# US 5,707,417 A · Process of treating garbage with simultaneous production of methane

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- Number: US 5,707,417 A
- Document ID: US5707417A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/506,192
- Filed: 1995-07-24
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1994-09-30
- Assignees: Director-General of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
- Inventors: Shinya Yokoyama; Tomoko Ogi; Shigeki Sawayama; Tomoaki Minowa; Seiichi Inoue
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707417A

## CPC

- C05F 17/40: Treatment of liquids or slurries
- C05F 9/00: Fertilisers from household or town refuse
- C12M 21/04: {for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10)}
- C12M 45/02: {by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting (crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C)}
- C12M 45/20: {Heating; Cooling (heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory uses B01L7/00)}
- Y02A 40/20: Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin
- Y02W 30/40: Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse
- Y10S 71/901: Refuse conditioning
- C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Garbage resulting from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and containing water-insoluble organic components is treated first heated in the presence of water at a temperature of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. and a pressure higher than the saturated water vapor pressure to convert at least part of the water-insoluble components into water-soluble organic components and to obtain a mixture containing the water-soluble components dissolved in the water. The mixture is then subjected to methane fermentation to convert the water-soluble organic components into methane.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of treating garbage resulting from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and containing water-insoluble organic components, comprising the steps of:
(a) heating said garbage in the presence of water at a temperature of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. and a pressure higher than the saturated water vapor pressure to convert at least part of said water-insoluble components into water-soluble organic components and to obtain a mixture containing said water-soluble components dissolved in said water, and
(b) subjecting said mixture to methane fermentation to convert said water-soluble organic components into methane.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein, before step (b), said mixture is separated into a solid phase and a liquid phase containing said water-soluble organic components, said liquid phase being subjected to said methane fermentation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A process as set forth in claim 2 wherein said heating is continued until 30-80% of the water-insoluble organic components are converted into the water-soluble organic components and are dissolved in said water.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A process as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pressure is 2-200 atmospheres.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A process as set forth in claim 4 wherein said heating is in an atmosphere devoid of free oxygen gas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein said atmosphere is nitrogen, argon, helium or carbon dioxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

A process as set forth in claim 2, further comprising recovering and burning said solid phase.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

A process as set forth in claim 2, further comprising recovering said solid phase and processing said recovered solid phase into a compost.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1, further comprising recovering said methane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

A process as set forth in claim 2, further comprising recovering said methane.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pressure is 2-200 atmospheres.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A process as set forth in claim 11 wherein said heating is continued until 30-80% of the water-insoluble organic components are converted into the water-soluble organic components and are dissolved in said water.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

A process as set forth in claim 11 wherein said heating is in an atmosphere devoid of free oxygen gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A process as set forth in claim 13 wherein said atmosphere is nitrogen, argon, helium or carbon dioxide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pressure is 5-50 atmospheres.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heating is conducted for 1-720 minutes.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heating is conducted for 30-90 minutes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heating is in an atmosphere devoid of free oxygen gas.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A process as set forth in claim 18 wherein said atmosphere is nitrogen, argon, helium or carbon dioxide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heating is continued until 30-80% of the water-insoluble organic components are converted into the water-soluble organic components and are dissolved in said water.