Abstract: An apparatus for treating used absorbent sanitary products, comprising a rotary cylindrical autoclave having a side wall and two ends, at least one of which terminates in a hatch that can be opened to enable access to said autoclave and sealably closed to enable pressurization of said autoclave; a circuit for heating and pressurizing the autoclave for heating the absorbent sanitary products to a sterilization temperature; and a plurality of cutting nozzles supplied by pressurized fluid, which are arranged for directing respective jets of pressurized fluid inside said autoclave.

Abstract: A process for treating used absorbent sanitary products, comprising the steps of providing a rotary cylindrical autoclave having an inner surface and two ends, at least one of which terminates in a hatch that can be opened to enable access to said autoclave and sealably closed to enable pressurization of said autoclave; loading said autoclave with closed absorbent sanitary products; heating to a sterilization temperature and pressurizing said autoclave and at the same time driving the autoclave in rotation about a longitudinal axis thereof; and providing inside said autoclave a load of high-density tearing elements designed to facilitate thermal and physical destructuring of said absorbent sanitary products.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating used absorbent sanitary products, comprising, a rotary cylindrical autoclave having an inner surface and two ends, at least one of which terminates in a hatch that can be opened to enable access to said autoclave and sealably closed to enable pressurization of said autoclave; and a circuit for heating and pressurizing the autoclave for heating the absorbent sanitary products to a sterilization temperature, wherein said autoclave comprises a sealing layer on said inner surface, designed to prevent adhesion on said inner surface of material coming from destructuring of said absorbent sanitary products.