Abstract

GONZALEZ DIAZ, Javier Mauricio  and  MEDINA, María Alejandra. Design and evaluation of composting as an alternative to treat waste from additives in construction industries. Rev. P+L [online]. 2014, vol.9, n.1, pp.44-62. ISSN 1909-0455.

Introduction. Industries generate all types of waste. Due to the volumes, waste has to be treated in particular ways, and at a great scale level, thus bringing high costs for companies. In their sustainability policies, some organizations search for alternatives to treat waste in order to reduce these costs and their environmental impacts. Objective. Establishing an alternative to treat the industrial waste known as additive pellets from the chemical products for construction industries and, this way, avoid their disposal by the use of incineration or security filling. Materials and methods. A physical-chemical characterization of the waste was made, demonstrating its organic nature and its harmlessness for organisms, thus establishing the feasibility of treating it by means of a composting process. A composting system model was then designed, in order to test the treatability of the waste in an anaerobic organic process. Other organic waste materials were used in the pilot test, such as those from food and pruning, with constant proportions in four tests in which different doses of the additive pellet were added and compared to a target, being this target the test number 1. For the test number 2, a 6.4L dose was applied; for test number 3, a 9.6L dose and for test number 4, 12.8L. Each treatment had one repetition, totaling 8 different tests. Results. Under technical terms, even though the best result can be obtained without the additive, it can be treated by the use of a composting process, according to the dose administrated in test 2. Finally, the adequate dose of additive pellet to be treated was determined according to the plant's organic waste production and the economic feasibility of implementing the project was analyzed. Conclusion. It is more feasible to treat the waste by the use of composting than dissolving it by incineration or by security filling, under technical and environmental terms.

Keywords : Construction additive pellets; composting; organic compounds; treatment.

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