Patents
The invention is a clean and fast biological process for releasing and refining plant materials embedded in matrices of plant tissues using anaerobic sludge. The cementing materials are converted to biogas insitu or in separate anaerobic biomethanation system simultaneously or later thereby enabling faster and complete cleaning of fibres. This method is also effective in the preparation of pepper kernels, the white pepper from dried black or fresh pepper faster and cleaner than the methods known so far. The process comprises washing of raw materials, soaking of raw materials in water or moisture under anoxic to anaerobic condition before or after mild crushing or without mild crushing, subjecting to the treatment of microbial reactions, controlling the build up of chemicals, degradation of chemicals in soak liquor by facilitating biomethanation in the same soaking system and in a separate anaerobic system to generate biogas. Biological activity in the process is expedited with supplementation of deficient trace nutrients, cycling and mixing of soak liquor, which reduces the processing time substantially to less than conventional process of quality fibre extraction or white pepper preparation. The biogas generated in the process is collected for use as a fuel and thus obviates emissions causing atmospheric pollution. The reuse of used water is made possible in this process, which prevents water pollution, a major problem in fibre processing and white pepper production in prior art.