Patent GB-730463-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a method of improving soil structure
Filed: 1951-02-16
Abstract: A soil conditioning composition comprises (a) a copolymer of maleic anhydride or maleic acid or a salt or substitution product thereof and at least one mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing at least two hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms of the ethylenic group, and (b) a major proportion of a solid carrier which may be a fertilizer.  The solid carrier may be peat moss, limestone, sand or a mineral fertilizer such as a mixture of potassium sulphate, superphosphate and inorganic nitrogen-containing compounds, or an organic fertilizer such as urea, sewage, sludge, soyabean meal, guano, bone meal, animal tankage, dried blood, humus, dried cow manure, or cocoa waste. The maleic portion of the copolymer may be maleic acid, maleic anhydride, maleamic acid, maleic amide, the alkali, calcium or ammonium salts of maleic acid, di-(betaaminoethyl) maleate, di-(methylaminoethyl) maleate, di - (N,N - dimethyl beta - aminoethyl) maleate and the various salts, amides and aminoalkyl esters of alkyl half-esters of maleic acid in which the alkyl group contains one to four carbon atoms or similar derivatives of chloromaleic and citraconic acids.  The monoethylenic monomer may be styrene, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, vinyl formate, ethylene, isobutylene, vinylidene chloride, vinyl alkyl ethers, alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates or mixtures.  The Specification contains numerous examples of the preparation of the salts of copolymers from the appropriate copolymer.  The preparation of the following salts are described, copolymers of vinyl acetate-monosodium maleate, vinyl acetate-diammonium maleate, the triethanolamine salt of vinyl acetate-maleic acid, the b -dimethylaminoethyl half-ester of vinyl acetate and maleic acid, vinyl acetate-ammonium maleamate, the butylamine salt of vinyl acetate-N-butylmaleamic acid, vinyl alcohol-sodium maleate, vinyl methyl ether - diammonium maleate, isobutylene - diammonium maleate, styrene diammonium maleate, the beta-dimethylaminoethyl half-ester of styrene-maleic acid, ethyl acrylate-diammonium maleate, vinyl acetate-maleic acid half calcium salt, diammonium maleate and vinyl acetate, vinyl methyl or ethyl ether, isopropenyl acetate, vinyl isopropyl ether, vinyl n-butyl ether, vinyl chloride, or vinyl chloroacetate, the ammonium salt of a terpolymer of vinyl acetate-maleic acid and the half methyl ester of maleic acid, and the half calcium salt of vinyl methyl ether and maleic acid.  Specification 730,464 is referred to.ALSO:The physical structure of soil is changed by incorporating in it a copolymer of maleic anhydride or maleic acid or a salt or substitution product thereof and at least one mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing at least two hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atom of the ethylene group (see Group IV (a)) or a composition thereof comprising a major proportion of a solid carrier e.g. a fertilizer. The solid carrier may be peat moss, limestone, sand, a mixture of potassium sulphate, superphosphate and organic nitrogen-containing compounds, urea, sewage, sludge, soyabean meal, guano, bone meal, animal tankage, dried blood, humus, dried cow manure, or cocoa waste. Specified compositions are (1) the mono-sodium salt of a copolymer of vinyl acetate and maleic acid mixed with potassium sulphate, superphosphate and an inorganic nitrogen-containing compound, (2) the half calcium salt of a copolymer of vinyl acetate and maleic acid mixed with the other ingredients of (1), (3) the ammonium salt of a copolymer of methyl vinyl ether and maleic acid mixed with potassium sulphate and superphosphate, (4) the mono-potassium salt of a copolymer of styrene and maleic anhydride mixed with the inorganic ingredients of (1), and (5) the ammonium salt of a copolymer of maleic acid and isobutylene mixed with an inorganic fertilizer. Specification 730,464 is referred to.