Pelletized basalt for use as a soil amendment
A composition including at least about 50 wt % basalt and no more than about 20 wt % binding agent, wherein the composition is in the form of a plurality of particles. The composition can find applications in agriculture, horticulture, and gardening, and can be used, e.g., as soil amendment.
1. A soil amendment composition comprising:
at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 80 wt % to 98 wt % based on a total weight of the soil amendment composition; and
a binding agent,
wherein the binding agent is present at not more than 15 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition,
wherein the soil amendment composition is in the form of a plurality of particles, and
wherein the plurality of particles comprises a plurality of agglomerated particles having an average particle size of about 0.25 mm to about 10 mm, each of the plurality of agglomerated particles being a particle in which a plurality of particles of the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof are agglomerated together by the binding agent.
2. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the soil amendment composition comprises basalt.
3. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the soil amendment composition comprises metabasalt.
4. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition.
5. The soil amendment composition of claim 4 , wherein the binding agent is present at 1 wt % to 5 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition.
6. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is present at 90 wt % to 98 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition.
7. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent is an organic liquid.
8. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent is humic acid, lignosulfonate, or a combination thereof.
9. The soil amendment composition of claim 8 , wherein the binding agent is humic acid.
10. The soil amendment composition of claim 8 , wherein the binding agent is a combination of humic acid and lignosulfonate, and
wherein a weight ratio of the humic acid and the lignosulfonate is 10:1 to 99:1.
11. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , further comprising an inorganic compound that includes at least one of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or combinations thereof.
12. The soil amendment composition of claim 11 , wherein the inorganic compound is present at 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition.
13. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , further comprising lime.
14. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the soil amendment composition is substantially free of a microbial component.
15. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , where the plurality of particles have an average particle size of about 1 mm to about 4 mm.
16. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have an average particle size about 2 mm to about 3 mm.
17. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein at least 60% of the plurality of particles pass 100 US mesh.
18. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of basalt, metabasalt, or a combination thereof is selected from the group consisting of (a) tholeiitic basalt, (b) high-alumina basalt, (c) alkali basalt, (d) boninite, (e) ocean island basalt, and (f) lunar basalt.
19. The soil amendment composition of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent is present at not more than 14 wt % based on the total weight of the soil amendment composition.