Fertilizer coating for dust control and/or anti-caking
A method of reducing dust formation and/or caking in fertilizer or other particulates. The method comprises coating the fertilizer or other particulate in a coating comprising vacuum tower asphalt extender (VTAE). The VTAE may be a non-distilled fraction of vacuum distillation of used automotive and/or industrial oil. The VTAE may not be asphalt or bitumen, although the coating may further comprise bitumen.
1. A fertilizer composite comprising:
simple or complex fertilizer; and
a coating at least partially covering the fertilizer, the coating comprising vacuum tower asphalt extender (VTAE), where the VTAE is bottoms from a vacuum distillation process and has a rotational viscosity of no more than 300 cP at a temperature of 135° C.
2. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 where the VTAE is not bitumen or asphalt.
3. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 where the coating further comprises bitumen and/or asphalt.
4. The fertilizer composite of claim 3 where:
the bitumen is bitumen, cutback bitumen, or a combination of bitumen and cutback bitumen;
the asphalt is asphalt, cutback asphalt, or a combination of asphalt and cutback asphalt;
the VTAE is VTAE, cutback VTAE, or a combination of VTAE and cutback VTAE; or
any combination thereof.
5. The fertilizer composite of claim 4 where the bitumen and/or asphalt is emulsified with water.
6. The fertilizer composite of claim 4 where the coating is emulsified with water.
7. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 where the VTAE is emulsified with water.
8. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 where the fertilizer is a plant nutrient selected from the group consisting of compounds of primary macronutrients, secondary macronutrients, and micronutrients, and combinations thereof.
9. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 where the fertilizer is granular, crushed, compacted, crystalline, agglomerated, or prilled fertilizer or a combination thereof.
10. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 wherein the coating is derived from an emulsion.
11. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 wherein the VTAE is a bottoms product of a vacuum distillation process of used industrial oil.
12. The fertilizer composite of claim 1 wherein the VTAE is a bottoms product of a vacuum distillation process of used automotive oil.