METHOD OF REDUCING ATMOSPHERIC AMMONIA UTILIZING POLYANIONIC POLYMERS
Novel polyanionic polymers including families of repeat units, such as maleic, itaconic, and sulfonate repeat units. The polymers are at least tetrapolymers and may be in the acid form or as partial or complete salts. The polymers may be synthesized using free radical initiators in the presence of vanadium compounds. The polymers have a variety of uses, particularly in agricultural contexts.
1 . A method of reducing atmospheric ammonia by applying a polymer composition in an area subject to evolution of ammonia, said polymer composition including an anionic polymer comprising at least four repeat units distributed along the length of the polymer chain, said repeat units including at least one each of a maleic, itaconic, and sulfonate repeat unit.
2 . The method of claim 1 , said area being a livestock or poultry confinement facility including a manure collection zone, upright walls forming an enclosure, and a roof substantially covering the zone.
3 . The method of claim 1 , said polymer being applied at a level of from about 0.005-3 gallons per ton of manure.
4 . The method of claim 1 , said polymer being in aqueous dispersion and having a pH of from about 1-5.
5 . The method of claim 1 , said polymer being a partial or complete salt.
6 . The method of claim 1 , said polymer composition comprising a first polymer in the form of a partial salt of calcium, and a second polymer in the form of a partial salt of ammonium.
7 . The method of claim 1 , said area being a pet litter.
8 . A method of reducing atmospheric ammonia by applying a polymer composition in an area subject to evolution of ammonia, said polymer having at least four repeat units including at least one each of type B, type C, and type G repeat units,
said type B repeat units selected from the group consisting of repeat units derived from substituted and unsubstituted monomers of maleic acid and/or anhydride, fumaric acid and/or anhydride, mesaconic acid and/or anhydride, mixtures of the foregoing, and any isomers, esters, acid chlorides, and partial or complete salts of any of the foregoing, wherein type B repeat units may be substituted with one or more C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl groups substantially free of ring structures and halo atoms, and wherein the salts have salt-forming cations selected from the group consisting of metals, amines, and mixtures thereof,
said type C repeat units selected from the group consisting of repeat units derived from substituted or unsubstituted monomers of itaconic acid, itaconic anhydride, and any isomers, esters, and the partial or complete salts of any of the foregoing, and mixtures of any of the foregoing, wherein the type C repeat units may be substituted with one or more C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl groups substantially free of ring structures and halo atoms, and wherein the salts have salt-forming cations selected from the group consisting of metals, amines, and mixtures thereof,
said type G repeat units selected from the group consisting of repeat units derived from substituted or unsubstituted sulfonated monomers possessing at least one carbon-carbon double bond and at least one sulfonate group and which are substantially free of aromatic rings and amide groups, and any isomers, and the partial or complete salts of any of the foregoing, and mixtures of any of the foregoing, wherein type G repeat units may be substituted with one or more C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl groups substantially free of ring structures and halo atoms, and wherein the salts of the type G repeat units have salt-forming cations selected from the group consisting of metals, amines, and mixtures thereof,
at least about 90 mole percent of the repeat units therein are selected from the group consisting of type B, C, and G repeat units, and mixtures thereof,
said repeat units being randomly located along the polymer,
said polymer containing no more than about 10 mole percent of any of (I) non-carboxylate olefin repeat units, (ii) ether repeat units, and (iii) non-sulfonated monocarboxylic repeat units.
9 . The method of claim 8 , said area being a livestock or poultry confinement facility including a manure collection zone, upright walls forming an enclosure, and a roof substantially covering the zone.
10 . The method of claim 8 , said polymer being applied at a level of from about 0.005-3 gallons per ton of manure.
11 . The method of claim 8 , said polymer being in aqueous dispersion and having a pH of from about 1-5.
12 . The method of claim 8 , said polymer being a partial or complete salt.
13 . The method of claim 8 , said polymer composition comprising a first polymer in the form of a partial salt of calcium, and a second polymer in the form of a partial salt of ammonium.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein at least about 96 mole percent of the repeat units therein are selected from the group consisting of type B, C, and G repeat units, and mixtures thereof.
15 . The method of claim 14 , said type B repeat unit being present at a level of from about 35-50 mole percent, said type C repeat unit being present at a level of from about 20-55 mole percent, said type G repeat unit derived from methallylsulfonic acid being present at a level of from about 1-25 mole percent, and said type G repeat unit derived from allylsulfonic acid being present at a level of from about 1-20 mole percent, where the total amount of all of the repeat units in the polymer is taken as 100 mole percent.