Process of treating organic sludges

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING DOMESTIC SEWAGE HAVING CELLULOSE FIBERS THEREIN WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF TREATING AT LEAST PART OF THE SEWAGE BY A STABILIZED ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT, SETTLING SOLIDS FROM SAID SEWAGE INCLUDING SOLIDS RESULTING FROM THE STABILIZED ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT, WITHDRAWING A SLURRY OF SAID SOLIDS AND WATER FOR TREATMENT SEPARATE FROM THE ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREETMENT SAID SLURRY BEING LIQUID IN NATURE BUBBLING AIR UP THROUGH SLURRY THUS WITHDRAWN, IN A CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM FIBERS OTHER THAN THOSE DERIVED FROM THE SEWAGE, WHILE STILL LIQUID IN NATURE BUT IN THE THIKNENED CONDITION RESULTING FROM SETTING IN THE PRESENCE OF AEROBIC BACTERIA FOR A PERIOD EXCEEDING TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND UNTILL THE BODY OF SLURRY CONSIDERED AS AN ENTIRETY, AND THE CELLULOSE FIBERS THEREIN HAVE BEEN REACTED SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE DEGREE OF REACTION OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT WHEN A FILTER CAKE FORMED FROM SAID REACTED SLURRY IS CRACKED APART IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM CELLULOSE FIBERS BRIDGING ACROSS THE BREAK, AND UNTIL THE FILTERING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SLURRY HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED BY THIS TREATMENT, AND THEREUPON DISCONTINUING THIS TREATMENT BEFORE THE BIOLOGICAL REACTION ON THE CELLULOSE FIBERS HAS REACHED THE TERMINAL CONDITION IN WHICH THE SLUDGE IS SLIMY AND DIFFICULT TO FILTER, AND THERAFTER FILTERING SAID SLURRY TO SEPARATE THE FILTERABLE SOLIDS FROM MOST OF THE WATER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING DOMESTIC SEWAGE HAVING CELLULOSE FIBERS THEREIN WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF TREATING AT LEAST PART OF THE SEWAGE BY A STABILIZED ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT, SETTLING SOLIDS FROM SAID SEWAGE INCLUDING SOLIDS RESULTING FROM THE STABILIZED ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT, WITHDRAWING A SLURRY OF SAID SOLIDS AND WATER FOR TREATMENT SEPARATE FROM THE ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREETMENT SAID SLURRY BEING LIQUID IN NATURE BUBBLING AIR UP THROUGH SLURRY THUS WITHDRAWN, IN A CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM FIBERS OTHER THAN THOSE DERIVED FROM THE SEWAGE, WHILE STILL LIQUID IN NATURE BUT IN THE THIKNENED CONDITION RESULTING FROM SETTING IN THE PRESENCE OF AEROBIC BACTERIA FOR A PERIOD EXCEEDING TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND UNTILL THE BODY OF SLURRY CONSIDERED AS AN ENTIRETY, AND THE CELLULOSE FIBERS THEREIN HAVE BEEN REACTED SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE DEGREE OF REACTION OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT WHEN A FILTER CAKE FORMED FROM SAID REACTED SLURRY IS CRACKED APART IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM CELLULOSE FIBERS BRIDGING ACROSS THE BREAK, AND UNTIL THE FILTERING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SLURRY HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED BY THIS TREATMENT, AND THEREUPON DISCONTINUING THIS TREATMENT BEFORE THE BIOLOGICAL REACTION ON THE CELLULOSE FIBERS HAS REACHED THE TERMINAL CONDITION IN WHICH THE SLUDGE IS SLIMY AND DIFFICULT TO FILTER, AND THERAFTER FILTERING SAID SLURRY TO SEPARATE THE FILTERABLE SOLIDS FROM MOST OF THE WATER.