Fertilizer Particle Coating for Fertigation Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fertilizer particles for fertigation often contain significant water-insoluble particles that can clog systems, and existing coatings may not provide adequate protection against moisture absorption or dissolve properly in water, leading to surface film issues and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
Development of fertilizer particles coated with a composition of mineral oil and primary alkylamines, which provides a thin, continuous coating that minimizes dusting and ensures complete dissolution in water, preventing clogging and surface film problems while maintaining robustness for handling and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional fertilizer particles are used for fertigation, then nutrient delivery is provided, but water-insoluble particles clog fertigation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water-insoluble particles from the fertilizer formulation, extracting only the water-soluble nutrient components that are necessary for plant growth while eliminating the harmful insoluble matter that causes clogging in fertigation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solubility parameter of the fertilizer particles by selecting specific water-soluble salts and controlling crystallization conditions to ensure complete dissolution in water, transforming the fertilizer from a partially soluble to a fully soluble state
2Strength
If fertilizer particles are made robust for handling and storage, then physical integrity is maintained, but hygroscopicity causes moisture absorption and caking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an anti-caking agent as an intermediary substance that forms a protective barrier between the hygroscopic fertilizer particles and moisture in the environment, preventing direct contact and subsequent caking while maintaining particle strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite fertilizer formulation combining water-soluble nutrient salts with anti-caking agents and flow promoters, resulting in a multi-component material that simultaneously achieves robustness, low hygroscopicity, and free-flowing properties
3Stability of the object's composition
If fertilizer particles are coated to prevent moisture uptake, then storage stability is improved, but coating dissolution causes surface film problems in fertigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition and solubility parameters of the coating materials to ensure they are fully water-soluble, transforming the coating from a persistent film-forming layer to a transient protective layer that completely dissolves during fertigation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs temporary protective coatings that serve their purpose during storage and handling but are designed to be short-lived and completely dissolve in water during fertigation, eliminating the need for permanent protective layers
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The coated fertilizer particles exhibit reduced dusting tendency and are highly water-soluble, effectively preventing clogging in fertigation systems and maintaining physical integrity during handling and storage, ensuring efficient nutrient delivery to plants.
Implementation Method 1
a coated fertilizer particle for fertigation... comprising a core and a continuous coating wherein the core comprises inorganic nutrient salts and wherein the continuous coating comprises 97 to 99% w/w of a mineral oil and 1 to 3% w/w primary alkylamines
Implementation Method 2
The coated particles display reduced dusting tendency. The coating may avoid surface film problems when the coated particles are dissolved in water
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides robust fertilizer particles suitable for fertigation. A composition comprising mineral oil, primary alkylamines and water-insoluble particles may coat fertilizer particles and make them suitable for fertigation. Furthermore, the coated particles display reduced dusting tendency. The coating composition may be applied as a thin, single, continuous layer covering the particle core. The coating may avoid surface film problems when the particles are dissolved in water, even if the very hydrophobic mineral oil is less dense than water. It may be counterintuitive to include water-insoluble particles in a fertilizer particle for fertigation, however the claimed particles may be dissolved to make a fertigation solution that avoid problems in tanks, nozzles and piping of the fertigation systems.