Preparation of liquid fuel and nutrients from solid municipal waste

Claim 1

The process for preparation of useful materials, including liquid fuels, from solidous municipal waste which comprises the steps of : (a) Separation of the metal materials present in said waste; (b) Separation of the non-friable plastic, hydrocarbon impregnated paper and leather present in said waste; (c) Separation of friable materials, as plastics, glass, bone from said waste; (d) Steeping to swell water-hydrolyzable material; (e) Flotation separation of hydrolyzable from nonhydrolyzable material; (f) Fine grinding of the hydrolyzable material; (g) acidcatalyzed hydrolysis and saccharification of at least part of the hydrolyzable material to form fermentable sugars; (h) Filtration of solublized material of step (g), with recycle of the non-solubles to the hydrolysis step and transfer of the solublized material to the fermentation step; (i) pH adjustment to about 3.4 and fermentation; (j) Filtration of the fermented mixture, recycling of solid material to the hydrolysis step; (k) Distillation to produce (I) Liquid Fuel and (II) Residue suitable for use as plant- and animal-nutrients.