# US 8,465,567 B2 · Method for the production of humus- and nutrient-rich and water-storing soils or soil substrates for sustainable land use and development systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,567 B2 - Document ID: US8465567B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/672,820 - Filed: 2007-08-10 - Published: 2010-08-12 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-10 - Assignees: Palaterra GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Joachim Böttcher; Haiko Pieplow; Alfons-Eduard Krieger - Inventors: Joachim Böttcher; Haiko Pieplow; Alfons-Eduard Krieger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465567B2 ## CPC - C05F 17/00: Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation - C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers - C05F 9/04: Biological compost - C05F 11/00: Other organic fertilisers - C05F 11/02: from peat, brown coal, and similar vegetable deposits - 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 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin - Y02W 10/37: using solar energy - Y02W 30/40: Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse - C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE - C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE - 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 ## Abstract The present invention relates to a method for the production of stable humus- and nutrient-rich and water-storing soil substrates with properties of anthropogenic soil types (Terra Preta) in which pyrogenic carbon, organic biomass, and/or natural mineral materials are used as initial materials in a fermentation process. The soil produced or treated according to the invention leads to a sustainably high soil yield such that mineral fertilizers are no longer needed for agricultural use. Moreover, the soil is suitable for use as a soil substitute, for use as a soil supplement, for greening developments, for preventing erosion, for improving regional water supplies, for preventing floods, for preventing climate change, for reducing carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, for waste water cleaning and treatment, for exhaust air cleaning and building air purification, for creating material flow cycles from biogenic waste and/or waste water in order to develop and utilize land use and development systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing stable humus and nutrient-rich and water-storing clay-soil substrates having properties of anthropogenic soil forms (Terra Preta), comprising the following steps: (a) mixing pulverized and/or sieved pyrogenic carbon with previously pulverized and homogenized easily decomposable organic biomass, (b) inoculating the mixture by admixing a starter culture made of microorganisms to perform an anaerobic fermentation in the form of a lactic acid fermentation and/or by admixing already produced soil substrates and/or by admixing a biomass which was subjected to the lactic acid fermentation, (c) incubation of the mixture under air exclusion to perform a lactic acid fermentation at a temperature between 30° C. and 40° C. and a pH value in the acid range, controlled soil drainage and degassing being provided during the fermentation process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pyrogenic carbon is used in a quantity of at least 5% and the organic biomass is used in a quantity of at least 50%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ratio of pyrogenic carbon to organic biomass is 1:4. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the soil/soil substrate obtained after method step (c) is either packed and stored, or introduced or applied to a soil surface to be treated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method also comprises step (d), in which soil organisms are introduced either into the mixture after the fermentation in a fermenter facility, in special containers and facilities, or directly into the soil to be treated, so that soil organisms naturally present in the soil may cause the conversion and further processing of the soil substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that natural minerals, mineral soils, or other mineral soil substrates, are admixed, introduced, or applied to the mixture, the soil/soil substrate, or the surface to be treated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pyrogenic carbon is introduced in the form of charcoal, sieve residues of charcoal, black earth, wood ash, or other pyrogenic carbon structures, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pyrogenic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis or a hydrothermal carbonization process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the exhaust heat of the pyrolysis process is conducted to the fermentation process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pyrogenic carbon is admixed with urine and/or urea solution and/or other solutions containing urea before or in step (a). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that green plant residues, organic municipal wastes, organic waste from industry, trade, agriculture and forestry and gardening, biodegradable wastes, kitchen wastes, garden debris, human or animal feces, liquid manure, or fermentation residues from biogas facilities or other organic biomass is used as the easily decomposable organic biomass. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fermentation process is performed in containers, silos, boxes, heaps, ground trenches, or in a fermenter facility. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lactic acid fermentation is performed as surface fermentation, in which the starting materials, and optionally the admixed mineral soil, are sealed as airtight as possible in order to cause nearly anaerobic milieu conditions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lactic acid fermentation process is performed for a duration of approximately two to six weeks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein said soil organisms are selected from the group consisting of earthworms, compost worms, beetles, and mites. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein (i) said natural mineral is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, (ii) said mineral soil is a fertilizer or limestone, and (iii) said mineral soil substrate is a clay substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein said starting material is pyrogenic carbon or organic biomass.