|Publication number||US8202342 B2|
|Application number||US 13/103,637|
|Publication date||19 Jun 2012|
|Priority date||15 Sep 2005|
|Also published as||CA2622881A1, CA2622881C, EP1945596A2, EP1945596A4, EP1945596B1, EP1945596B8, US7662206, US7947105, US8491693, US8597394, US8864868, US9233882, US20070062233, US20100139345, US20110265533, US20120222462, US20120234063, US20140150507, US20150020560, US20160137560, WO2007035513A2, WO2007035513A3|
|Publication number||103637, 13103637, US 8202342 B2, US 8202342B2, US-B2-8202342, US8202342 B2, US8202342B2|
|Inventors||Jeffrey C. Burnham|
|Original Assignee||Vitag Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (190), Non-Patent Citations (35), Referenced by (4), Classifications (33), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/705,813 entitled “Organic Fertilizer Made by Alkaline Conversion Process” filed Feb. 15, 2010, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,947,105 on May 24, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/521,604 entitled “Organic Containing Sludge to Fertilizer Alkaline Conversion Process” filed Sep. 15, 2006, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,662,206 on Feb. 16, 2010, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/716,964, entitled “Organic Sludge Fertilizer Conversion Process,” filed Sep. 15, 2005, the entirety of which is specifically incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to fertilizers and methods for treating biosolids such as organic-containing sludges and alkaline materials thereby converting them into useful inorganic-organic nutrient fertilizers. The invention is also directed to treatment of sludges or biosolids to reduce noxious odorants prior to drying steps in manufacture of organic containing fertilizers.
2. Description of the Background
There are a number of methods currently available for converting organic materials into fertilizers. Examples of such organic materials include, animal residuals and manures, sewage sludge, lagoon sludges, pharmaceutical fermentation sludges, food fermentation sludges and other microbial digested organic materials such as blood meal, fish by-products and meal, food wastes, food processing wastes and animal remains such as slaughterhouse wastes (all hereinafter referred to as “biosolids”).
When these organic-containing materials are manufactured into fertilizers, very often they contain low levels of the important plant nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This limits their usefulness and marketability in commercial agriculture which applies value to a fertilizer based upon its nutrient content, especially the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in dry weight. This is especially true of products manufactured from municipal biosolids as the nitrogen level in biosolids on a dry weight basis is usually 3 to 5 percent. The implications of a low fertilizer nutrient level are low market value with concomitant limitations on the distance these materials can be transported from their manufacturing site. In contrast, high nitrogen fertilizers (products containing over 8 percent nitrogen by dry weight and especially products over 12 percent nitrogen by dry weight) can be transported thousands of miles to wholesale and retail markets.
A few organic products can be purchased “fortified” for a higher nutrient analysis. The ingredients used to fortify organic fertilizers are generally inorganic fertilizer components which because these already are fertilizers are expense, for example, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate or urea and various sources of potash (potassium) such as potassium oxides and greensand.
Organic fertilizers depend on soil organisms to break them down to release nutrients; therefore, most are effective only when soil is moist and warm enough for the microorganisms to be active. Nutrient release by microbial activity, in general, occurs over a fairly long time period. One potential drawback is that the organic fertilizer may not release enough of their principal nutrient when the plant needs it for growth.
Biosolids or dewatered sewer sludge is a recycled product of municipal sewage treatment plants. Two forms are commonly available: activated and composted. Activated sludge has higher concentrations of nutrients (approximately 5-3-0) than composted sludge. It is usually sold in a dry, granular form for use as a general purpose, long lasting, non-burning fertilizer. Composted sludge is used-primarily as a soil amendment or horticulture material and has a lower nutrient content (approximately 1-2-0) because the microbial activity in the composting process has caused the logs of nutrients into the atmosphere.
Compared to synthetic fertilizer formulations, organic fertilizers contain relatively low concentrations of actual nutrients, but they perform important functions which the synthetic formulations do not. They increase the organic content and consequently the water-holding capacity of the soil. They improve the physical structure of the soil which allows more air to get to plant roots. Where organic sources are used for fertilizer, bacterial and fungal activity increases in the soil. Mycorrhizal fungi which make other nutrients more available to plants thrive in soil where the organic matter content is high. Organically derived plant nutrients are slow to leach from the soil making them less likely to contribute to water pollution than synthetic fertilizers.
There is concern with long term effects of using biosolids products in agriculture, particularly around edible crops, in the prior art. Possible negative effects varied with the origin of the biosolids and with the characteristics of the biosolids, for example, the level of disinfection that was applied to the biosolids prior to its usage and to the level of metals that were contained in the biosolids. Many commercial biosolids processing technologies produce what is classed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Class B biosolids. This type of biosolids still has potential pathogens present because of the milder stringency permitted in the processing of these biosolids as compared to the high stringency Class A biosolids. The majority of biosolids processed in the United States in 2006 are still processed using Class B type protocols. A third concern regarding biosolids safety is their potential containment of personal pharmaceuticals or bio-active compounds such as antibiotics. Very few commercial biosolids processing methodologies have the mechanisms to eliminate these types of materials. Thus there is a need for safer organic fertilizers made from organic sludge.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages associated with current strategies and designs for the production of fertilizers containing organic components. The invention provides new tools and methods for converting organic containing materials into safe and valuable nutrient fertilizers that are marketable in commercial agriculture.
This invention is directed to systems, devices and methods for treating organic-containing sludges such as, for example, municipal biosolids, manures, animal residuals, pharmaceutical wastes, lagoon sludges, fermentation wastes and combinations thereof. These methods destroys the pathogens contained in such sludges, especially municipal biosolids and manures and in the final product creates a Class A product as defined by the U.S. EPA. The present invention also increases the plant nutrient content; especially nitrogen, phosphorus and/or potassium and iron in such organic-containing sludges. The present invention describes a method which incorporates a significant alkaline treatment and ammonia exposure to create a strong antimicrobial stress on the microorganisms present immediately prior to an acidification of the material which captures or fixes the ammonia present into ammonium salts which are components of plant nutrient fertilizers. The present invention converts dewatered municipal wastewater biosolids or other organic-containing sludges to a fertilizer comprising sufficient organic and inorganic plant nutrients to be valuable and saleable into the commercial agricultural industry and also, secondarily, reduces the odors associated with such organic sludges.
The present invention is also directed to processes for converting municipal biosolids, manures or animal residuals, or other biological and organic-containing sludges into fertilizers. The invention initially creates a thixotrophic or plastic homogenous paste of the biosolids with no water addition. This is followed by a significant alkaline, pH increase or pulse to above pH 10.0 coupled with an ammonification of the mix to: a) create a strong antimicrobial stress; b) further improve odors, and; c) simultaneously introduce nitrogen into the mix. This ammonification is followed by an acidification using concentrated phosphoric acid and/or, sulfuric acid to a) fix the ammonia into ammonium phosphate and or ammonium sulfate; b) create an acid stress, on the alkaline and ammonia exposed microbes, and; c) to introduce phosphate and sulfur into the mix to create nutrient value in the finished product. If the organic-containing sludge is noxiously odorous then an oxidation step can be inserted in which a strong oxidant, preferably, potassium or calcium ferrate, is reacted with the mix to interact with a significant portion of the reduced sulfur compounds, amines and other organic molecules including odorants such that they are partially oxidized and rendered less odorous.
In addition, the present invention is directed to process herein described further including the addition of chemicals to the fertilizer mix such as one or more oxidants such as, for example, hypochlorites such as section) hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite, iron oxides, other metal oxides, calcium ferrate, potassium ferrate, or sodium ferrate, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, other peroxides, ozone and chlorine, dioxide to further reduce odors. As further elaborated in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/359,751 and 11/371,238 (both of which are hereby incorporated by reference) other nutrients can be added with granulation agents to facilitate the creation of extrusions or granules that are hard, dry, between pH 5.6 and pH 7.5 and valuable on the commodity agricultural fertilizer market. This process would compete extremely well against alkaline stabilized biosolids containing processes and their resultant products in that less calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide would need to be used, if at all, and the significant alkaline and disinfecting agent, ammonia, contributes significant nitrogen value to the finished product. The process and resulting products would be considered USEPA Class A biosolids containing products and would commercially compete well against the heat-dried biosolids pellets as manufactured at many municipal wastewater treatment plants (“WWTPs”) presently throughout the U.S. and the world as well as of course the traditional alkaline-stabilized biosolids products.
Other embodiments and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in the description, which follows, and in part, may be obvious from this description, or may be learned from the practice of the invention.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention is directed to systems, devices and methods for treating organic containing sludges and producing an inorganically-enhanced bioorganic fertilizer.
The “inorganically-enhanced bioorganic fertilizer” is produced in a method of processing organic containing sludges to a microbially safe condition simultaneously with combining such sludges with plant nutrients containing nitrogen, phosphate, potassium along with sulfur and iron.
It has been surprisingly discovered that by chemically modifying organic containing sludges to fit the needs of nitrogen, phosphorus and/or potassium fertilizer requirements by reacting them with hot, molten or oxidative compounds of nitrogen, phosphate and other plant nutrients like potassium, sulfur, iron, and/or calcium creates a unique and valuable product. The results are a product with at least: a) enhanced commercial valuation, b) reduced odor; and, c) increased nitrogen, phosphorus, iron or other plant nutrients, e.g., potassium and/or sulfur. Significantly, the treated finished product, because it contains a high level of nutrient and is made to contain the physical characteristics of commercial fertilizers, can be sold as is into the commercial marketplace, in other words, without further modification or supplementation as is required with other materials. The advantages associated with the present invention over the state of the art include one or more of the following: combination of high concentration of inorganic plant nutrients with an unusually high concentration of organics in the same fertilizer granule, binding of the organics with the inorganic ammonium ions, production of a safer biosolids or organic sludge containing product, reduction of odors of the dried fertilizer product, increased nitrogen content in the product, increased phosphorus content in the product, increased iron content in the product, increased sulfur content in the product and/or increased potassium content in the product and/or increasing the calcium content or other mineral content in the product.
The conventional method for treating municipal wastewater sludge is to make products that are safe from a public health standpoint, preferably achieving the U.S. EPA's Class A standard for biosolids containing products. The problem is that these products generally have such low commercial value that they have difficulty moving consistently into the commercial marketplace especially at distances over 200 miles from the site of manufacture. As a consequence of this, these biosolids products are either sold for a few dollars per ton or given away or even commonly buried to simply dispose of them. The present invention integrates plant nutrients into the finished product which increases the value of the finished fertilizer and may, as a secondary effect, reduce said odors associated with the finished product.
By using aqueous ammonia instead of anhydrous ammonia as a disinfectant and simultaneously as a source of nitrogen, the manufacturing process avoids the restrictions and prohibitions that exist in many communities from transporting or working with the potentially hazardous anhydrous ammonia material.
Preferably, the process of the invention may be established close to or at existing or new wastewater treatment plants if processing municipal biosolids. If processing a manure or animal waste or biological sludge as in from a fermentation process, it is preferable that the processing plant be constructed as near to the source as possible. Logistics and liability can be minimized by the close association of the inorganically augmented bioorganic fertilizer plant with the biosolids or organic containing sludge source.
The present invention teaches improving the odorant quality of the biosolids that are fed to a granulation and heat drying step and improving the odorant quality of the finished fertilizer by introducing chemical additives to react with odorants within the biosolids, and by placing a coating on the granules or pellets produced thereby reducing the rate at which remaining odorants emit from the finished pellet product. Such a coating also reduces the dusting of said pellets during storage, transport and application thereby further improving their value and usefulness.
The present invention introduces significant chemical stresses to microorganisms that are contained in the dewatered biosolids during the manufacturing process. For example, the treatment of the slightly alkaline biosolids, normally found between pH 7.0 and pH 9.0 to a treatment pH of greater than pH 10 and preferably greater than pH 11 causes the ammonium ions present in the mix to convert to gaseous ammonia. This free ammonia begins the disinfection process for the mix. Further, the present invention teaches that either aqueous ammonia, or anhydrous ammonia, can be directly added to the mix to further increase the concentration of free ammonia and continue the disinfection process. The concentration of free ammonia should meet or exceed 2,000 ppm, or 5,000 ppm, and preferably 10,000 ppm and more preferably 15000 ppm. Such concentrations of ammonia are strongly antimicrobial and directly sensitize very retractile microorganisms such as microbial spores, cysts, and parasite eggs to additional stresses such as acid pH exposure and or heat exposure. High concentrations of ammonia will affect the membranes of microorganisms. The present invention does not need the ammonia to kill the microbial pathogens present, but only needs to sensitize them making exposure to subsequent acidification, and or heat, more effective in destroying these organisms. The concentration of ammonia added to the mix can be raise the concentration of nitrogen in the mix by 6%, preferably by 10% and more preferably by 14%. A portion of this ammonia can be added after the acidification step to avoid creating too much gaseous nitrogen. Adding a portion of the ammonia after acidification will facilitate the production of ammonia salts such as ammonium sulfate or ammonium phosphate. Some additional acid may need to be added after this second ammonia addition in order to react with any free ammonia and to adjust the pH to between pH 5.0 and 7.0.
The present invention improves and broaden the art of municipal sludge treatment and fertilizer manufacture by making a safe valuable inorganically augmented organic combined fertilizer.
The graph in
As a consequence, the free ammonia concentration rose to 2000 ppm. In step 4 additional 9% waste aqueous ammonia is added. This ammonia may also be anhydrous or may be other aqueous percents such as the commonly used 29% aqueous ammonia used in commercial fertilizer protocols. As a consequence; the free ammonia rose to over 10,000 ppm. At the concentrations in step 4 and step 5, ammonia is diffusing into the microorganisms present, causing damage to the cells and cell membranes, and decreasing their subsequent resistance to additional stresses such as acidification and or the application of heat during additional mixing steps or during granulation and drying. The ammonia exposure in the mix should be for a period of about 30 seconds, preferably for about 2 minutes and more preferably for over 5 minutes. During the period of ammonia exposure that the mix be agitated to maximize exposure of microorganisms contained in the sludge to the ammonia. In step 5, an acidification takes place, in this example using waste black phosphoric acid at 65% P2O5. This step reduces the pH to the physiological friendly pH ranging from pH 5.7 to pH 7.0, preferably to pH 6.5. The reaction of this acid with the ammonia present in the mix creates ammonium phosphate and will release exothermic heat into the mix. This heat, greater than 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80° C.); preferably greater than 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100° C.) and more preferably greater than 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121° C.), following the ammonification earlier, will continue the disinfection process. This acidification step will reduce the ammonia concentration significantly—in this example, to 10 ppm. Further; the ammonium phosphate now formed in the reacted mix will contribute plant nutrient value to the final product. In the final Step in this example, other nutrients are added, selected from the group comprised of ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, mono-ammonium phosphate, di-ammonium phosphate, potash, urea, ferric oxide, and ferric sulfate and the mix is processed using conventional granulation and drying technologies into the finished hard, dry granular fertilizer product. Further, liquid fertilizers, such as urea ammonium nitrate (“UAN”), and or aqueous urea, can be blended into the mix following acidification. The concentration of free ammonia will continue to drop—in this example, to approximately 3 ppm.
Overall, the dewatered municipal biosolids at a concentration of approximately 25 percent solids. In the AAP process, the preferred practice is to place the processing plant at or near the biosolids generating plant, preferably the wastewater treatment plant (“WWTP”). One purpose of the close proximity of the AAP processing plant with the WWTP is to reduce logistics and liability associated with moving the sludge or biosolids from the WWTP to the AAP plant as well as to retain the processing capability of returning extracted water from the biosolids back to the WWTP thereby preventing the necessity of discharging this water into the aqueous or atmospheric environment. By not having to transport the amount of water contained in dewatered biosolids to a distant biosolids processing plant a large economic savings can be an advantage.
The initial step in the AAP process as shown in
The ammonification step occurring in a pugmill or mixer is then followed in a subsequent pugmill, by the acidification of the mix. Preferably, and in this example, phosphoric acid is added, in this case 65% waste black phosphoric acid, such that the pH in the mix is reduced to below pH 7.0 and in this example to pH 6.5. Various plant nutrients are then added, such as diammonium phosphate (“DAP”), ammonium sulfate, urea, potash (“KCI”), and or ferric oxide to create a plant nutrient concentration that is suitable for marketing the product as a commercial fertilizer. In this example, the nutrients added caused the mix, in the final product, to equal, on a weight percent basis a 10-10-10-0-1-20 (N—P—K—S—Fe-Organic) fertilizer. Further, granulating agents, such as industrial molasses or proprietary binding agents, are added here to facilitate the granulating process to convert the mix into spherical granules. The mix is then moved to a granulator dryer to create a product with a preferred diameter of between 2.0 mm and 3.5 mm, preferably and in this example to 2.7 mm. The proper diameter is insured by moving the granules through a screen system with the reject sizes being milled and recycled to the granulation system. The proper sized granules are cooled, and optionally coated with a material to prevent the dusting of the granules during storage and shipment. Further, the optional coating material is selected, in the Present invention, to retard the emission of any odorants remaining in the granules. Finally the granules are moved to dry storage until shipment. Preferably, the granules have a dryness of 90% or more solids.
The present invention accomplishes at least the following:
A. The creation of a high value fertilizer granule employing an alkaline and ammonia stabilization strategy.
B. That sludges or biosolids to be treated may be comprised of municipal biosolids or sludges, manures or animal residuals, or from organic sludges as produced from food fermentation wastes or pharmaceutical fermentation wastes.
C. The production of a commercially viable amount of plant nutrient content in finished fertilizer granules.
D. Methods to reduce the odors associated with organic containing sludges during the production of inorganic augmented-bioorganic fertilizer granules.
E. The first step in treating organic containing sludges is to convert them to a thixotrophic or paste-like mix.
F. Following conversion to a thixotrophic paste the addition of an alkaline agent to the mix will cause the ammonium ion present to convert to free ammonia.
G. An additional pulse of ammonia can be added to bring the free ammonia concentration to over 1000 PPM and preferably over 10,000 PPM and more preferably over 20,000 PPM.
H. Nutrient enhancement may come from directly adding dry or liquid fertilizers to the mix before it is granulated and dried.
I. The reduction of odors and addition of plant nutrients to said fertilizer granules.
J. Reduction of odors and addition of plant nutrients to occur simultaneously in the production of said fertilizer granules.
K. The introduction of a multiple sequential antimicrobial stresses during the manufacture of fertilizer granules.
L. Concentrated acid is added to ammoniated dewatered biosolids a significant exothermic heat reaction will occur which will introduce a physical heat disinfecting process to the biosolids prior to the granulating and drying steps in the manufacture of fertilizer granules.
M. The production or manufacture of a valuable fertilizer capable of being sold into the commercial agricultural marketplace.
N. Treats biosolids or organic containing sludges to increase the level of plant nutrients, that will be contained and plant available in the finished dried pellet or granule. The chemical additions are made to dewatered biosolids. The chemical additions are added to the dewatered biosolids by means of a mixer, such as a pugmill, preferably a dual-shafted plow-bladed pugmill, that blends the additives with the biosolids mix such that the additives have the opportunity to completely interact and react with the chemical components of the biosolids.
In one embodiment of the invention, an alkaline material is added to the organic sludge after the sludge is converted into a thixotrophic paste-like material and after the sludge has been oxidized with an oxidizing agent such as calcium ferrate. This alkaline step is followed by an addition of more ammonia via either aqueous ammonia or anhydrous ammonia. Concentrated acid or mixture of concentrated acids, such as phosphoric acid and/or sulfuric acid is/are introduced to the ammoniated mix. Further; the acid pH created by such acid addition is within the range of pH 4.0 to 7.5, preferably from pH 5.0 to 7.0 and preferably to a narrower range of pH 5.8 to pH 6.8. Such a desirable pH range is preferred by fertilizer distributors and/or the grower/farmer final customer of the product of this invention. The effect of this interaction and reaction is to lessen the odor associated with the finished heat dried product and to increase the plant nutrient chemical content and value of the finished heat dried product. Concentrated phosphoric acid, as 70% super phosphoric acid and/or 50-65% phosphoric acid (black or green, agricultural grade phosphoric acid) is added directly to the ammoniated mixture. The addition of phosphoric acid not only reduces the odor associated with such biosolids, but simultaneously increases the phosphorus (P) content of the finished product. The generation of ammonia by addition of alkaline admixture to the biosolids as well as by direct additions of ammonia, either as aqueous ammonia or anhydrous ammonia or ammonium ions, will have a disinfecting role in destroying pathogens that are contained in the dewatered biosolids prior to the drying step of fertilizer granule manufacturing process.
Further, the present invention involves oxidants such as such as calcium ferrate or potassium ferrate or sodium ferrate, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, ozone, sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide in reducing odor of organic containing sludges prior to their being treated with the alkaline agent and the ammoniating agent. Further, the invention teaches the use of iron oxide and other forms of iron, such as iron sulfate which can be mixed in directly with the alkaline mix.
Further, the process employs one or more nutrient fertilizer materials, such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, mono-ammonium phosphate, di-ammonium phosphate, and urea and further, may be selected from the group of liquid fertilizers, such as urea ammonium nitrate (“UAN”), liquid urea or from other liquid N—P—K fertilizers such as, for example, 16-4-8, 10-8-8, or 6-14-6.
Other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. All references cited herein, including all publications, U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications, are specifically and entirely incorporated by reference. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US1998/0009398||Title not available|
|US2026969||13 May 1932||7 Jan 1936||Oliver United Filters Inc||Method for treatment of sewage|
|US2568901||3 May 1947||25 Sep 1951||Commerical Solvents Corp||Process for producing ammonium nitrate|
|US2755176||3 Nov 1952||17 Jul 1956||Swift & Co||Plant food manufacture|
|US2800457||30 Jun 1953||23 Jul 1957||Ncr Co||Oil-containing microscopic capsules and method of making them|
|US2800458||30 Jun 1953||23 Jul 1957||Ncr Co||Oil-containing microscopic capsules and method of making them|
|US2902342||27 Jan 1955||1 Sep 1959||Jr Bernard J Kerley||Method and apparatus for producing ammonium salts|
|US3050383||10 Jul 1958||21 Aug 1962||Phillips Petroleum Co||Fertilizer|
|US3259482||14 Oct 1965||5 Jul 1966||Archer Daniels Midland Co||Slow release fertilizer with a plurality of epoxy/polyester resin coatings|
|US3264088||8 Dec 1965||2 Aug 1966||Archer Daniels Midland Co||Slow release fertilizer granule having a plurality of epoxy resin coatings|
|US3264089||10 Dec 1965||2 Aug 1966||Archer Daniels Midland Co||Slow release fertilizer granule having a plurality of urethane resin coatings|
|US3304588||18 Mar 1965||21 Feb 1967||Nat Eng Co||Apparatus for conditioning granular material using rotating spokes and aerating cleats|
|US3345288||2 Feb 1965||3 Oct 1967||Sontheimer Heinrich||Process for dewatering organic sludges from waste water treatment|
|US3475154||30 Nov 1965||28 Oct 1969||Dainippon Toryo Kk||Plural coated pellet form products and process of making|
|US3476683||20 May 1968||4 Nov 1969||Liljegren Johan Ragnar||Methods of separating inorganic impurities from sewage and of making a soil improving composition from the impurities separated|
|US3655395||10 Jan 1969||11 Apr 1972||John N Karnemaat||Process for treating waste materials|
|US3756784||6 Jul 1970||4 Sep 1973||Int Combustion Ltd||Apparatus for composting|
|US3796669||28 Apr 1971||12 Mar 1974||Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd||Process for the production of oily liquid-containing microcapsules and the microcapsules produced thereby|
|US3837872||4 Jan 1972||25 Feb 1986||Title not available|
|US3915853||1 Apr 1974||28 Oct 1975||Luck Egon||Sewage treatment|
|US3939280||30 Aug 1974||17 Feb 1976||General Environmental Systems Co., Inc.||Process for treating animal waste|
|US3942970||23 May 1974||9 Mar 1976||Orgonics, Inc.||Process for treating sewage sludge and fertilizer products thereof|
|US3960718||5 Aug 1974||1 Jun 1976||Lebo Willis R||Method and apparatus for treating liquid sewage and waste|
|US3966450||12 Aug 1974||29 Jun 1976||Fmc Corporation||Animal waste odor treatment|
|US4001140||10 Jul 1974||4 Jan 1977||Ncr Corporation||Capsule manufacture|
|US4076515||9 Jul 1975||28 Feb 1978||Rickard M David||Method for treatment of digester supernatant and other streams in wastewater treatment facilities|
|US4079003||1 Jun 1976||14 Mar 1978||Frank Manchak||Method of transforming sludge into ecologically acceptable solid material|
|US4100103||30 Dec 1976||11 Jul 1978||Ncr Corporation||Capsule manufacture|
|US4108771||27 May 1977||22 Aug 1978||Weiss & Co.||Elimination of odors from organic wastes|
|US4124405||2 Aug 1976||7 Nov 1978||Pec-Engineering Societe Anonyme||Process for solidifying aqueous wastes and products thereof|
|US4134750||19 Dec 1977||16 Jan 1979||Tennessee Valley Authority||Granular ammonium phosphate sulfate and urea-ammonium phosphate sulfate using a common pipe-cross reactor|
|US4154593||16 Feb 1977||15 May 1979||Mississippi Chemical Corporation||Process for granulating ammonium phosphate containing fertilizers|
|US4180459||16 Dec 1977||25 Dec 1979||Industrial Filter & Pump Mfg. Co.||Process of making agricultural product from organic sewage sludge|
|US4219347||5 Sep 1978||26 Aug 1980||Union Oil Company Of California||Multicomponent soil supplement|
|US4230568||19 Oct 1978||28 Oct 1980||Stablex A.G.||Treatment of hazardous waste|
|US4249929||1 Nov 1978||10 Feb 1981||Franz Kneer||Method of digesting organic wastes|
|US4270279||21 Nov 1979||2 Jun 1981||Techtransfer Gmbh||Method for drying and sterilizing sewage sludge|
|US4304588||5 May 1980||8 Dec 1981||Moore Jr William P||Foliar feed compositions|
|US4306978||14 Jul 1980||22 Dec 1981||Willow Technology, Inc.||Method for lime stabilization of wastewater treatment plant sludges|
|US4377406||4 Jan 1982||22 Mar 1983||Tennessee Valley Authority||Ammonium polyphosphate sulfate fertilizers from wet-process phosphoric acid|
|US4377486||24 Dec 1980||22 Mar 1983||Wrc Processing Company||Organic sludge dewatering process|
|US4405354||2 Apr 1980||20 Sep 1983||Uniscope, Inc.||Elimination of odors from waste material|
|US4454259||30 Mar 1983||12 Jun 1984||Bayer Aktiengesellschaft||Process for the preparation of polyaddition products of isocyanates and denatured biomasses, their use as reactive fillers and as plant nutrients and a process for the production of sheets or shaped articles using the polyaddition products|
|US4500428||6 Aug 1984||19 Feb 1985||Process Research Development & Management, Inc.||Method for the treatment of wastewater sludge|
|US4514307||26 Jul 1983||30 Apr 1985||Conversion Systems, Inc.||Method of stabilizing organic waste|
|US4519831||17 Oct 1983||28 May 1985||Hawkeye Chemical Company||Method of converting sewage sludge to fertilizer|
|US4541986||16 Mar 1984||17 Sep 1985||Degussa Aktiengesellschaft||Process for deodorizing sludge|
|US4554002||16 May 1983||19 Nov 1985||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Beneficiating waste sludges for agricultural use and product made thereby|
|US4601863||28 Jan 1985||22 Jul 1986||Kanzaki Paper Manufacturing Co., Ltd.||Process for producing powder of microcapsules|
|US4619684||24 Mar 1986||28 Oct 1986||Tennessee Valley Authority||Pressure reactor for producing diammonium phosphate|
|US4655932||10 Feb 1986||7 Apr 1987||Don Roslonski||Method and apparatus for the disintegration and destruction of hazardous and toxic sludge materials|
|US4659472||27 Dec 1984||21 Apr 1987||Purac Ab||Method for producing a compostable mixture of sludge from sewage purification plants|
|US4711659||18 Aug 1986||8 Dec 1987||Moore William P||Attrition resistant controlled release fertilizers|
|US4743287||19 Aug 1986||10 May 1988||Robinson Elmo C||Fertilizer and method|
|US4772490||16 Dec 1986||20 Sep 1988||Ashland Oil, Inc.||Method for producing a water-permeable covering on granular water-soluble substances|
|US4781842||27 Feb 1987||1 Nov 1988||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Method of treating wastewater sludge|
|US4792349||3 Nov 1987||20 Dec 1988||Tennessee Valley Authority||Fertilizer values from galvanizer waste|
|US4793927||27 Jan 1987||27 Dec 1988||Tulane Medical Center Of Tulane Univ.||Method of treating sewage|
|US4902431||28 Jan 1988||20 Feb 1990||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Method for treating wastewater sludge|
|US4966706||14 Jul 1989||30 Oct 1990||Peroxid-Chemie Gmbh||Process for treatment of clarification sludge|
|US4997572||29 Jun 1990||5 Mar 1991||Willow Technology, Inc.||High rate method for alkaline stabilization, beneficiating and pelletizing of wastewater treatment plant sludges|
|US5013458||6 Apr 1990||7 May 1991||Rdp Company||Process and apparatus for pathogen reduction in waste|
|US5051031||11 Sep 1989||24 Sep 1991||American Fly Ash Company||Method of treating municipal sewage sludge and product produced thereby|
|US5087375||23 Jan 1989||11 Feb 1992||Aggio Recovery||Method for producing insoluble industrial raw material from waste|
|US5118337||20 Apr 1990||2 Jun 1992||Memon B.V.||Method for preparing granular fertilizer from manure|
|US5125951||13 Feb 1989||30 Jun 1992||Westinghouse Electric Corp.||Process for producing a dried fertilizer from sewage sludge|
|US5135664||30 Nov 1990||4 Aug 1992||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Method for treating wastewater sludge|
|US5147563||15 Jun 1990||15 Sep 1992||Long Enterprises, Inc.||Sewage sludge treatment with gas injection|
|US5183577||6 Jan 1992||2 Feb 1993||Zimpro Passavant Environmental Systems, Inc.||Process for treatment of wastewater containing inorganic ammonium salts|
|US5238480||29 Jun 1989||24 Aug 1993||Vigoro Industries, Inc.||Fertilizer compositions and method of making such compositions|
|US5252116||3 Sep 1991||12 Oct 1993||Trg International Waste Management, Ltd.||Organic base fertilizer from municipal sewage sludge|
|US5259977||20 Mar 1992||9 Nov 1993||Bio Gro Systems, Inc.||Method and apparatus for the treatment of sewage sludge and the like|
|US5275733||20 Feb 1992||4 Jan 1994||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Process to stabilize wastewater sludge|
|US5340376||6 Jun 1991||23 Aug 1994||The Sierra Horticultural Products Company||Controlled-release microbe nutrients and method for bioremediation|
|US5342442||2 Feb 1993||30 Aug 1994||Wisconsin Electric Power Company||Lightweight aggregate from flyash and sewage sludge|
|US5346527||22 Jan 1991||13 Sep 1994||L & G Rehbein, Inc.||Soil treatment|
|US5356540||20 May 1991||18 Oct 1994||Texaco Inc.||Pumpable aqueous slurries of sewage sludge|
|US5385673||8 Sep 1992||31 Jan 1995||Hazen And Sawyer, P.C.||Method of treating wastewater biosolids|
|US5393317||22 Aug 1991||28 Feb 1995||Reland Industries, Inc.||Method and apparatus for producing organic based fertilizer in continuous process|
|US5401402||30 Mar 1994||28 Mar 1995||Rdp Company||Process and apparatus for treating sewage sludge|
|US5409605||5 Aug 1993||25 Apr 1995||Chemical Lime Company||Apparatus and method for treating waste sludge|
|US5417861||21 Dec 1993||23 May 1995||N-Viro International Corporation||Process to stabilize bioorganic, raw or treated wastewater sludge|
|US5419839||28 Jul 1994||30 May 1995||Chemical Lime Company||Apparatus and method for treating waste sludge|
|US5422015||30 Jul 1992||6 Jun 1995||Hondo Chemical, Inc.||Pathogenic waste treatment|
|US5435923||5 Nov 1993||25 Jul 1995||Bio Gro Systems, Inc.||Method for the treatment of sewage sludge and the like|
|US5443613||19 Apr 1994||22 Aug 1995||Robinson; Elmo C.||Method for producing suspension fertilizer|
|US5466273||28 Apr 1994||14 Nov 1995||Connell; Larry V.||Method of treating organic material|
|US5500044||15 Oct 1993||19 Mar 1996||Greengrove Corporation||Process for forming aggregate; and product|
|US5554279||26 Sep 1994||10 Sep 1996||Rdp Company||Apparatus for treatment of sewage sludge|
|US5556445||22 Sep 1994||17 Sep 1996||Mark K. Quinn||Steam treatment of municipal solid waste|
|US5580458||26 May 1995||3 Dec 1996||Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha||Method for waste water treatment using calcium carbonate mineral and microorganisms in combination|
|US5593590||27 Feb 1992||14 Jan 1997||Technoagrar Consulting Ag||Process for separate treatment and disposal of mixtures of solid and liquid, organic wastes|
|US5593591||7 Jun 1995||14 Jan 1997||Unipure Corporation||Production of dry, free flowing solids from bio-waste sludge|
|US5603842||18 Apr 1995||18 Feb 1997||Amsco, Incorporated||Process for treatment of sludge|
|US5618442||11 Jun 1996||8 Apr 1997||Rdp Company||Process for treatment of sewage sludge|
|US5635069||11 Jul 1995||3 Jun 1997||Boss Edward E||Process for treating a waste sludge of biological solids|
|US5669969||30 Oct 1995||23 Sep 1997||Greengrove Corporation||Process for forming aggregate; and product|
|US5679129||6 Jun 1995||21 Oct 1997||Clemson University||Encapsulated fertilizers and pesticides and process|
|US5681481||18 May 1995||28 Oct 1997||Rdp Company||Process and apparatus for liquid sludge stabilization|
|US5733355||5 Dec 1996||31 Mar 1998||Susumu Hibino||Bacterial Preparation for agricultural use|
|US5766302||9 May 1994||16 Jun 1998||Lefroy; Roderick David Bruce||Fertilizer coating process|
|US5783073||28 Jan 1997||21 Jul 1998||Rdp Company||Process and apparatus for liquid sludge stabilization|
|US5807724||7 Jun 1995||15 Sep 1998||Resnick; Joseph A.||Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons with organisms encapsulated in wax|
|US5849060||9 Aug 1996||15 Dec 1998||Zhengzhou Centre Of Popularization & Research On Zhengzhou Luxuriance Phosphate & Compound Fertilizer||Controlled release fertilizer and preparations thereof|
|US5853450||3 Sep 1997||29 Dec 1998||Medical College Of Ohio||Method for treating bioorganic and wastewater sludges|
|US5853590||3 Sep 1997||29 Dec 1998||Medical College Of Ohio||Method for treating bioorganic and wastewater sludges|
|US5862610||28 Dec 1995||26 Jan 1999||Atara Corporation||Method for coating dry pellets made of waste bio-solids with waste bio-solids|
|US5876613||29 Jun 1996||2 Mar 1999||Omnium De Traitements Et De Valorisation||Sludge digestion method|
|US5906750||6 Apr 1998||25 May 1999||Haase; Richard Alan||Method for dewatering of sludge|
|US5916448||22 Aug 1997||29 Jun 1999||Hazen & Sawyer P.C.||Chemical conditioning of liquid and semi-liquid sludge for dewatering, odor control, pathogen control, nutrient enhancement of the residual, and handling characteristics|
|US5984992||7 May 1997||16 Nov 1999||Unity, Inc.||Sewage sludge recycling with a pipe cross-reactor|
|US5993505||22 May 1998||30 Nov 1999||Oms Investments, Inc.||Controlled release fertilizer compositions and processes for the preparation thereof|
|US6051411||19 Sep 1997||18 Apr 2000||National Research Council Of Canada||Microorganisms immobilized in chitosan crosslinked with lignosulphonate for purification of waste water|
|US6103191||8 Dec 1998||15 Aug 2000||Riverside County Eastern Municipal Water District||Continuous flow pasteurization of sewage sludge|
|US6117406||12 Feb 1999||12 Sep 2000||Kaltenbach-Thuring S.A.||Process for manufacturing ammonium salts|
|US6159263||12 Oct 1999||12 Dec 2000||Unity, Inc.||Sewage sludge recycling with a pipe cross-reactor|
|US6165550||23 Jul 1998||26 Dec 2000||Bayer Corporation||Symmetrical Polyurea-urethane fertilizer encapsulation|
|US6176891||26 Mar 1998||23 Jan 2001||Central Glass Company, Limited||Coated granular fertilizer and method for producing same|
|US6187074||3 Jun 1996||13 Feb 2001||K + S Aktiengesellschaft||Coated fertilizer granules|
|US6237246||24 Dec 1997||29 May 2001||R3 Management Limited||Treating sewage or like sludge|
|US6237264||8 Aug 1997||29 May 2001||Eastman Kodak Company||Device and method for producing lenticular images with motion|
|US6256902||10 Jun 1999||10 Jul 2001||John R. Flaherty||Apparatus and method for desiccating and deagglomerating wet, particulate materials|
|US6284278||12 Jun 1998||4 Sep 2001||Contrix Ltd.||Controlled release chemicals|
|US6325035||30 Sep 1999||4 Dec 2001||Caterpillar Inc.||Method and apparatus for starting an engine using capacitor supplied voltage|
|US6331300||22 Oct 1998||18 Dec 2001||Board Of Trustees Operating Michigan State University||Compositions for providing a chemical to a microorganism|
|US6398840||8 Jun 2000||4 Jun 2002||Pedro Orta-Castro||Process for treating sludge|
|US6406510||17 Nov 2000||18 Jun 2002||Unified Environmental Services Group, Llc||Methods for treating wastewater sludge|
|US6409788||22 Jan 1999||25 Jun 2002||Crystal Peak Farms||Methods for producing fertilizers and feed supplements from agricultural and industrial wastes|
|US6409789 *||7 Feb 2000||25 Jun 2002||R. Gene Gilbert||Organic biosolid waste treatment process for resource transformation, regeneration, and utilization|
|US6461399||10 Dec 1999||8 Oct 2002||Larry V. Connell||Organic material based uniprill fertilizer|
|US6465706||29 Jun 2000||15 Oct 2002||Bechtel Bwxt Idaho, Llc||Encapsulation method for maintaining biodecontamination activity|
|US6517599 *||20 Jun 2002||11 Feb 2003||R. Gene Gilbert||Organic biosolid waste treatment process for resource transformation, regeneration, and utilization|
|US6623650||16 Oct 2001||23 Sep 2003||R3 Management Limited||Processes and apparatus for treating sewage or like sludge|
|US6666154||12 Apr 2002||23 Dec 2003||N-Viro International Corporation||Methods for controlling ignitability of organic waste with mineral by-products|
|US6716360||16 Apr 2002||6 Apr 2004||Eau-Viron Incorporated||Method and apparatus for treating waste streams|
|US6752848 *||8 Aug 2001||22 Jun 2004||N-Viro International Corporation||Method for disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes with mineral by-products|
|US6752849 *||19 Nov 2002||22 Jun 2004||N-Viro International Corporation||Method for disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes with mineral by-products|
|US6758879||12 Dec 2000||6 Jul 2004||Unity, Inc.||Sewage sludge recycling with a pipe cross-reactor|
|US6841515||22 Jan 2002||11 Jan 2005||Unified Enviromental Services Group, L.L.C.||Production and use of biosolid granules|
|US6852142||1 Jun 2001||8 Feb 2005||Green Technologies, Inc.||Organic-based fertilizer|
|US7128880||19 Dec 2002||31 Oct 2006||Environmental Technologies Capital Partners Llc||Organic recycling with a pipe-cross or tubular reactor|
|US7497956||29 Nov 2002||3 Mar 2009||Corporation Biolix||Method for stabilizing and conditioning urban and industrial wastewater sludge|
|US7513927||19 Dec 2003||7 Apr 2009||Vitag, Llc||Methods of controlling chemical self-heating of organic-containing materials|
|US7604742||9 May 2005||20 Oct 2009||Indian Institute Of Technology Bombay||Soil conditioning products from organic waste|
|US7662205||9 Mar 2006||16 Feb 2010||Vitag Corporation||Processes to beneficiate heat-dried biosolid pellets|
|US7662206 *||15 Sep 2006||16 Feb 2010||Vitag Corporation||Organic containing sludge to fertilizer alkaline conversion process|
|US7789931||14 May 2007||7 Sep 2010||Unity Envirotech Llc||Organic recycling with metal addition|
|US7947104||24 May 2011||Vitag Corp.||Process for treating sludge and manufacturing bioorganically-augmented high nitrogen-containing inorganic fertilizer|
|US7947105 *||15 Feb 2010||24 May 2011||Vitag Corp.||Organic fertilizer made by alkaline conversion process|
|US8057569||15 Nov 2011||Unified Environmental Services Group, Llc||Organic recycling with metal addition|
|US8105413||23 Feb 2006||31 Jan 2012||Vitag Corporation||Manufacturing of bioorganic-augmented high nitrogen-containing inorganic fertilizer|
|US20020098982||22 Jan 2002||25 Jul 2002||Burnham Jeffrey C.||Production and use of biosolid granules|
|US20020157439 *||20 Jun 2002||31 Oct 2002||Gilbert R. Gene||Organic biosolid waste treatment process for resource transformation, regeneration, and utilization|
|US20030070460||8 Aug 2001||17 Apr 2003||Logan Terry J.||Method for disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes with mineral by-products|
|US20030089151||19 Jun 2002||15 May 2003||Logan Terry J.||Method for disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes with mineral by-products|
|US20030121302 *||13 Mar 2001||3 Jul 2003||Oliver Michael John Basil||Production of a fertilizer product|
|US20030136165||19 Nov 2002||24 Jul 2003||Logan Terry J.||Method for disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes with mineral by-products|
|US20040016731||14 Feb 2003||29 Jan 2004||Werner Erlenmaier||Apparatus and method for thermal cutting of a workpiece|
|US20040065127||7 Oct 2002||8 Apr 2004||Connell Larry V.||Method of dewatering and preparing organic waste material for conversion into fertilizers|
|US20040120867||19 Dec 2002||24 Jun 2004||Dahms Gary L.||Organic recycling with a pipe-cross or tubular reactor|
|US20040177664||13 Mar 2003||16 Sep 2004||Roland Hale||Production of a high quality organic-based fertilizer|
|US20050005660||27 May 2004||13 Jan 2005||Burnham Jeffrey C.||Liquid fertilizer incorporating biosolids and high concentrations of ammonium|
|US20050019207 *||25 Oct 2002||27 Jan 2005||Michael John Basil Oliver||Process for deodorizing and disinfecting a bioorganic material|
|US20050039508||27 May 2004||24 Feb 2005||Burnham Jeffrey C.||Organic recycling with metal addition|
|US20050077245||29 Nov 2002||14 Apr 2005||Jean-Francois Blais||Method for stabilizing and conditioning urban and industrial wastewater sludge|
|US20060243009||23 Feb 2006||2 Nov 2006||Burnham Jeffrey C||Manufacturing of bioorganic-augmented high nitrogen-containing inorganic fertilizer|
|US20060254331||9 Mar 2006||16 Nov 2006||Burnham Jeffrey C||Processes to beneficiate heat-dried biosolid pellets|
|US20070062233||15 Sep 2006||22 Mar 2007||Burnham Jeffrey C||Organic containing sludge to fertilizer alkaline conversion process|
|US20070257715||30 Dec 2005||8 Nov 2007||Semerdzhiev Krasimir P||System and method for abstract configuration|
|US20080000279 *||19 Dec 2003||3 Jan 2008||Faulmann Ervin L||Methods of controlling chemical self-heating of organic-containing materials|
|US20080034822||14 May 2007||14 Feb 2008||Burnham Jeffrey C||Organic recycling with metal addition|
|US20080120867||12 Dec 2007||29 May 2008||Ophneil Henry Perry||Apparatus and Method For Thermally Removing Coatings and/or Impurities|
|US20080230484||19 Feb 2008||25 Sep 2008||Burnham Jeffrey C||Process for treating sludge and manufacturing bioorganically-augmented high nitrogen-containing inorganic fertilizer|
|US20100139345||15 Feb 2010||10 Jun 2010||Burnham Jeffrey C||Organic fertilizer made by alkaline conversion process|
|US20100139346||15 Feb 2010||10 Jun 2010||Burnham Jeffrey C||Beneficiated, heat-dried biosolid pellets|
|US20100288003||18 Nov 2010||Burnham Jeffrey C||Organic Recycling With Metal Addition|
|USRE38238||8 Apr 2002||26 Aug 2003||N-Viro International Corp.||Method for treating wastewater sludge|
|USRE38283||18 Jul 1996||21 Oct 2003||Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha||Catalyst for use in producing carboxylic esters|
|DE2523628A1||28 May 1975||2 Dec 1976||Rheinische Kalksteinwerke||Prepn. of fertiliser contg. lime by concn. of sewage slurry - mixing with quicklime and granulating|
|DE2800915B1||10 Jan 1978||21 Sep 1978||Bernhard Debbeler||Verfahren zum Aufbereiten und Pasteurisieren von Klaerschlamm unter Beifuegen von CaO|
|DE4127459C2||20 Aug 1991||29 Jul 1993||Aglukon Spezialduenger Gmbh, 4000 Duesseldorf, De||Title not available|
|EP0143392B1||14 Nov 1984||1 Mar 1989||ECODECO S.p.A.||Biological sludge hygienisation process|
|EP0557078A1||17 Feb 1993||25 Aug 1993||N-Viro Energy Systems Ltd.||Process to stabilize wastewater sludge|
|EP0770586B1||24 Oct 1996||17 May 2000||Kaltenbach - Thuring S.A.||Process and installation for producing fertiliser|
|FR2133115A6||Title not available|
|FR2757504A1||Title not available|
|JP9110570A||Title not available|
|JP58032638A||Title not available|
|JP2001129597A||Title not available|
|JP2002248454A||Title not available|
|1||AU Exam Report for PCT/US06/036085, dated Jan. 20, 2011.|
|2||AU Exam Report for PCTUS08054315, dated Jul. 5, 2010.|
|3||AU Exam Report for PCTUS08054315, dated Nov. 23, 2010.|
|4||CA Exam Report for PCT/US06/08536, dated Dec. 9, 2011.|
|5||CA Exam Report for PCT/US06/08536, dated Mar. 28, 2011.|
|6||CA Exam Report for PCTUS08054315, dated May 10, 2011.|
|7||CN Exam Report for PCTUS08054315.|
|8||JP Exam Report for PCTUS08054315, dated Dec. 21, 2010.|
|9||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/006220-Aug. 15, 2007.|
|10||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/006220—Aug. 15, 2007.|
|11||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/008536-Apr. 16, 2008.|
|12||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/008536—Apr. 16, 2008.|
|13||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/036085-Apr. 19, 2007.|
|14||PCT Search Report PCT/US06/036085—Apr. 19, 2007.|
|15||PCT Search Report PCT/US08/054315-Jun. 5, 2008.|
|16||PCT Search Report PCT/US08/054315—Jun. 5, 2008.|
|17||PCT Search Report PCT/US10/062504-Sep. 21, 2011.|
|18||PCT Search Report PCT/US10/062504—Sep. 21, 2011.|
|19||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/006220-Aug. 15, 2007.|
|20||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/006220—Aug. 15, 2007.|
|21||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/008536-Apr. 16, 2008.|
|22||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/008536—Apr. 16, 2008.|
|23||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/036085-Apr. 19, 2007.|
|24||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US06/036085—Apr. 19, 2007.|
|25||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US08/054315-Jun. 5, 2008.|
|26||PCT Written Opinion PCT/US08/054315—Jun. 5, 2008.|
|27||RU Examination Report for PCTUS08054315.|
|28||U.S. Appl. No. 08/520,959, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|29||U.S. Appl. No. 08/532,273, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|30||U.S. Appl. No. 10/854,677, filed Feb. 24, 2005, Burnham.|
|31||U.S. Appl. No. 11/359,751, filed Feb. 23, 2006, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|32||U.S. Appl. No. 12/705,794, filed Feb. 15, 2010, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|33||U.S. Appl. No. 12/981,933, filed Dec. 30, 2010, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|34||U.S. Appl. No. 13/103,637, filed May 9, 2011, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|35||U.S. Appl. No. 13/104,127, filed May 10, 2011, Burnham; Jeffrey C.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8864868 *||20 Nov 2013||21 Oct 2014||Vitag Corporation||Organic containing sludge to fertilizer alkaline conversion process|
|CN103980025A *||26 Mar 2014||13 Aug 2014||广西新天德能源有限公司||Comprehensive recycling method for high-permeability fermentation waste liquid and sludge|
|CN103980025B *||26 Mar 2014||26 Aug 2015||广西新天德能源有限公司||高渗发酵废液及污泥的综合回收利用方法|
|CN104016758A *||7 May 2014||3 Sep 2014||广西地源之本肥业有限公司||Method for preparing special-purpose eucalyptus organic compound fertilizer by utilizing fermenting waste|
|U.S. Classification||71/11, 71/15, 71/64.13, 71/14, 71/25, 71/12, 71/17, 71/22, 71/21, 71/64.03, 71/13|
|International Classification||C05F9/00, C05F3/00, C05F11/00, C05F7/00|
|Cooperative Classification||C05F11/00, Y02W30/43, Y02P20/145, C05G3/0088, C05B17/00, C05C11/00, C05F3/00, C05C7/00, C02F11/14, C02F11/06, C05C3/00, A45D20/18, C05F5/008, C05F9/00, C05F7/00|
|European Classification||C02F11/14, C05F7/00, C05C3/00|
|21 Aug 2013||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: VITAG INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LLC, TEXAS
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:VITAG CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:031059/0574
Effective date: 20130819
|27 Sep 2013||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: AIS JV, LLC, FLORIDA
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:VITAG CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:031301/0979
Effective date: 20130926
Owner name: VITAG CORPORATION, SOUTH CAROLINA
Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:VITAG INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LLC;REEL/FRAME:031295/0179
Effective date: 20130926
Owner name: VITAG INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LLC, TEXAS
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:VITAG CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:031305/0502
Effective date: 20130819
|11 Jul 2014||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: TCPC SBIC, LP, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:VITAG CORPORATION;VITAG HOLDINGS LLC;REEL/FRAME:033303/0914
Effective date: 20140711
Owner name: VITAG CORPORATION, SOUTH CAROLINA
Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AIS JV, LLC;REEL/FRAME:033300/0569
Effective date: 20140711
Owner name: VITAG CORPORATION, SOUTH CAROLINA
Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:VITAG INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LLC;REEL/FRAME:033300/0581
Effective date: 20140711
|19 Jun 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|28 Jul 2015||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ANUVIA PLANT NUTRIENTS CORPORATION, FLORIDA
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:VITAG CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:036192/0211
Effective date: 20150717