IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANT FOOD OR FERTILIZERS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WALTER SELDON PIERCE, of 24-26 Fourth Avenue, New York, in the county
and State of New York, United States of America, Fertilizer Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANT FOOD
OR FERTILIZERS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
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It is well known that when the phosphates of alumina and iron are treated or
mixed with sulphuric acid in the usual method employed with the phosphates of
lime, that the product produced is sticky and paste like, and not in a condition to
be readily spread upon the soil, and such a product is unfit to be used as a
fertilizer.
Such a product is not marketable as a fertilizer, and its condition renders it
unavailable.
The object of my invention is to produce by a new method of treatment, a
material or product which can be reduced to a pulverized or powdered state and
which shall be dry, and ready to be used as a fertilizer and which can be spread
easily upon the soil, and which will not absorb moisture from the air, or becoine
sticky or paste like when fully prepared for use.
The fertilizer produced by my method contains phosphoric acid, in a soluble or
soluble and reverted, condition, and a small proportion of the phosphoric acid
contained in the fertilizer produced by my process may remain in an insoluble
condition; the utility of the fertilizer so produced and the marketable condition
are greatly enhanced by the process employed by me, while at the same time
cheapness in the production of an exceedingly desirable fertilizer is attained.
By ny process the insoluble phosphates of alumina and iron or rock or minerals
containing phosphoric acid combined with alumina, or alumina and iron, or
alumina, iron, and lime are so treated that the resultant product is in a good
mechanical condition and the phosphoric acid contained in the product is made
available for plant food or fertilizers.
I drive off the moisture, contained in the phosphates of alumina and iron, or the
rock or minerals containing phosphoric acid combined with alumina, or alumina
and iron, or alumina iron or lime.
These materials are ground up and the moisture can be driven off from them,
either before or after they are ground, by any of the well known methods, in
furnaces made for the purpose.

page_text: When this moisture is driven out I treat the ground material with sulphate of
ammonia, and the object and result is to so prepare this material by the use of
sulphate of ammonia that the fertilizer when fully prepared will remain in a dry
state and not absorb moisture from the air, or become sticky or paste like, and to
accomplish this I mix with this ground material a sufficient quantity of sulphate
of ammonia or its equivalent in a dry or dissolved state. I prefer to dissolve the
sulphate of ammonia with about twice the quantity of water, and then mix with
this the ground material.
When these ingredients are well mixed, I treat this product with strong
sulphuric acid, say about 60° to 66° Beaumé, or any equivalent therefor, by mixing
them together.
After these are well mixed, this product is thoroughly dried by a slow heat of
about 125 degrees Fahrenheit, and when thoroughly dried, it is pulverized and the
fertilizer is ready for use, and it will not absorb the moisture from the air so as to
become sticky or paste like.
An example of the proportions of the ingredients used in this fertilizer
would be.
To one thousand pounds of ground material, two hundred pounds of sulphate of
ammonia and eight hundred pounds of sulphuric acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The process of manufacturing a fertilizer from the insoluble phosphates of
alumina, iron, lime and other bases consisting of first drying and pulverizing the
raw material; mixing with it a certain quantity of sulphate of ammonia; treating
the mixture with strong sulphuric acid; and finally drying the product, sub-
stantially as herein described and set forth.
2. The process of manufacturing a fertilizer consisting of first drying and
pulverizing the phosphates of alumina; mixing with it a certain quantity of
sulphate of ammonia; treating the mixture with strong sulphuric acid; and
finally drying the product, substantially in the manner and proportions herein
described and specified.