Heteromorphic Lysine Feed Granules

Abstract

A heteromorphic granule comprising lysine free base and a lysine salt is disclosed. A fertilizer composition is set forth having cores containing an acid salt of a basic amino acid and effective amounts of first and second layer coatings coated sequentially to the surface of each core. A method for using the heteromorphic granule as a fertilizer and/or an animal feed is provided.

1 . A heteromorphic granule comprising lysine free base and a lysine salt 
     
     
         2 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 1  wherein the lysine salt is selected from the group consisting of lysine hydrochloride and lysine sulfate. 
     
     
         3 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 1  wherein the granule has a core of the dried lysine freebase surrounded by a coating of a dried lysine salt. 
     
     
         4 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 1  wherein the granule is comprised of a dried lysine salt admixed with dried free lysine base wherein the lysine salt comprises between 10 percent and 80 percent of the granule. 
     
     
         5 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 1  wherein the granule has an inner core containing a first fraction of a dried lysine salt, a medial layer coating the core comprised of a dried lysine freebase, and an outer layer coating the medial layer comprised of a second fraction of dried lysine salt. 
     
     
         6 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 1  wherein the granule has a core of a dried lysine salt surrounded by a coating of a dried lysine freebase. 
     
     
         7 . A heteromorphic granule comprising dried threonine admixed with dried lysine wherein the lysine comprises between 10 percent and 80 percent of the granule. 
     
     
         8 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 7  wherein the lysine comprises a lysine salt. 
     
     
         9 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 7  wherein the lysine is comprised of lysine freebase 
     
     
         10 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 7  wherein the lysine is comprised of dried lysine salt and dried free lysine base. 
     
     
         11 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 7  wherein the granule has a core of a dried lysine freebase surrounded by a coating of the dried threonine. 
     
     
         12 . The heteromorphic granule of  claim 7  wherein the granule has a core of the dried threonine surrounded by a coating of a dried lysine salt admixed with dried lysine freebase. 
     
     
         13 . A heteromorphic granule comprising at least two components, at least one of which is dried lysine freebase at 10-80% the weight of the granule, and wherein the granule absorbs less than 10% water when exposed to a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius and a humidity of between 30% and 91% relative humidity for a period of 24 to 168 hours. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of any one of  claims 1 - 13  wherein the granule further includes at least one inorganic compound comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 fermenting a microorganism to produce a fermentation broth containing a cell mass and a soluble lysine fraction;   separating the cell mass from the solubilized lysine freebase fraction;   purifying the solubilized lysine fraction to obtain a lysine enriched fraction;   neutralizing a portion of the lysine enriched fraction with a mineral acid to produce a lysine salt;   spray agglomerating at least one of the solubilized lysine freebase fraction and the lysine enriched fraction with the lysine salt to produce heteromorphic lysine granules.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the lysine salt is dried before being spray agglomerated with at least one of the solubilized lysine freebase fraction and the lysine enriched fraction. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the lysine salt is a solubilized lysine salt fraction which is spray agglomerated with at least one of the solubilized lysine freebase fraction and the lysine enriched fraction. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the lysine salt is selected from the group consisting of lysine hydrochloride and lysine sulfate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further including adding a nutritive mineral or mineral salt to the spray agglomeration. 
     
     
         20 . A method of use of a composition comprising the heteromorphic granules according to any one of  claims 1 - 14  for at least one application selected from the group consisting of a fertilizer and an animal feed. 
     
     
         21 . A feed additive for ruminants, which consists essentially of cores containing an acid salt of a basic amino acid, and a first coating layer and a second coating layer coated sequentially on the surface of each core, wherein said first coating layer contains at least one first coating agent selected from the group comprising salts of a basic amino acid, freebase of an amino acid, alkali metal salt, nitrogen source, phosphate source, potassium source, and the second coating layer contains as a second coating agent selected from the group comprising salts of a basic amino acid, freebase of an amino acid, alkali metal salt, nitrogen source, phosphate source, potassium source. 
     
     
         22 . The feed additive according to  claim 21 , wherein the first coating agent is at least one amino acid selected from the group comprising methionine, leucine, isoleucine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         23 . The feed additive according to  claim 21 , wherein the second coating agent is at least one amino acid selected from the group comprising methionine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, cysteine, tryptophan, threonine and phenylalanine. 
     
     
         24 . The heteromorphic granule of any one of  claims 1 - 14  wherein the granule has an irregular non-spherical morphology and a particle size distribution ranging from 10 μm to 800 μm and wherein a powder consisting of the heteromorphic granules is characterized as free flowing when exposed to a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius and a humidity of between 30% and 91% relative humidity for a period of 24 to 168 hours. 
     
     
         25 . The heteromorphic granule of any one of  claims 1 - 14  having multiphase morphology of roughly spherical shape that comprises alternating layers of lysine freebase and at least one of lysine hydrochloride and threonine arranged concentrically. 
     
     
         26 . A powder comprising the heteromorphic granule of any one of  claims 1 - 14  wherein the granules in the powder have a morphology selected from the group consisting of: a core-shell morphology, a gradient morphology, an “ice-cream cone” morphology, a “raspberry” morphology and a “salt-and-pepper” morphology. 
     
     
         27 . A fertilizer composition, which consists essentially of cores containing an acid salt of a basic amino acid, and effective amounts of a first coating layer and a second coating layer coated sequentially on the surface of each core, wherein said first coating layer contains at least one first coating agent selected from the group comprising salts of a basic amino acid, freebase of an amino acid, alkali metal salt, nitrogen source, phosphate source, potassium source, and the second coating layer contains as a second coating agent selected from the group comprising salts of a basic amino acid, freebase of an amino acid, alkali metal salt, nitrogen source, phosphate source, potassium source. 
     
     
         28 . The fertilizer composition according to  claim 27 , wherein the first coating agent is at least one amino acid selected from the group comprising methionine, leucine, isoleucine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         29 . The fertilizer composition according to  27 , wherein the second coating agent is at least one amino acid selected from the group comprising methionine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, cysteine, tryptophan, threonine and phenylalanine. 
     
     
         30 . The fertilizer composition according to  claim 27  additionally including potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, or sodium mineral salt. 
     
     
         31 . The fertilizer composition according  claim 27  wherein the N—P—K ratio is selected from the group comprising 1-1-1, 2-1-1, 3-1-1, 3-2-1 or 2-3-1.