Soil amendment techniques are described utilizing solid rubber particles to be mixed with soil to improve porosity and reduce compaction. The rubber particles are preferably derived from shredded scrap tires. The size of the rubber particles may vary, and the amount of rubber mixed with the soil may also vary. The soil amendment techniques are especially useful for reducing compaction of soil under turf (e.g., football fields, soccer fields, golf courses, steeplechase courses, pathways, and the like). The soil amendment also improves soil porosity. Sod grown on soil including rubber particles, and later placed on soil which also includes rubber particles, will reduce certain types of athletic injuries to humans as well as horses. Also, the inclusion of rubber particles in soil improves the use efficiency of water and fertilizer.

This disclosure relates to a novel process of composting refuse or refuse/sewage-sludge mixtures by thermal retting by piling refuse to form a first layer of a predetermined height, maintaining an area below the first layer accessible to atmosphere, and retaining the same under atmospheric conditions for a predetermined period of time until the same has solidified and become self-supporting through entanglement of the retted refuse, thereafter forming a second layer atop the first layer, maintaining the second layer under similar conditions for a similar predetermined period of time, and repeating such layering until a stack is formed, and thereafter removing the stack or portions thereof for further utilization only after the uppermost layer has become completely solidified and self-supporting through entanglement of its completely retted refuse.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for economical and efficient composting. The apparatus includes a manifold with lances coupled thereto for even fluid distribution throughout the compost. The manifold is designed to direct fluid flow to a portion of the lances while simultaneously removing fluid flow from the other portion of lances. This creates substantially uniform patterns of fluid injection and evacuation for uniform composting, reduced energy requirements and greater control of process conditions. Further, reversal of the fluid flow enhances control of process conditions and adds an automatic self cleaning aspect to the apparatus.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for fermentation of cattle dung or like organic waste material containing high percentage of water. In a method of accommodating a treating object material consisting of an organic waste material containing a predetermined quantity of water in a fermentor for fermentation, a method of the present invention comprises the step of granulating the treating object material in a nodular-shape before being accommodated in the fermentor for fermentation with the supply of warm air in starting of fermentation through manually communicating ventilation spaces formed between the surfaces of the adjacent granules of the treating object material. The percentage of water content in the treating object material before being granulated is controlled until a percentage of water content enough to permit granulation and aerobic fermentation is reached. In a mechanism having a fermentation chamber for fermenting a treating object material consisting of an organic waste material accommodated in a fermentor, and a warm air supply chamber provided at a lower part of the fermentation chamber through a ventilation floor ensuring well-ventilation, an apparatus of the present invention is characterized by providing a dispersing device on the inside of the warm air supply chamber for supplying warm air toward the bottom of the fermentation chamber in a uniformly dispersed state.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus with improved fluid flow control for economical and efficient composting. The improved fluid flow control is provided by a lance having at least two separate fluid flow zones to provide a fluid flow profile in the compost. The flow zones are provided by an outer porous wall tube with a control insert tube therein having a plurality of openings along the length thereof and spaced from the wall by gaskets to form the flow zones. The lances can be coupled to a manifold for even fluid distribution throughout the compost. The manifold is designed to direct fluid flow to a portion of the lances while simultaneously removing fluid flow from the other portion of lances. This creates substantially uniform patterns of fluid injection and evacuation for uniform composting, reduced energy requirements and greater control of process conditions. Further, reversal of the fluid flow enhances control of process conditions and adds an automatic self cleaning aspect to the apparatus.