Method for the treatment of moist products

A method of treatment of moist waste,

• with a view to its transformation with recovery of products of value and of energy, including the following operations:
• a bundle of waste is compressed in a press under a pressure of at least 200 bars in order to dehydrate it and recover liquids or sludge which may be valuable, the press being capable of being opened and closed;
• on leaving the press the bundles of waste are moved forward to a thermal plant, including a hearth, through a tubular channel with the formation of an airtight packing formed by the waste;
• the dehydrated waste is heated up on the way to the hearth to a temperature lying between 350.degree. and 1200.degree. C. in order to release combustible gases from it and make coke;
• a portion of the products obtained is burned in the hearth and the heat released is employed for the heating of the dehydrated waste;
• and in this method:
• the waste is moved along a horizontal straight path during the course of the first two operations, the press including a piston movable along the horizontal axis of the straight path in the first operation to compress the waste on a first stroke of the piston, a complementary stroke of the piston after opening of the press in the second operation moving forward the slug formed by the bundle of waste which has just been compressed, so pushing towards the hearth the slugs formed in the preceding operation of compression.