Recipient Organization
GREENTECHNOLOGIES, L.L.C.
3926 NW 34TH DR
GAINESVILLE,FL 326051475
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Alternative disposal pathways for anaerobic digestion (AD) waste byproducts (digestate) are needed to utilize this resource, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and avoid nutrient loss caused by inefficient land application, providing an opportunity to use the digestate as the basis of an enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF). However, raw digestate does not meet most agricultural requirements and falls short of being an EEF. With this SBIR project, GreenTechnologies, LLC (GT) will adapt patented technologies to produce organic enhanced efficiency fertilizers using the digestate as a feedstock. The application responds to research topic 8.4 Conservation of Natural Resources, with emphasis on soil health and nutrient management.The SBIR effort will culminate in the commercialization of a new category of enhanced efficiency recycled-nutrient fertilizers based on digestate. Phase I efforts will evaluate the technical feasibility of adapting GT's technologies to digestate to produce commercial fertilizers. A follow-up Phase II would then focus on using the proven technology to produce and commercialize a new line of enhanced efficiency fertilizers using regenerative feedstocks, thus replacing fossil fuel based, chemical fertilizers.Anticipated results are a new source of domestically produced EEFs and a generalized process that will be portable to other facilities or producers, tailorable to meet regional nutrient needs. Initial strategies for commercialization take advantage of GT's position in the organic fertilizer marketplace. Longer term commercialization will use the technology as the basis for strategic partnerships to broaden its practice.
Animal Health Component
25%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
25%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
GreenTechnologies proposes to upcycle digestate from anaerobic digesters into an organic based commercial enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) that can be used in agricultural production. GT will utilize its nutrient enhancementand Reactive Layer Coating technologies (USA Patent No. US10384984B2, 2019) which employ macro and micro-nutrients to manufacture unique carbon-rich EEF products to improve soil health and maximize plant growth while contributing positive environmental impacts. GreenTechnologies'nutrient enhancement and mineral coating technologies simultaneously address multiple current barriers to commercialization of organic-based fertilizers.Phase I will focus on characterizing different digestates and demonstrating the feasibility of using this agricultural byproduct as the basis for enhanced efficiency fertilizer that will be effective for agricultural production.Phase I will determine the feasibility of converting digestate into an enhanced efficiency fertilizer, first defining the processing steps and specifications unique to digestate as a feedstock, then demonstrating them at a laboratory scale. The Phase I Technical Objectives are:Characterize sourced digestate: assess drying needs and analyze chemical/nutrient content.Determine target nutrient compositions based on intrinsic content and commercial needs and adapt GT's patented approaches to produce enhanced digestate-based fertilizer pellets.Analyze products and undertake laboratory nutrient release studies.
Project Methods
The project will be conducted primarily by the PI . Thetesting will also take place at the University of Florida laboratory using state-of-the-art equipment. Lab work will also be conducted by a student assistant under the supervision of the PI.The Technical Task 1 studies will provide an accurate picture of the nutrient value of the dried digestate samples, the breakdown between soluble immediate-release vs slow-release availability, and the chemical identity of the slow-release components. This information will form the basis for the subsequent research tasks aimed at modifying the base product to better meet end user needs. Success of this task is achieved when pelletized dried digestate has been generated and the analytical data and spectroscopic data have been obtained.The Technical Task 2 studies will apply GreenTechnologies' patented processes for enhancing biobased fertilizers to base organic material from digestate. Milestones will be successful execution of the designed processes for producing homogeneous enhanced-efficiency fertilizer pellets and reactive mineral coated enhanced-efficiencypellets. Success is achieved when fertilizer pellets are isolated in packageable form and are demonstrated to comply with targeted characteristics, which will come with feedback from the product analysis and characterizations described next in Task 3.Milestones are complete chemical, physical, and nutrient release characterization of the targeted products. For example, if a product is targeted as a result of Task 1 analyses, the corresponding Task 3 milestone is a complete analysis of the product produced in Task 2. There will be similar milestones for each target composition. Success (of combined Tasks 2 and 3) is measured by achieving the performance characteristics targeted in Task 2.