TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ENVIRONMENT - Preferred Process: The process preferably comprises preparing a slurry from the feedstock; passing the slurry through a heat exchanger, where one or more gases is vented, to produce a conditioned slurry; reacting the conditioned slurry in a first reaction (where the steam and gas is liberated, to produce the reacted feed comprising at least one reacted solid product, liquid product, and water, where the reacted solid product comprises at least one mineral, and the first reaction includes addition of one or more reagents that suppress hydrolysis of carbohydrates, and encourage dissociation of amines); lowering a temperature, and lowering a pressure, of the reacted feed, to produce an intermediate feed; separating the mineral from the intermediate feed to produce a mixture comprising at least one reacted liquid product, and water; diverting the water to storage; subjecting the reacted liquid product to the second reaction at 300-525degreesC, where the carbon solids and a mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and gases are produced. The process comprises driving off ammonia from the feedstock. The first reaction takes place at about 20-120 (preferably 50) atmospheres and at 150-330 (preferably 250)degreesC. The reagents create sulfuric acid in situ. The reaction drives off at least one contaminant (a sulfur-containing material, a mercury-containing material or a halogen-containing compound) and steam. The steam is redirected to heat the slurry during the preparation. The separation comprises a first separation and a second separation. The process further comprises prior to converting, diverting a portion of the liquid product and separately converting the portion into at least one specialty chemical (a fatty acid). The second reaction takes place at about 400-600degreesC. Preferred Components: The useful material is carbon solids and comprises a mixture of hydrocarbons. The mixture of hydrocarbons comprises a fuel gas and an oil. The reagents suppressing hydrolysis are sodium or sulfur and create reducing conditions appropriate for liberation of ammonia. The solid product comprises at least one mineral compound. The liquid product comprises at least one fat derivative or fatty acid. The fuel oil is a #2 heating oil and has a composition of paraffins (about 22 wt.%), olefins (about 14 wt.%), naphthenes (about 3 wt.%), aromatics (about 6 wt.%), and C-14/C-14+ (about 55 wt.%). The fuel oil have the properties of: a cloud point of about -10degreesC; a pour point of about -20degreesC; a cetane index of about 40; and a heat content of about 18800 BTU/lb. The fuel oil is manufactured by the above process. The useful material is pathogen-free. The feedstock comprises municipal sewage sludge, food processing waste (turkey offal), animal manure, one or more byproducts of food manufacture and distribution (turkey offal, fryer oils, corn stalks, rice hulls, waste scraps or last-press edible oils). The last-press edible oil is canola, soybean, palm, coconut, rape seed, cotton seed, corn, or olive oil. The feedstock is by-products of paper (cellulose or lignin containing materials) and other wood industry manufacturing, paper-pulp effluent, and black liquor, preferably leaves, grass clippings, bagasse, seaweed, cotton waste or animal waste, oil-refinery residues, shale oil, drilling mud, harbor-dredged sediments, industrial sludges, milling waste, coal refinery wastes, tar sands, anthrax spores, infectious medical waste or biological pathogens. The useful material is a carbonaceous material (depleted of mercury-containing contaminants or sulfur-containing contaminants).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: In the apparatus, the pre-treatment unit comprises: a feedstock preparation unit, including a slurrying device to create a feedstock slurry from the feedstock; a vessel communicating with the feedstock preparation unit to receive the feedstock slurry from the feedstock preparation unit, a pump configured to pressurize the slurry, and a heat exchanger configured to heat the slurry, to produce the heated slurry. The first increased pressure is about 20-120 atmospheres. The pressure is about 50 atmospheres. The first stage reactor additionally drives off steam that is redirected to the feedstock preparation unit. The apparatus further comprises a unit for receiving a portion of the reacted liquid product and converting the portion into at least one specialty chemical. The second increased temperature is about 400-600degreesC and the second increased pressure is about 15-50 psi above atmospheric pressure. The apparatus is configured to accept a feedstock comprising rubber materials, one or more tires, food processing waste, mixed plastics or municipal sewage sludge. The apparatus further comprises a storage unit for the useful material. ACTIVITY - Fertilizer. No biological data given.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.