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`Fortified Mulch
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`The invention relates to a composition and method for making mulch fortified
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`with fertilizers via an agglomeration/granulation process.
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`Background of the [Mention
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`Mulches are 00mmonly applied over grass seed beds. Mulches help to increase
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`seed germination and decrease soil erosion allowing seeds to become firmly established
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`in the seeded area. Mulches typically consist of straw, wood shavings, or paper. In the
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`prior art mulches are mixed with water and agitated in a holding tank, and then sprayed
`onto a seed bed. Some mulches are woven into blankets that are designed to be laid
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`down over seed beds. Some mulches are chemically bonded natural fiber spray-applied
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`mulches. These mulches use a vegetable gum binder such as guar gum to bind together
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`natural fibers.
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`Paper-based mulches tend to bond into a paper mache-like mat that inhibits oxygen and
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`sunlight transfer, and the ability of seedlings to emerge through the mulch, affecting
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`vegetation establishment. Chemically-bonded mulch forms an almost impenetrable layer
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`over the seed bed that is poor at passing oxygen and water through to the seed bed.
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`US. Patent 5,942,029 discloses a mechanically~bonded, water-absorbent fiber
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`mulch including natural and crimped synthetic fibers that are intimately mixed to form a
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`mechanically-bonded fiber mulch.
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`US. Patent 5,916,027 discloses mulch flakes made from finely divided paper
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`and/or wood, and a surfactant. The flakes contain fertilizer.
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`SCOTTS EX. 1010
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`21:ll...“
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`Most mulches are loose configurations of unbonded fibers that easily wash away.
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`The present invention relates to a process for creating fortified mulch through an
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`agglomeration/granulation process. A moist paper fiber based product is impregnated
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`with NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fortifiers in a mixer. The paper product is
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`combined with the NPK fortifiers either before, or after entry into a mixer. The mixer
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`performs work that results in an agglomerated (or granulated) product that is a
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`homogeneous blend of the paper product and NPK fortifiers. This product is then dried
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`to a desired level of moisture and screened as necessary. A binding agent can be added at
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`the mixer to enhance the agglomeration/granulation process. If a binding agent is added
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`the paper fiber based product need not be moist. To increase the percent of orb-sized
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`product, a size reduction operation can be performed 011 the paper fiber product prior to
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`entry into the mixer.
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`These and other features and advantages of the preferred embodiment of the
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`present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred
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`embodiments.
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`The present invention relates to a process for creating fortified mulch through an
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`agglomeration/granulation process. A paper fiber based product, which can be moist, is
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`impregnated with NPK fortifiers in a mixer. The mixer is preferably a pin mixer but can
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`also be a pan pelletizer, paddle mixer, drum granulator or other type of mixer. The pin
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`mixer is preferably a double helix pin arrangement. The paper fiber based product is
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`preferably comprised of a by product of a paper making process. Sewage sludge can be
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`used to create the fortified mulch rather than paper fibers.
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`Below is an example of how a fortified mulch product can be made using a pin
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`mixer.
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`Example
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`Pin Mixer
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`In a pin mixer, agglomeration occurs, when radially extended pins mounted on a
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`high velocity central rotor shaft, in a stationary cylindrical shell impart agitation forces on
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`the material and sprayed liquid binder. This causes a tumbling, turbulent movement
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`resulting in densification.
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`Pin arrangement
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`Several different types of pin mixers were tested to determine the best pin
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`arrangement for creating a fortified mulch. The double helix pin arrangement resulted in
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`a round, more uniform pellet. The internal casing length and diameter were 23 inches
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`and 6 inches, respectively. The dimensions of the shaft and pins included 2-inch
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`diameter shaft and twoninch length pins. The tip speed was not calculated. It was
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`concluded that varying the speed (RPM) effected the pellet size. Increasing the speed
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`caused a decrease in particle size. Also, the higher the speed (RPM) the fewer number of
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`large chunks came through. It is important to note that initial ginding of wet paper
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`sludge drastically reduced chunks discharging the pin mixer. It was found that the pin
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`mixer when set at 650 RPM resulted in a product that consisted largely of end—size (-6,
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`+16) product. Although horsepower draws were not conducted, it was apparent that this
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`material did not require a motor that was larger than FEECO pin mixer Specifications.
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`This material created a shell, but its amperage did not increase. Mulch through the pin
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`mixer readily agglomerated and the discharged product was uniform in size and shape.
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`Retention Time
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`The FEECO unit was inclined to analyze any improvement of product caused by
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`an increased retention time. No increase in retention time was noticed. A test was
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`conducted to determine the retention time of the. A scoop full of wet paper was spray-
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`painted and fed into the feed hopper. Material began to discharge at 2 seconds and ended
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`at 23 seconds. The majority of the material took 8 seconds. Small particles had short
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`retention time while larger particles took longer.
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`13' M'
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`Ground wet paper sludge
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`Wet paper was added at 33lbs/hr the product was not uniform and round, so the
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`feed was decreased to ZOOlbs/hr. A uniform product was achieved at this rate.
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`It was
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`preferable to use a rate of 200lbs/hr, however, a rate between 200 and 300lbs./hr is also
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`acceptable. The wet paper sludge bridged in the screw feeder. The 3” feeder was the
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`most consistent.
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`Water
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`An added 36-lbs./hr Water was metered into the pin mixer. The percent moisture
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`in the paper was 52.3% water. A total of 140.6 lbs/hr of moisture is introduced when
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`2001bs./hr of wet sludge is metered into the pin mixer.
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`NPK
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`The NPK fortifiers were added to the pin at a rate of 28 lbs/hr. A vibratory
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`feeder was required to feed such a low rate. The fertilizer had to be screened prior to
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`addition into the feed hopper.
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`Coating Drum
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`Wet Mulch Pellets
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`The wet mulch pellets were hand fed into a rotary drum. The drum had no
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`apparent problem with varied low or high feed rates. The rotatry dryer placed
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`limiatations onto the coating drum feed rate. The majority (>90%) of agglomeration is
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`done in the pin mixer. Since the material sent into the coating drum was in the form of a
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`pellet, the material readily rolled. The retention time of the mulch was approximately 1—2
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`minutes shorter than for an encapsulated seed (4-5 minutes).
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`Dryer
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`The pin mixer was not the Only component limiting the feed rate, for the rotatry
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`dryer was not able to sufficiently dry the NPK fortified paper pellets. The increase in
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`moisutre also forced the reduction in the feed rates.
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`The inlet and outlet air temperatures were 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and 180F,
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`respectively. The sample at these settings had a material outlet temperature ranging from
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`150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit and moisture content of 2.5%.
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`Sieve analysis
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`A sieve analysis was conducted with the use of a screen. The end—size portion
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`was between 6 and 16 mesh. 'A three-hour continuous run was produced, dried, and
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`screened. The results concluded a total of 300 lbs. of material; 206 lbs. onmsize (68.7%),
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`53 lbs. under~size (17.7%), and 41 lbs. over-size (13.7%).
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`While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to
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`the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled
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`in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form may be made therein without
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`departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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`{LAB
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`th pi
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`The method ofclaim 1 w erein said paper fibers are comprised ofa lay-product of
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`a paper making process.
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`/ An agglomerate granulated mulch product that is comprised ofNPK fortifiers
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`An agglomeration/granulation method for creating a
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`adding paper fibers to a pin mixer;
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`fl
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`rtified mulch comprising;
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`adding NPK fortifiers and a binding agent bef re or at said mixer;
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`drying contents of said mixer.
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`The method of claim 1 wherein the pin
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`ixer is replaced with a pan pelletizer.
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`The method of claim 1 wherein the
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`'xer is replaced with a paddle mixer.
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`The method of claim 1 wherei
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`ixer is replaced with a drum granulator.
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`The method of claim 1 wher
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`in mixer has a double helix pin
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`arrangement.
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`The method of clai
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`1 wherein said paper fibers are replaced with sewage sludge.
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`and paper fibe .
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`Abstract
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`The invention relates‘to a compositiOn and method for making mulch fortified
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`with fertilizers via an agglomeration/granulation process.
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