Methods of processing municipal solid waste (MSW) using microbial hydrolysis and fermentation
First Claim
1. A method of processing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) comprising the steps offermenting a stream of unsorted MSW in a microbial fermentation reactor in which the unsorted MSW is fermented with an inoculated microbial consortium and with agitation at a non-water content of between 10 and 50% by weight and at a temperature of between 35 and 75 degrees C. for a period of between 1 and 72 hours, under conditions sufficient to maintain a live lactic acid bacteria concentration of at least 1.0×
- 1010 CFU/L, wherein said microbial consortium comprises live lactic acid bacteria and wherein said microbial consortium provides a microbially-derived cellulase activity of at least 30 Filter Paper Units/Liter (FPU/L), and wherein said unsorted MSW comprises a mixture of biogenic and non-biogenic material in which 15% by weight or greater of the dry weight is non-biogenic material, andremoving a stream of fermented unsorted MSW from the reactor and subjecting it to a separation step whereby non-biodegradable solids are removed to provide a slurry of bio-degradable components.
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Abstract
The invention provides a method of processing MSW comprising the steps of —providing a stream of unsorted MSW to a microbial fermentation reactor in which the MSW is fermented with agitation at a non-water content of between 10 and 50% by weight and at a temperature of between 35 and 75 degrees for a period of between 1 and 72 hours under conditions sufficient to maintain a live lactic acid bacteria concentration of at least 10.000.000.000 CFU/L, and —removing a stream of fermented unsorted MSW from the reactor and subjecting it to a separation step whereby non-degradable solids are removed to provide a slurry of bio-degradable components. Further, a slurry of bio-degradable components prepared according to said method is provided.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of processing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) comprising the steps of
fermenting a stream of unsorted MSW in a microbial fermentation reactor in which the unsorted MSW is fermented with an inoculated microbial consortium and with agitation at a non-water content of between 10 and 50% by weight and at a temperature of between 35 and 75 degrees C. for a period of between 1 and 72 hours, under conditions sufficient to maintain a live lactic acid bacteria concentration of at least 1.0× - 1010 CFU/L, wherein said microbial consortium comprises live lactic acid bacteria and wherein said microbial consortium provides a microbially-derived cellulase activity of at least 30 Filter Paper Units/Liter (FPU/L), and wherein said unsorted MSW comprises a mixture of biogenic and non-biogenic material in which 15% by weight or greater of the dry weight is non-biogenic material, and
removing a stream of fermented unsorted MSW from the reactor and subjecting it to a separation step whereby non-biodegradable solids are removed to provide a slurry of bio-degradable components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- 1010 CFU/L, wherein said microbial consortium comprises live lactic acid bacteria and wherein said microbial consortium provides a microbially-derived cellulase activity of at least 30 Filter Paper Units/Liter (FPU/L), and wherein said unsorted MSW comprises a mixture of biogenic and non-biogenic material in which 15% by weight or greater of the dry weight is non-biogenic material, and
Specification