Patent ID: 6936087

Claim:
An agglomerate for use as a soil conditioner and to provide a source of nutrient values, the agglomerate being formed by pelletizing a preagglomerate containing a particulate calcium source selected from the group consisting of limestone, dolomitic limestone, gypsum, hydrated lime and mixtures thereof, a primary plant nutrient source selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, alkali metal nitrates, urea, rock phosphate, ammonium phosphate, bone meal slag, aluminum phosphate, superphosphate, potash, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate and mixtures thereof and a water-soluble binder, the proportions of the particulate calcium source and the primary plant nutrient source in the preagglomerate being sufficient such that the agglomerate comprises about 15% to about 60% by weight of the particulate calcium source and about 30% to about 80% by weight of the primary plant nutrient source, the particulate calcium source having a particle size distribution such that less than about 1% by weight of the particulate calcium source is +20 mesh, less than about 10% by weight of the particulate calcium source is −20 +100 mesh and at least about 90% by weight of the particulate calcium source is −325 mesh Tyler Standard Sieve Series, the preagglomerate having a particle size distribution such that less than about 1% by weight of the preagglomerate is +20 mesh, less than about 15% by weight of the preagglomerate is −20 +100 mesh, not more than about 25% by weight of the preagglomerate is −100 +150, at least about 50% by weight of the preagglomerate is −200 mesh and at least about 5% by weight of the preagglomerate is −325 mesh Tyler Standard Sieve Series, the agglomerate exhibiting an average green crush strength of at least about 2 pounds when sized to from −7 to +8 mesh Tyler Standard Sieve Series.