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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
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, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize in ...
Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who derived the name from the Italian 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 A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation. Sometimes referred to as a casket, any box in which the dead are buried is a coffin, and while a casket was originally regarded as a box for jewe ...
separation: the body is placed into the chamber # Cryogenic freezing:
liquid nitrogen Liquid nitrogen—LN2—is nitrogen in a liquid state at low temperature. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of about . It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is a colorless, low viscosity liquid that is wide ...
at −196 °C 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, artificial hips, etc.) are removed, either by magnetism or by sieving. The dry powder is placed in a
biodegradable Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradati ...
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 classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin ...
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) *
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 funerary ...


References


External links

* http://www.promessa.se Promessa Website Death customs Biodegradable waste management 1997 introductions Italian words and phrases {{Death-stub