Promession is an idea of how to dispose
human remains by way of
freeze drying
Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure, removing the ice by sublimation. This is in contrast to dehydration by most conve ...
. The concept of promession was developed by
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who derived the name from the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
word for "promise" (''promessa'').
She founded Promessa Organic AB in 1997 to commercially pursue her idea.
The company went bankrupt in 2015 without being able to produce a functioning facility.
The idea of promession is questioned and not a functional method according to critics.
Process
The idea of promession involves five steps:
#
Coffin separation: the body is placed into the chamber
# Cryogenic freezing:
liquid nitrogen at −196
°C
The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale (originally known as the centigrade scale outside Sweden), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the Kelvin scale. The ...
crystallizes the body
# Vibration: the body is disintegrated into particles within minutes
# Freeze drying: particles are freeze dried in a drying chamber, leaving approximately 30% of the original weight
# Metal separation: any metals (e.g., tooth
amalgam
Amalgam most commonly refers to:
* Amalgam (chemistry), mercury alloy
* Amalgam (dentistry), material of silver tooth fillings
** Bonded amalgam, used in dentistry
Amalgam may also refer to:
* Amalgam Comics, a publisher
* Amalgam Digital
...
,
artificial hip
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement o ...
s, etc.) are removed, either by magnetism or by sieving. The dry powder is placed in a
biodegradable casket
A casket jewelry box is a container that is usually smaller than a chest, and in the past were typically decorated. Whereas cremation jewelry is a small container, usually in the shape of a pendant or bracelet, to hold a small amount of ashes.
...
which is interred in the top
layers of soil, where aerobic bacteria decompose the remains into
humus in as little as 6–12 months.
Criticism
Promession as a functional method is questioned. No facility for promession has been built or put into service. Critics argue that there is a physical impossibility to atomize a freeze dried human body in this way.
Current status
The company was liquidated 2015 without being able to produce a functioning module or facility.
See also
*
Alkaline hydrolysis (death custom)
Alkaline hydrolysis (also called biocremation, resomation, flameless cremation, aquamation or water cremation) is a process for the disposal of human and pet remains using lye and heat, and is an alternative to burial or cremation.
Process
The p ...
*
Natural burial
Natural burial is the interment of the body of a dead person in the soil in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition but allows the body to be naturally recycled. It is an alternative to other contemporary Western burial methods and funera ...
References
External links
* http://www.promessa.se Promessa Website
Death customs
Biodegradable waste management
1997 introductions
Italian words and phrases
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