Introduction

The invention is a plant for treating fluid and aqueous (organic) suspensions characterized by high ammonium contents (e.g., zoo-technical/civil waste and digestate remains) through cation exchange with natural zeolitite, aimed at producing a slow and controlled release fertilizing material. This plant has great advantages – in comparison to the plants already in use – in terms of costs, energetic efficiency and applications in the frame of circular economy.

Technical features

The invention is a plant for treating water (organic) suspensions deriving from waste, scrap and/or decomposition – in particular when containing high amounts of ammonium (NH4+), such as liquid zoo-technical waste and/or digestates deriving from organic degradation processes with microorganisms. By means of the plant these liquid substances are mixed with zeolitites in order to optimize the process of adsorption, through cation exchange, of NH4+ by the zeolititic material. Once added to the soil, the obtained amendment/fertilizer is capable of releasing ammonium nitrogen in relation to the real nutritional needs of the plants, thus preventing its dispersion in the surface water system and in groundwater.

Possible Applications

• Production of amendment/fertilizers for soil and cultivation substrates, also suitable for organic farming;
• Drastic lowering of ammonium nitrogen in zoo-technical and civil effluents and in biomass power plant digestates.

Advantages

• Remarkable and adjustable reduction of ammonium nitrogen in the waste;
• Less complicated and cheaper than plants already in use, like stripping and nitro-denitro systems;
• Production of a material capable of a controlled nutrient release, on the basis of the real nutrients need of the crops.