Method of making sulfur-coated fertilizer pellet having a controlled dissolution rate

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING FERTILIZER ADAPTED FOR USE IN PROMOTING SURVIVAL AND HEALTH IN CROP PLANTS AND CONTAINING SPECIFICALLY PROPORTIONED AMOUNTS OF PLANT NUTRIENTS ENCASED IN A NEARLY IMPERVIOUS SHELL WHEREBY THE DISSOLUTION RATE OF SAID PLANT NUTRIENTS IN SOIL SOLUTION IS CONTROLLED, THEREBY ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF PLANT NUTRIENTS TO THE CROP PLANTS DURING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE GROWING SEASON, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES APPLYING TO FERTILIZER PELLETS, A SUBCOATING OF A MATERIAL CHARACTERIZED BY ITS OILY NATURE, SAID MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PETROLATUMS, PETROLEUM SOFTWAXES, PETROLEUM OILS, WOOD ROSINS, PARAFFINS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, IN QUANTITIES RELATIVE TO THE WEIGHT OF SAID FERTILIZER PARTICLES IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 1 PERCENT TO ABOUT 8 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, SAID QUANTITIES SUFFICIENT TO FILL THE SURFACE VOIDS, CRACKS, AND CAPILLARIES OF SAID FERTILIZER PARTICLES; AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPLYING TO THE RESULTING OILCOATED, SIZED FERTILIZER PARTICLES A COATING OF ELEMENTAL SULFUR, THE QUANTITY OF SAID ELEMENTAL SULFUR BEING IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 5 PERCENT TO ABOUT 50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE FINALLY COATED FERTILIZER PARTICLE.