US 12,129,419 B2
Polymeric composition for use as soil conditioner with improved water absorbency during watering of the agricultural crops
Mircea Dan Bucevschi, Rehovot (IL); Zwika Meiri, Netanya (IL); and Shai Shahal, Tel Aviv (IL)
Assigned to POLYGREEN LTD, Tel Aviv (IL)
Appl. No. 17/293,297
Filed by POLYGREEN LTD, Tel Aviv (IL)
PCT Filed Nov. 12, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/060972
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 12, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/102227, PCT Pub. Date May 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/760,715, filed on Nov. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0025263 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. C09K 17/32 (2006.01); B01J 20/24 (2006.01); B01J 20/26 (2006.01); B01J 20/28 (2006.01); C05F 11/00 (2006.01); C05G 3/80 (2020.01); C09K 17/22 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 17/32 (2013.01) [B01J 20/24 (2013.01); B01J 20/261 (2013.01); B01J 20/28004 (2013.01); B01J 20/28016 (2013.01); C05F 11/00 (2013.01); C05G 3/80 (2020.02); C09K 17/22 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A polymeric soil conditioner for use in conjunction with soil irrigation, comprising a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) mixture and a protein degrading enzyme, said SAP mixture comprising polymer A, which is a synthetic copolymer having a chemical skeleton consisting of carbon atoms and containing free carboxyl groups, and polymer B, which is a protein biopolymer, and optionally polymer C, which is a polysaccharide, wherein polymer A and polymer B, and if present, polymer C, are thermally crosslinked to generate a three-dimensional chemical structure and said protein degrading enzyme facilitates degradation of said SAP mixture.
 
13. A method of preparing the polymeric soil conditioner composition of claim 1, the method comprising:
(i) preparing an aqueous solution of synthetic polymer A in cationic salt form, having a viscosity higher than 70,000 cPs,
(ii) preparing an aqueous solution of polymer B,
(iii) optionally preparing an aqueous solution of polymer C,
(iv) preparing an aqueous viscous solution of a mixture of the aqueous solutions of polymer A, polymer B and optionally polymer C (A:B or A:B:C), wherein polymer A is in salt form, and said mixture of polymers in solution form has a viscosity higher than 100,000 cPs;
(v) exposing the aqueous viscous solution of polymers obtained in step (iv) to an extruder to obtain a solid material with a humidity content of 5-10%;
(vi) grinding the resulting dried material to obtain a granular material with particle dimensions in the range of 0.3-3 mm that is correlated with the intended use e.g. in agriculture as a soil conditioner;
(vii) exposing the dried granular material containing polymer composition (A:B or A:B:C) obtained in step (vi) above to a thermal treatment that promotes a crosslinking reaction between the polymers A and B or polymers A, B and/or C in the composition;
(viii) cooling the granular material to room temperature; and
(ix) applying a solution of a protein degrading enzyme to the granular material to obtain the polymeric soil conditioner.