Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a composition and method for controlling odor in organic waste material using a clay filter material containing a non-petroleum based oil. The present invention also relates to substantially odor free fertilizers and animal feed made primarily from organic waste material, natural clay and non-petroleum oil.

Background Of The Invention

While artificial fertilizers can provide the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate which are fundamental to a healthy crop yield, farmers often prefer organic fertilizers which contain manure from poultry, hoofed animals, municipal waste treatment plants and other sources to enhance the quality of both the soil and the crops produced. For example, poultry manure provides an especially effective and potent soil additive because it contains a unique amino acid chain and many trace elements which are not available from other sources, and guano contains a much higher level of nitrogen than the waste products of most other animals.

Many enriched organic waste products, such as poultry manure and guano, are generally only used as a fertilizer by large scale agricultural growers because of the particularly malodorous nature of the products. Since no effective means to eliminate this odor has previously been devised, fertilizers made from many types of organic waste material are not widely available in bagged form for residential, recreational, or other small scale soil enrichment projects. Nutrient rich organic waste material also is particularly suitable for use as an animal feed or dietary supplement for cows and other ruminant animals. However, most animals resist eating manure based feed products because of the strong offensive odors.

In addition, organic waste material in other environments, such as diaper pails, litter boxes, animal pens, portable or other rest facilities, sewage systems, fertilizer manufacturing plants, nursing homes, commercial or residential buildings, and similar locations having a high volume or concentrated amounts of organic waste material create severe problems for odor control. Similarly, other sources of offensive odors, such as cigarettes, cigars, and cooking

many types of foods, continue to present ongoing odor control problems for both homeowners and commercial businesses.

Further, manure based fertilizers are typically manufacmred in a light weight granular or pellet form which has a low bulk density. The low bulk density of the fertilizers currently produced is a significant factor in deterrnining the cost of shipping because the fertilizer requires substantial areas of shipping space during transportation. Further, most fertilizer spreaders manufacmred for residential or small scale use are designed to distribute pellets of artificial fertilizers which are heavier and have a higher bulk density. The automatic release mechanisms on these conventional spreaders are calibrated to evenly distribute artificial fertilizer pellets or granules at a desired concentration. Accordingly, the low bulk density pellets formed from poultry manure cannot be used in small scale spreaders without completely replacing the mechanism which automatically releases the fertilizer at the appropriate rate or concentration. The poultry manure used as a raw material for fertilizers is typically obtained from poultry farmers who raise chickens for egg production or as a food product. Since the chickens are used for human consumption, poultry farmers generally must comply with strict regulatory requirements governing the disposal of the manure generated by the chickens. For example, the manure must be regularly removed from the chicken houses and deposited a safe distance from the chickens. As a result, poultry farmers often have large stockpiles of manure which pose a risk of disease as water contaminated by the manure runs off into lakes and streams.

Prior to the present invention, a variety of solutions have been offered to control the highly offensive odors from organic waste material. However, most of these efforts require the use of chemicals or other deodorizing products which are expensive and often produce a scent which is as offensive or irritating as that given off by the waste material. Moreover, previously devised odor control solutions typically are effective for only short periods of time and must be replaced at frequent intervals.

In view of the foregoing problems, a need continues to exist for a significantly improved method of controlling odor in organic waste material. There also continues to be a need for a method of controlling highly offensive odors which is inexpensive and effective for eliminating odors for substantial lengths of time. A need also exists for a fertilizer produced from organic waste material which does not give off an offensive odor. Further, there is a need for a method for producing fertilizer pellets from organic waste material which have a high bulk density and which can be formulated for slow or timed release of the essential

nutrients in the manure. There also is a need for a method of controlling odor in animal feed produced from organic waste material.

Summary Of The Invention These and other problems are solved by the present composition and method for controlling odor in organic waste material by placing an effective amount of a clay filter material containing a non-petroleum based oil in a location proximate to the organic waste material which is producing an offensive odor. The clay filter material immediately absorbs any odor given off by the organic waste material and provides the environment with a clean non-offensive scent. Further, the clay filter material retains its initial capacity to absorb and eliminate the offensive odors from organic waste material for extended periods of time.

The clay filter material used in the method of the present invention contains a natural clay component and a non-petroleum oil component. Preferably, the clay filter material contains a natural clay and a vegetable oil. A particularly preferred form of the filter material is obtained from producers of food grade vegetable oils. Surprisingly, it has been found that the used clay filter material discarded by vegetable oil producers is an extremely effective agent for eliminating the odor produced by organic waste material. Clay filter material from vegetable oil producers also is preferred because it is edible, biodegradable and safe for use with crops or in any environment. The present invention also includes a method of producing a highly effective fertilizer and animal feed from organic waste material which is substantially free of any offensive odor or smell. The fertilizer or animal feed of the present invention can be manufacmred as hardened pellets or granules, as well as in the powdered, fines, or fibrous forms which are commonly available in fertilizers. The method of the present invention further provides a means to increase the bulk density of fertilizers produced from poultry manure or other organic waste material while providing a mechanism for controlling the rate at which the nutrients are released into the soil.

The fertilizer and animal feed of the present invention may be produced by combining an organic waste material with a clay filter material or a similar clay material which contains a food grade vegetable oil to form hard pellets or granules. The fertilizer or feed pellets or granules can be produced by conventional manufacmring techmques by first mixing the organic waste material with the clay filter material in a standard commercial blender. The blended fertilizer composition then may be transferred to a pellet mill or extruder and subjected to

sufficient levels of heat and pressure to drive off the excess moismre from the mixmre and form the fmal pellet or granular product. The moismre content of the final fertilizer or feed product is generally between about 6% and 12% by weight, and preferably between about 8% and 10% by weight. When the clay filter material containing a non-petroleum based oil is added to poultry manure or other organic waste material, the composition remains substantially free of any offensive odor or smell for the life of the final product. It is believed that the odor is controlled by completely coating the individual fines or fibers of manure with clay and oil during the blending step. The clay material also serves as an exceptionally good binder and release agent for the final pellets. Moreover, the clay increases the bulk density and the hardness of the final product. The final hardened pellets are extremely stable and moismre resistant and remain substantially odor free throughout normal transport and storage conditions.

Both composted and raw or uncomposted manure are suitable for use in the present fertilizer product. Particularly suitable types of manure include poultry manure, guano, hoofed animal manure, and processed human waste. Composted manure also is particularly suitable for both fertilizers and animal feed because the composting process kills any weed seeds, germs, or bacteria which may be present in the raw manure. Thus, composting promotes stability of the final fertilizer or feed product during long term storage. Raw poultry manure may be composted by any of the techniques which are well known in the art. Composting time for the poultry manure may vary considerably depending upon the characteristics desired for the final fertilizer. Typically, the manure is composted from between about one to about nine months.

The fertilizer or animal feed of the present invention may contain between about 50% and 95% by weight of manure and between about 5% and 50% by weight of a food grade clay filter material. Preferably, the fertilizer contains between about 85 % and about 95 % by weight of manure and between about 5% and about 15% by weight of food grade clay filter material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present fertilizer contains about 90% by weight of poultry and about 10% by weight of food grade clay filter material.

The method of the present invention also includes the use of the clay filter material as an odor control agent in many other environments. The clay filter material may be combined with an additional namral clay which does not contain oil to form firm pellets or tablets which are suitable for distribution in areas such as garbage dumpsters, sewage systems, large ashtrays used in commercial settings, animal pens, or similar locations to control offensive odors

associated with these environments. The pellets or tablets can be placed in small, well-vented containers which are suitable for placing in locations around the home, such as diaper and garbage pails, within the ventilation system, or the interior of a car. The pellets or tablets also can be crumbled and added to animal litter to eliminate odor from litter boxes and animal pens. The clay filter material may be combined with a surfactant and water to form a solution which is suitable for adding to the water used to wash down pig houses or other animal pens. The solution also can be added to the water cycled through municipal waste treatment plants to provide extremely effective continuous odor control in these environments. Further, the solution can be sprayed over the surface of water standing in sewer lagoons to form a film which effectively controls the odor from this type of sewage system. Alternatively, the clay filter material used in the method of the present invention can be added in powdered form directly into the water in sewage and municipal treatment plants.

Detailed Description Of The Invention In a preferred embodiment, the odor control composition used in the method of the present invention is a clay filter material which is the by-product of the process of clarifying and removing impurities from oils with a namral clay filter material so that the oils are acceptable to consumers. The oils which are typically clarified using a namral clay filter are derived directly from vegetable, animal or marine matter. Most of these oils contain impurities which cause cloudiness and off colors which are removed by passing the oil through a large filter of namral clay at high temperamres and pressure. During the filtering process the clay absorbs and retains the impurities in the oil. After compressing the filter to remove as much of the remaining oil as possible, the clay filter material is samrated with the residual oil which could not be pressed from tiie clay and contains the trace vitamins and minerals which were removed from the oil and retained by the clay during the filtering process. It is believed that the high temperamres and pressure associated with the filtering process cause the pores in the namral clay to expand and retain significantly higher amounts of oil than the amount of oil retained in a mixmre of namral clay and oil which is blended at ambient temperamres. After processing the oil, the filter material typically contains between about 5% and about 50% by weight of residual oil. At this stage, the clay filter material is discarded by the oil producer as waste material. It has been found that this clay filter material is a surprisingly effective agent for controlling the strong offensive odors produced by organic waste material or similarly offensive odors.

While any edible oil is suitable for use in the filter material of the present invention, food grade vegetable oils are particularly preferred, such as oils derived from corn, soybeans, canola, olives, peanuts, and sunflowers. Many namral clays are commercially available for use as a filter to clarify the oils. The most commonly used clay-type materials are bentonite, Fuller's earth, spent earth, diatomaceous earth, or similar mineral mixmres. Any namral clay material which is suitable for human or animal consumption may be used in the filter material contemplated by the present invention. Further, namral clays which are not suitable for human or animal consumption may be used in embodiments of the odor control agent which are not intended for consumption, such as certain fertilizers or odor control agents for sewage systems or similar applications. However, it has been found that bentonite clay provides a clay filter material which is particularly preferred for use as the odor control agent in the method of the present invention. Although the odor control agent used in the preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention is described as a clay filter material which is the by-product of an oil refinement process, it is to be understood that any combination of namral clay and non-petroleum oil which produces the desired effect of eliminating odor in organic waste material is suitable for use in the odor control compositions, methods, and devices of the present invention. For example, the present invention contemplates using a clay filter material composed of a namral clay and a non-petroleum oil which is subjected to sufficient heat to impart effective odor control properties to the clay /oil mixmre. Thus, the clay filter material suitable for use in the method of the present invention is not limited to the clay filter material which is the by-product of an oil clarification process.

Other forms of clay material often used by oil producers include namral clays which have been treated with an acid and/or mixed with activated charcoal prior to the filtering step to enhance the oil clarifying characteristics of the clay. It has been found that when these modified namral clays are used to clarify oil, the resulting clay filter material is a particularly preferred odor control agent for use in the odor control method of the present invention.

After the oil refining process, the clay filter material is samrated with oil and remains at a very high temperamre for a considerable period of time, leaving the clay filter material prone to spontaneous combustion. Acid treated clays, which generally have a pH value of between about 2 and about 5, are especially prone to spontaneous combustion. Since the waste clay filter material must be transported by the refineries to landfills or other approved dump sites, disposing of the waste filter material presents a significant problem for oil refineries. It has been found that when lime is blended with the fresh clay filter material immediately after

the filtering process in an amount of about 1 % to about 10% by weight of the filter material, the risk of spontaneous combustion is substantially reduced or eliminated. Upon completion of the oil refining process, the clay filter material is suitable for use as an odor control agent in the present method, to provide a heretofore unknown use for the waste clay filter material. Since an estimated 700,000 tons of waste clay filter material are produced annually world¬ wide, a significant feamre of the method of the present invention is the discovery of a use for the waste clay filter material which converts two waste products, manure and clay filter material, into useful, cost effective, environmentally safe products, such as fertilizer and animal feed. Further, the present method frees up landfill space otherwise required for disposal of both the clay filter material and the organic waste material. The present method also eliminates the need for many chemical fertilizers and deodorizers in a significant number of instances. Thus, the odor control method of the present invention positively addresses several environmental concerns for which no solution has previously been devised.

The clay filter material is useful as an effective odor control agent immediately upon being discarded by the oil manufacturers. When the filter material is blended with organic waste material, the odor from the waste material is immediately reduced or eliminated. The filter material also is effective to absorb odors in the surrounding environment. For example, the filter material can be placed directly in a diaper pail, placed in the immediate vicinity of a sewage system, or any other source of strong offensive odors and the odors are substantially reduced or eliminated. Further, the clay filter material used in the odor control method of the present invention retains its original capacity to absorb and eliminate odors over substantial periods of time.

The optimum amount of clay filter material which is effective to eliminate a particular odor depends upon the location, intensity, and nature of the source of a particular offensive odor. Similarly, the optimum location for positioning the clay filter material in relation to the source of the offensive odor depends upon the location and nature of the source of the offensive odor, as well as conditions in the environment, such as the amount of air circulation and the ambient temperamre. The amount and positioning of the clay filter material in relation to source of the odor required to achieve effective odor control can easily be determined by routine experimentation.

In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the clay filter material as an odor control agent, six ounces of clay filter material containing approximately 70% namral clay and 30% oil was placed in a plastic container measuring 8" x 5 1/2" x 2 1/2". The lid of the container

was provided with 36 holes having a diameter of 1/4". The plastic container was placed in the bottom of a diaper pail lined with a trash bag. The odor from the disposable diapers stored within the pail was completely eliminated for the entire time during which the clay filter material remained in the pail. In another test, raw diced onion was placed inside a plastic trash bag with a plastic contamer identical to the previously described test which also contained six ounces of the clay filter material. The bag was sealed and placed outdoors in direct sunlight at 8:00 a.m. when the temperamre was approximately 53°. At 12:00 noon, when the outside temperamre was at 65°, the bag was opened and no onion odor was detected. The bag was resealed and placed back in the direct sunlight. At 4:30 p.m., when the outside temperamre was about 70°. the bag again was opened and no odor from the onions was detected. The bag was allowed to remain outdoors for a week and opened on several occasions. No odor from the onion was detectable at any time. The only identifiable odor detected was the clean feed like smell of the clay filter material used in the present odor control method.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clay filter material is combined with virgin clay, i.e., clay which has not been used as a filter for clarifying oil, to form hardened pellets or granules which are suitable for controlling odor in a variety of environments. The virgin clay is added to the clay filter material primarily to facilitate the production of firm, stable pellets. The pellets or granules typically contain between about 33 % and about 50% virgin clay and between about 50% and about 67% clay filter material. The pellets or granules may be deposited directly around any source of offensive odors to immediately control and eliminate the odor. For example, the pellets or granules may be deposited directly within garbage dumpsters, spread around areas immediately surrounding sewage systems, placed inside portable rest facilities, or placed in a location proximate to any offensive odor to control and eliminate the odor. Further, the odor control pellets may be processed in a crumbier to produce a particulate form of the pellet material. The crumbled pellet material is especially suitable for combining with animal litter, such as cat litter, to substantially eliminate any odor in the litter box. Preferably, the crumbled pellet material is added to the litter in an amount of between about 10% and about 20% by weight of the litter to effectively control the odor in the litter. The clay filter material/virgin clay mixmre also can be prepared in powered form or ground into fines which are used to manufacmre hard tablets. Fines generated as the pellets are processed in the crumbier are particularly suitable for use in manufacmring odor control tablets. The tablets are typically approximately 2" in diameter and 1/2" inch thick. The tablets

may be produced, for example, on a Stokes-R Model Powder Machine which exerts 20 tons of pressure to form a hard stable tablet. A tablet can be placed in an individual well-ventilated container, such as a box with holes, a plastic holder having multiple vent holes, a wire mesh support, or similar container and positioned in any environment in which an odor control agent is desired. For example, it has been found that the odor control tablets of the present invention are very effective in controlling odor from organic waste material in enclosed environments such as nursing homes, bait shops, diaper pails, garbage pails, or any other location. Further, it has been found that the odor control tablets and other forms of the odor control material are extremely effective for eliminating the offensive smells which often linger from cigarettes, cigars, pipes, cooking smells and similar odors which are especially difficult to eliminate quickly in enclosed spaces. The tablets may be placed inside an automobile or other vehicle or placed directly inside the return air vents of ventilation systems. It has also been found that the tablets of the present invention are effective to eliminate the stale smell in houses which have been vacant for long periods of time, which enhances the marketability of the houses. The clay filter material of the present invention also may be suspended in a solution which is useful in a variety of environments. A typical solution may contain between about 5% and about 10% by weight of the clay filter material, a surfactant and water. The odor controlling solution can be added to the water systems often used to clean and maintain animal pens, such as pig houses, to provide continuous odor control throughout the system. The odor control solution of the present invention creates a film on the surface of the sewage lagoons to control the odor and then is recycled through the water system used to wash down the animal houses. Similarly, the odor control solution can be directly sprayed over the surface of sewage lagoons to eliminate the odor associated with these systems.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clay filter material is added to organic waste material, such as manure, to produce a substantially odorless fertilizer or animal feed product. The fertilizer or animal feed mixmre may contain between about 50% and about 95% by weight of manure and between about 5% and about 50% by weight of clay filter material. Preferably, the fertilizer contains between about 85 % and about 95 % by weight of manure and between about 5% and about 15% by weight of clay filter material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present fertilizer contains about 90% by weight of manure and about 10% by weight of clay filter material. Any namral clays may be added to the organic waste material to provide an orgamc fertilizer which is substantially odor free.

Preferably, the namral clay is highly moismre resistant and hardens upon processing to enhance the stability and slow release properties of the final fertilizer product.

Suitable organic waste material for use in the present fertilizer include poultry manure, hoofed animal waste such as the manure removed from zoos, and processed human waste such as that available from municipal waste treatment plants. Poultry manure is particularly preferred because it contains unique amino acids and other nutrients not found in many manure waste products. The poultry manure used in the fertilizer may be composed of one hundred percent manure or the manure may be obtained from broiler litter, which is typically composed of about 40% bedding material and about 60% manure. While the manure used in the present fertilizer is typically composted prior to mixing with the clay filter material, raw uncomposted manure may also be used in the composition. Generally, the manure may be allowed to compost from between about one to about nine months. The manure may also be mixed with the clay filter material prior to the composting step. It has been found that the time required for composting the manure is significantly shortened by adding the clay filter material prior to starting the composting process. The manure and clay mixmre is then allowed to compost from between about one to about nine months. After composting, the manure may be pulverized into a fine powder or fibrous form which is especially suitable for blending with the food grade clay filter material.

The present fertilizer is manufacmred by blending the manure and the clay filter material in a standard commercial blender until the individual fibers or grains of manure are completely coated with the clay filter material. Any known means for blending the manure and clay filter material may be used as long as the blending is sufficient to coat the manure with the clay filter material. The blended manure and filter material mixmre is then transferred to a pellet mill or extruder. Conventional manufacmring methods are utilized to subject the manure and filter material mixmre to sufficient levels of heat and pressure to drive off the excess moismre from the mixmre and form the final pellets or granular fertilizer product. In a preferred embodiment, the final fertilizer pellets have a moismre content of below about 10% by weight. The final fertilizer pellets typically have a bulk density of between about 40 pounds per cubic foot (Ibs/cu.ft) to about 50 Ibs/cu.ft. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the final fertilizer pellets have a bulk density of between about 44 Ibs/cu.ft and about 45 Ibs/cu.ft.

The clay filter material used in the method of the present invention provides a substantially improved lubrication aid for the pellet mill extruder during processing. When the clay filter material is added to the pellet mill, the rate of production of the fertilizer pellets is

substantially increased while the amount of energy required to produce the pellets is substantially decreased. Moreover, the clay filter material substantially decreases the amount of dust or fines generated by the pellet mill during the manufacmre of the final pellet product. The following example illustrates the surprising and unexpected results achieved by adding the clay filter material to the orgamc waste material during the pelletizing process. The test was conducted at a pelletizing plant in Seymour, Indiana owned and used by Rose Acre Farms to pelletize the poultry litter generated by the Rose Acre Farms poultry houses. The pelletizing plant contained three California pellet mills. One of the mills utilized a 150HP electric motor and the other two mills utilized 125HP electric motors. The pelletizing plant also contained a standard dryer typically used in the manufacmre of pellets.

Approximately 200 pounds of clay filter material obtained from Bungs Foods in Bradley, Illinois was added to approximately one ton (2000 pounds) of composted poultry litter obtained from Rose Acre Farms. The clay filter material contained approximately 62% namral clay and approximately 38% oil. The composted poultry litter had a moismre content of about 28% . The clay filter material and the poultry litter were placed in a two ton ribbon blender and blended for about ten minutes. The blended mixmre was transferred to two of the pellet mills, one having a 125HP electric motor and one having a 150HP electric motor. Prior to the addition of the clay filter material/poultry litter mixmre, each of the two pellet mills was pulling about 100 amps during operation. As the clay filter material/poultry litter mixmre was added to the pellet mill, the amps used by the mills steadily decreased and became constant at about 75 amps. After about ten minutes of operation, the amount of clay filter material/poultry litter mixmre was increased until the amps being used by the mills remrned to 100. After about ten minutes of producing pellets at this rate, the two mills in operation overran the capacity of the pellet dryer. Under normal conditions, the three pellet mills and the dryer had a capacity to produce approximately four tons of pellets per hour. After the clay filter material/poultry litter mixmre of the present invention was added to the two pellet mills, the two mills in operation produced pellets at a rate of five tons per hour. Thus, the clay filter material/poultry litter mixmre substantially increased the rate of production of the pellets without requiring any increase in the amount of energy consumed to operate the pellet mills. Moreover, it was noted that the dust in the plant generated by the pelletizing process was significantly reduced after the clay filter material was mixed with the poultry litter. Further, it was noted that the strong offensive

odor from the poultry litter which was ordinarily present in the pelletizing plant was replaced by the clean smell of the clay filter material.

The rate of release of the essential nutrients in the fertilizer may be controlled by adjusting the amount of clay filter material added to the fertilizer composition. For example, a fertilizer composition containing about 5 % by weight of pure clay filter material tends to slow release the essential nutrients over a period of about one week. A fertilizer composition containing about 50% of the clay filter material generally slow- releases the essential nutrients in the manure over a period of about six weeks. It also is possible to control the rate of release by blending various combinations of manure and clay filter material. For instance, a mixmre of 70% by weight of manure and 30% by weight of clay filter material can be blended with a mixmre of about 85% by weight of manure and about 15% by weight of clay filter material. These slow-release blends of fertilizer compositions are particularly useful with certain types of crops. For example, rice producers can enrich the soil prior to planting by distributing a fertilizer in the soil. During the growing season, it is necessary to flood the rice fields with water. The standing water prevents the use of conventional fertilizing distribution equipment. Extremely expensive air distribution methods must be used for any subsequent fertilization of the fields. However, the fertilizer of the present invention may be produced as very hard and moismre resistant pellets or granules. By blending appropriate amounts of clay filter material with the poultry manure, a fertilizer pellet is produced which can be mixed with the soil prior to planting the rice crop. The essential nutrients in the fertilizer will be slowly released over an extended period of time, eliminating the need to use air distribution methods when the fields are flooded with water.

The fertilizer composition of the present invention may be further enhanced by adding artificial fertilizers to adjust the levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate in accordance with the needs of a particular consumer. Additives which enhance seed germination or provide other desired characteristics may also be included in the final fertilizer product.

The method of the present invention may also be used to produce a coating for seeds which significantly reduces seed germination time, promotes a uniform crop stand in which the seeds tend to germinate at the same time, and promotes healthy plant growth throughout the life of the plant. In addition to poultry manure and clay filter material, the coating may contain minute amounts of additives such as gibberellic acid. Gibberellic acid is a known growth regulating substance sold under the tradename "Release. " Other additives suitable for

use in fertilizer compositions may be added to the present fertilizer product to enhance soil quality and promote healthy plant growth.

In addition to pellets and granules, it is envisioned that the organic fertilizer of the present invention may be molded or formed into various items such as disposable golf tees, which can be left on the golf course to promote healthy growth of the grass around the golf tee boxes, and plant food stakes which will slow release the essential nutrients over an extended period of time.

Although the invention is described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it is expected that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by reference to the claims which follow.