Lignin-urea agricultural fertilizer

1 . A fertilizer composition comprising:

(i) a lignin in an amount of 5 or about 5 to 30 or about 30 weight percent solids;

(ii) a carbohydrate in an amount of 1 or about 1 to 20 or about 20 weight percent solids,

wherein the lignin and carbohydrate form a lignin-carbohydrate mixture; and

(iii) a urea moiety bonded to the lignin within the lignin-carbohydrate mixture;

wherein the fertilizer composition has a pH in the range of 5.5 or about 5.5 to 8.5 or about 8.5, wherein the fertilizer composition optionally comprises either an acidic pH adjustment agent or a basic pH adjustment agent to achieve an acidic or basic pH,

wherein the fertilizer composition is in liquid form comprising about 46 weight percent solids, and

wherein the fertilizer composition does not include a coating, does not include any crosslinking agents, and does not include any surfactants.

2 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 comprising a solvent borne blend of solids, the solids comprising lignin, carbohydrate and urea and the solvent comprising water, wherein the solvent comprises a stable aqueous dispersion.

3 . The fertilizer composition of claim 2 , wherein the lignin-carbohydrate mixture is a blend or a copolymer of lignin and carbohydrate.

4 . The fertilizer composition of claim 3 , wherein the carbohydrate is hemicellulose.

5 . The fertilizer composition of claim 4 , wherein at least 90 weight percent of the carbohydrate is derived from hemicellulose.

6 . The fertilizer composition of claim 4 , wherein the lignin and carbohydrate comprise less than 2 weight percent sulfur.

7 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 , wherein the lignin comprises less than 3500 Da average molecular weight.

8 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate is substantially free of monosaccharides in that the carbohydrate comprises monosaccharides in an amount of less than 0.1 weight percent solids.

9 . The fertilizer composition of claim 5 , wherein substantially all of the hemicellulose and substantially all of the lignin is derived from a non-wood source and wherein the non-wood source of lignin and hemicellulose is selected from the group consisting of wheat straw, rice straw, barley straw, oat straw, rye grass, coastal Bermuda grass, arundo donax, miscanthus, bamboo, sorghum, banana harvest residue, pineapple residue, sugarcane bagasse, industrial hemp, recreational cannabis waste, nut shell residue, kenaf, switchgrass, succulents, alfalfa, corn stover, and, flax straw.

10 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 , wherein the fertilizer composition is substantially free of anthraquinone.

11 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises phosphates.

12 . The fertilizer composition of claim 11 , wherein the phosphates comprise at least one of sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate and potassium phosphate in amounts up to 5 weight percent or about 5 weight percent.

13 . The fertilizer composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a nitrogen content, wherein the nitrogen content ranges between 10 or about 10 to 25 or about 25 weight percent.

14 . The fertilizer composition of claim 13 , wherein the fertilizer composition does not exhibit an ammonia odor or scent achieved by using an oxy acid as a catalyst which assists with crosslinking urea with lignin through nitrogen bonds.

15 . The fertilizer composition of claim 14 , wherein the oxy acid is a peroxy acid.

16 . The fertilizer composition of claim 15 , wherein the peroxy acid is at least one of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

17 . The fertilizer composition of claim 16 further comprising a chelated compound to protect the lignin and oxy acid from reacting and to prevent the formation of a solid precipitate at room temperature within the fertilizer composition when in liquid form.

18 . The fertilizer composition of claim 17 , wherein the chelated compound is at least one of pentetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic) acid (DTMPA).

19 . The fertilizer composition of claim 2 , wherein the acidic pH adjustment agent is at least one of phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid and formic acid or wherein the basic pH adjustment agent is at least one of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.

20 . The fertilizer composition of claim 2 comprising a sprayable liquid fertilizer.

21 . The fertilizer composition of claim 2 , wherein the fertilizer composition is provided in solid form by spray drying or pelletizing.

22 . A method for preparing the fertilizer composition of claim 1 comprising:

providing a lignin-carbohydrate solution;

applying urea to the lignin-carbohydrate solution;

applying an oxy acid to the lignin-carbohydrate solution, wherein the oxy acid is peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide;

applying a chelant to the lignin-carbohydrate solution, wherein the chelant is diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA);

allowing the solution to react at a temperature ranging from 60 or about 60 to 120 or about 120 degrees Celsius; and

allowing the reaction to occur for a duration of about two hours, thereby obtaining the fertilizer composition.

23 . A method of using a composition as a fertilizer comprising:

providing a fertilizer composition comprising:

(i) a lignin in an amount of 5 or about 5 to 30 or about 30 weight percent solids;

(ii) a carbohydrate in an amount of 1 or about 1 to 20 or about 20 weight percent solids, wherein the lignin and carbohydrate form a lignin-carbohydrate mixture; and

(iii) a urea moiety bonded to the lignin within the lignin-carbohydrate mixture;

(iv) an oxy acid added to the lignin-carbohydrate mixture, wherein the oxy acid is a peroxy acid, wherein the peroxy acid is at least one of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide;

(v) a chelated compound added to the lignin-carbohydrate mixture, wherein the chelated compound is at least one of pentetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic) acid (DTMPA);

wherein the fertilizer composition has a pH in the range of 5.5 or about 5.5 to 8.5 or about 8.5, wherein the fertilizer composition optionally comprises either an acidic pH adjustment agent or a basic pH adjustment agent to achieve an acidic or basic pH;

wherein the fertilizer composition is in liquid form and comprises a solvent borne blend of solids in water, the solids comprising lignin, carbohydrate and urea;

wherein the fertilizer composition comprises about 46 weight percent solids;

wherein the fertilizer composition is a stable aqueous dispersion;

wherein the fertilizer composition does not include a coating, does not include any crosslinking agents, and does not include any surfactants;

wherein the lignin-carbohydrate mixture is a blend or a copolymer of lignin and carbohydrate, wherein at least 90 weight percent of the carbohydrate is derived from hemicellulose;

wherein the lignin and carbohydrate comprise less than 2 weight percent sulfur;

wherein the lignin comprises less than 3500 Da average molecular weight;

wherein the solids are substantially free of monosaccharides in that the solids comprise monosaccharides in an amount of less than 0.1 weight percent solids;

wherein substantially all of the hemicellulose and substantially all of the lignin is derived from a non-wood source and wherein the non-wood source of lignin and hemicellulose is selected from the group consisting of wheat straw, rice straw, barley straw, oat straw, rye grass, coastal Bermuda grass, arundo donax, miscanthus, bamboo, sorghum, banana harvest residue, pineapple residue, sugarcane bagasse, industrial hemp, recreational cannabis waste, nut shell residue, kenaf, switchgrass, succulents, alfalfa, corn stover, and, flax straw;

wherein the fertilizer composition is substantially free of anthraquinone;

wherein the fertilizer composition further comprises phosphates at least one of sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate and potassium phosphate in amounts up to 5 weight percent or about 5 weight percent;

wherein the nitrogen content of the fertilizer composition ranges between 10 or about 10 to 25 or about 25 weight percent; and,

applying the fertilizer composition to soil.