / or extend the release time of the urea.

[0115] In some aspects, the final product includes Ca(NO3)2, Mg(NO3)2, and silicate- and / or silica-stabilized urea.

[0116] Certain aspects relate to methods for preparing a carbonaceous coating material for use in fertilizer production. The fertilizer may comprise a combination of metal production slag and waste plastic conversion slag. In some aspects, the fertilizer further comprises a nitrogen-containing component. In some aspects, the metal production slag is a mineral material containing Ca, Mg, and / or Si. In some aspects, the coke may be slag from mixed plastic conversion, which may contain less than 1% CaO, CdO, BaO, and / or ZnO. In some aspects, the coke may be mixed plastic conversion slag mixed with metal oxides. In some aspects, the fertilizer comprises a coating material. The coating material may comprise nitrogen. In some aspects, the source of the nitrogen is urea and / or nitric acid. In some aspects, the weight ratio of urea to one or more slags is 3:1. In some aspects, the weight ratio of nitric acid to one or more slags is 1:1.

[0117] III. Methods of using fertilizers

[0118] The fertilizers disclosed herein, including fertilizer granules, compositions containing the fertilizers, and fertilizer mixtures containing the fertilizers, can be used in methods for increasing the content of one or more plant nutrients in the soil and promoting plant growth. These methods can include applying an effective amount of a composition and / or mixture containing the fertilizers of the present invention to the soil. The methods can include increasing the growth and yield of crops, trees, ornamental plants, and the like, such as palm, coconut, rice, wheat, corn, barley, oats, and / or soybeans. The methods can include applying the fertilizer mixtures of the present invention to at least one of soil, an organism, a liquid carrier, a liquid solvent, and the like. The one or more compositions and / or one or more fertilizer mixtures containing the fertilizers can be applied to plants and / or soil as a topdressing fertilizer, a base fertilizer, and / or by any suitable application method.

[0119] Non-limiting examples of plants that can benefit from the fertilizer of the present invention include vines, trees, shrubs, culms, ferns, etc. Plants can include orchard crops, vines, ornamental plants, food crops, timber, and harvested plants. Plants can include gymnosperms, angiosperms, and / or ferns.

[0120] After applying the fertilizer composition to the soil, the effectiveness of the fertilizer composition comprising the present invention can be determined by measuring the levels of phosphorus and, optionally, other nutrients in the soil at various times. 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.

[0121] Example

[0122] 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 readily recognize various noncritical parameters that can be varied or changed to produce substantially the same results.

[0123] I. Example 1 - Production of Fertilizer

[0124] Dilute 42g of 68% nitric acid solution to 150ml with water. Add 50g of calcium silicate to the solution. Stir the mixture at 25°C for two hours. Add 8g of urea to the resulting solution. Dry the mixture gradually from 60°C to 80°C for eight hours. Grind the resulting material to a particle size of 20 to 80 mesh. The nitrogen content of the resulting material is 19%.

[0125] II. Example 2 - Production of Fertilizer

[0126] Slag from a steel mill is mixed with coke chips produced during the pyrolysis of mixed plastics. The coke chips can contain about 4% to about 5% of metal oxides, such as CaO, CdO, BaO, ZnO, and PbO. The mixing ratio can vary widely, such as a 5:1 ratio of steel slag to MPW slag.

[0127] The steel slag / MPW slag mixture may be added to a solution of urea and nitric acid, with the mass ratio of urea to slag being 4:1 and the mass ratio of nitric acid to slag being 1:1.

[0128] The material can be dried at 80°C for 4 hours.

[0129] ***

[0130] All methods disclosed and claimed herein can be prepared and implemented according to the present disclosure without undue experimentation. Although the compositions and methods of the present invention have been described in accordance with 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 specific reagents related to both chemical and physiological aspects can replace the reagents described herein while achieving the same or similar results. All such similar substitutions and changes apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fertilizer composition comprising: coke; and Metal slag, comprising slag from metal production.

2. The fertilizer composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises coke to metal slag in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:

5.

3. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the fertilizer contains mixed plastic waste slag including the char.

4. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal slag comprises at least a silicate and at least one metal oxide.

5. The fertilizer composition of claim 4, wherein the silicate comprises calcium silicate.

6. The fertilizer composition of claim 4 or 5, wherein the silicate comprises magnesium silicate.

7. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the metal oxide comprises calcium oxide, silicon oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, and / or manganese oxide.

8. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the ratio of the silicate to the metal oxide is from 2:1 to 1:

2.

9. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising additional nutrients comprising nitrogen, phosphorus and / or sulfur.

10. The fertilizer composition of claim 9, wherein the additional nutrients include urea, calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, phosphoric acid, and / or calcium sulfate.

11. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the coke and / or metallic slag are reaction products of coke and / or metallic slag, respectively, with nitric acid.

12. The fertilizer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the fertilizer composition comprises calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, silicate, and / or SiO2.

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

14. A method of producing a fertilizer composition, the method comprising combining a coke source with a metallic slag comprising slag from metal production to form a mixture.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the char is contained in mixed plastic waste slag.

16. The method of any one of claims 14 to 15, further comprising contacting the metallic slag and / or the coke source with nitric acid.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the contacting step occurs at 20°C to 80°C for 30 minutes to 6 hours.

18. The method of any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein the contacting step produces calcium nitrate and / or produces magnesium nitrate.

19. The method of any one of claims 14 to 18, further comprising drying the mixture.

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 13.

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