Antaeus Group, a Maryland firm, has been running tests with the small Model KP-6 screw press. Thi firm has developed a system for on-site destruction and sterilization of medical waste. More recently the technology has been extended to the destruction of classified documents

The principle used in the Antaeus system is to liquify batches of waste material with water. The waste is recirculated in a mixing tank with a carefully selected chopper pump. The waste material is disintegrated by the pump, producing a slurry.

In the case of medical waste, the recirculating slurry is heated with steam. This sterilizes the material.

The action with classified documents is very similar to that achieved by a hydrapulper in the secondary fiber paper recycling industry. The hydrapulpers used in paper mills are much larger in physical size, and they operate on a continuous basis. However the pulping action, a total disintegration of the paper, is very similar.

Typically 75 pound batches of waste material are treated in the Antaeus system. This is done with 150 gallons (about 1,200 pounds) of water. A typical cycle is 30 minutes.

The function of the KP screw press is to filter and dewater the suspended solids from the slurry. These solids are discharged as a cake mass that is dry and suitable for disposal along with other non-sensitive solid waste at the customer’s facility. At the same time the filtrate “press liquor” is sufficiently clean for disposal in the sewer system.

The simplicity, economy and reliability of the stainless steel screw press makes it well suited for these applications.