Patent ID: 7803253

Claim:
A method for dehydrating a water-containing substance, comprising (1) contacting by countercurrent flow a liquefied matter with the water-containing substance to dissolve water present in the water-containing substance into the liquefied matter and thereby obtaining a solution comprising water; and (2) vaporizing said liquefied matter out of said solution comprising water to separate the liquefied matter in the gas state from the water, wherein said water-containing substance is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a soiled paper diaper, a sanitary product, a weed, a bouquet, a jelly fish, wood, a leftover meal, raw garbage, sewage sludge and soil, at least 53% of water is separated from said water-containing substance, said liquefied matter comprises at least one compound that is in the gas phase at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, and a flow rate of said liquefied matter is at least 10 L/h.