STABILIZED UREA CALCIUM SULPHATE ADDUCT COATED WITH A BASE AN UREASE INHIBITOR
A fertilizer granule containing a core containing, phosphoric acid and an urea adduct containing urea and calcium sulfate, and a coat containing an urease inhibitor and a base, the coat forming a coating on an outer surface of the core. Methods of making and using the fertilizer granule are also disclosed.
1 . A fertilizer granule comprising:
a core comprising phosphoric acid and an urea adduct comprising urea and calcium sulfate; and
a coat comprising an urease inhibitor and a base, the coat forming a coating on an outer surface of the core.
2 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the base is an oxide, carbonate, bicarbonate, acetate, and/or hydroxide of a group 1 metal, group 2 metal, group 13 metal, and/or ammonium.
3 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the base is CaO and/or MgO.
4 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the urease inhibitor is a thiophosphoric triamide derivative.
5 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the coat comprises an alkaline coating layer comprising the base and an inhibitor coating layer comprising the urease inhibitor, wherein the alkaline coating layer and the inhibitor coating layer form separate coating layers.
6 . The fertilizer granule of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the alkaline coating layer is arranged between the core and the inhibitor coating layer.
7 . The fertilizer granule of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the inhibitor coating layer is arranged between the core and the alkaline coating layer.
8 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the base is comprised in particulate solids.
9 . The fertilizer granule of claim 8 , wherein the particulate solids have an average diameter of 0.1 μm to 150 μm.
10 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises: 47 wt. % to 79.5 wt. % of urea; 20 wt. % to 45 wt. % of calcium sulfate; and 0.1 wt. % to 3 wt. % of phosphoric acid, based on the total weight of the core.
11 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein 90 wt. % to 99 wt. % of the fertilizer granule is comprised of the core.
12 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the fertilizer granule comprises 0.2 wt. % to 7 wt. % of the base.
13 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein the fertilizer granule comprises 0.01 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % of the urease inhibitor.
14 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the calcium sulfate in the core is obtained from phosphogypsum.
15 . The fertilizer granule of claim 14 , wherein the phosphogypsum is obtained from a phosphoric acid manufacturing process.
16 . The fertilizer granule of claim 1 , comprised in a fertilizer blend or a compounded fertilizer.
17 . A method for making the fertilizer granule of claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming or providing a core comprising phosphoric acid and an urea adduct comprising urea and calcium sulfate; and
coating an outer surface of the core with a urease inhibitor and a base to form a coat.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the coat is formed by contacting the outer surface of the core with a solution comprising the urease inhibitor to form an inhibitor coated core, and contacting an outer surface of the inhibitor coated core with particulate solids comprising the base.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the coat is formed by contacting the outer surface of the core with particulate solids comprising the base to form a base coated core, and contacting an outer surface of the base coated core with a solution comprising the urease inhibitor.
20 . A method of fertilizing, the method comprising applying a fertilizer granule of claim 1 to at least a portion of a soil, a crop, or the soil and the crop.