Process for treating humus materials

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING HUMATES FROM HUMUS MATERIALS IN A SOLID STATE AND FOR CONCENTRATING SAID HUMATES FOR PROVIDING SOIL CONDITIONERS AND FERTILIZERS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, INTRODUCING WATER INTO A MULTI-STAGE COUNTERCURRENT FLOW WITH RESPECT TO A HUMUS MATERIAL THEREBY FORMING A LIQUOR, AGITATING THE LIQUID AND THE HUMUS MATERIAL IN EACH STAGE AND SEPARATING THE LIQUOR AND THE SOLIDS IN EACH STAGE, THE LIQUOR SEPARATED FROM EACH EXTRACTION STAGE HAVING SOLUBLE HUMIC ACIDS DISSOLVED THEREIN FROM THE HUMUS MATERIAL, INTRODUCING THE LIQUOR FROM EACH EXTRACTION STAGE TO THE PREVIOUS EXTRACTION STAGE WITH THE FINAL LIQUOR BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE FIRST EXTRACTION STAGE, ADDING AN ALKALI SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, AND AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE TO SAID LIQUOR HAVING HUMIC ACIDS THEREWITH TO ESTABLISH A PH OF AT LEAST ABOUT 9 FOR CREATING WATER DISPERSIBLE HUMATES IN THE FINAL LIQUOR FROM THE FIRST EXTRACTION STAGE TO WHICH THE HUMUS MATERIAL IS INTRODUCED, SEPARATING SAID FINAL LIQUOR FROM THE HUMUS MATERIAL TREATED, ADDING TO SAID FINAL LIQUOR A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBONIC ACID, HYDROCHLORIC ACID, AND NITRIC ACID TO THEREBY NEUTRALIZE THE EXCESS ALKALI, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE WATER FROM SAID HUMATES TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY HUMATES.