Module Solid Waste

SW1: BIO-INDICATIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ASSESSMENT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

The control system is based on the auto-fluorescence of co-factor F₄₂₀ and uses three fluorescent parameters: the values of the ratio mean size/number of clusters, the fluorescence intensity and the area of the fluorescent objects. The digesters are divided in three zones – with a high effectiveness; with a satisfactory effectiveness but which need to be strictly monitored; with a low effectiveness.

The bio-indicative system contributes to the more effective and efficient management and functioning of the technologies for biogas production by various types of bio-wastes.

SW2: METHOD FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS OF ZEOLITES FROM ASH OBTAINED FROM THE COMBUSTION OF SOLID FUELS IN A TPP

Preparation of sorbents using reduced amounts of NaOH and energy

SW3: MODEL OF METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMIATION OF NATURAL RISK

Assessment of the natural risk of different specific sites.

Proposals and recommendations for the prevention of individual areas (sites)

Proposals for the removal of dangerous and potentially dangerous contaminants (geochemical barriers, construction activities, etc.)

SW4: DETERMINATION AND CONTROL OF MACRO AND MICROELEMENTS, ORGANIC SUBSTANCES AND RADIONUCLIDES IN SOLID WASTES

SW5: SEPARATION AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY FOR COMPOSITE WASTE AND RECOVERY OF THEIR ENERGY CALORIFIC VALUE AS FUEL

Separation of composite waste according to their composition. Establish the opportunity of recycling of metal component. Recovery of plastic and/or paper component by recycling, manufacture of articles or as energy resource.

SW6: PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFERTILIZERS WITH PROFILED VALUABLE PROPERTIES FOR AGRICULTURE

Creation of compost, enriched with macro- and microelements. The source of macro- and microelements can be different.

The benefit of the technology is that, depending on the purpose, profiled batches can be created for use in crop, floriculture and more.

SW7: IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE (C&DW)

Description: One of the biggest problems for C&DW recovery is the lack of practical knowledge on their hazardous properties arising from the materials per se (e.g. asbestos or tar) or acquired during the buildings service life (e.g. contamination with heavy metals, petroleum products, PCBs, etc.). For the C&DW classification, the following actions are foreseen: a categorisation of construction works is intended regarding the risk of contamination; innovative methods for identification of hazardous components are going to be developed and a database is going to be established with data on the type of construction materials and their environmental parameters.

Benefits: Establishing a database with hazardous and potentially hazardous C&DW facilitates the process of identification of such waste and will support the decision-making process regarding the technologies for dismantling of construction works and the appropriate options for recovery and disposal of C&DW. The innovative methods for relatively fast (incl. in-situ) identification of (potentially) hazardous components in C&DW will help the recycling facilities to reduce their production costs and will increase the credence of recycled materials by improving their traceability.

SW8: DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS FOR SELECTIVE DEMOLITION OF CONSRTUCTION WORKS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE DEGREE OF C&DW RECOVERY

Description: Practical guidelines on selective demolition/deconstruction, applicable to targeted groups of construction works – industrial factories, agricultural buildings, infrastructural objects, parking lots and gas stations, residential buildings with masonry or reinforced concrete load-bearing structure, etc., taking into account the peculiarities of the Bulgarian construction practices, used materials and technologies as well as the degree of maintenance of buildings and construction works, are going to be published. Emphasis is to be placed on buildings and facilities that have been subjected to specific contaminations during their service life.

Benefits: The selective demolition/deconstruction has been proven as the most efficient method for demolition waste management – it provides the separate collection of recyclable components, creates conditions for adequate treatment of hazardous and contaminated waste, results in minimisation of the disposal costs.

SW9: DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BUILDING MATERIALS BY MEANS OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENT RECOVERY OF CONSTRUCTION WASTE

Description: Creation of new materials and construction products based on recycled C&DW by using optimised resource- and energy-efficient technologies. Discovering the interactions in the “composition-technology-structure-properties-applications” chain is going to be a fundamental principle for development of new materials, which will work in two-way direction – defining the most appropriate applications of materials with certain composition and properties as well as adaptation of composition and structure for achieving the desired performances. Primary feasibility criterion for the new materials is going to be their competitiveness – they must be a comparable or better alternative to existing construction materials. Beside the construction-related technical characteristics, the environmental footprint of products will be among the key parameterswith accent on their energy consumption and recycled content as well as on further recyclabilityoptions.

Benefits:

1. Improving the degree of recovery of most popular construction waste (concrete, ceramics) for high-responsible applications (up-cycling)and recovery of construction waste for which there is no solution (gypsum, mineral wool, etc.) – more than 70% of the C&DW will be recovered by means of technologies for manufacturingas well as technologies for efficient recovery of specific flows of construction waste (gypsum, glass and mineral wool), including by means of mutual recovery of construction and other solid waste;
2. Enrichment of the legal basis in terms of opportunities for use of recycled materials from construction waste;
3. Contribution to overcoming the distrust of users regarding the option for manufacturing safe building products from recycled C&DW and other recycled/treated waste.

WS ОТПАДЪЦИ

Granite-like glass ceramics from harmful industrial wastes

The proposed technology is based on the vitrification of harmful inorganic residues and subsequent sinter-crystallization of obtained glass granulate (frit) with an original composition. In this manner several industrial wastes can be used for synthesize of tiling materials with an attractive appearance coupled with properties, surpassing several times ones of the traditional tiling materials and natural stones. The used approach gives an unique possibility for inertization of high amounts of hazardous wastes into high-quality tiling panels with granite-like appearance, which are appropriated for the modern architecture.

Tiling ceramics by high amount of industrial wastes with improved properties

The usage of moderate amounts (5-25%) of industrial waste as raw material for the production of various building ceramics is a well-studied and used approach. However, the method here proposed is non-traditional since it is based on principally new batch compositions with 50-70% industrial waste and 20-40% plastic clays. In this manner, huge amounts of industrial waste are immobilized and the usage of expensive feldspar fluxes is eliminated. In addition, due to the controlled crystallization of the new compositions some of their characteristics are improved.

Iron-rich glass-ceramic foams

Development of a technology to produce self-glazed sintered glass-ceramics and/or glass-ceramic foams from appropriated iron-rich industrial wastes. The technology is based on melting and milling of appropriated glass, pressing and subsequent specific heat-treatments. In the temperature interval 750-950ºC sinter-crystallization takes place and well sintered tilling materials can be obtained. At the same time, due to auto catalytic reduction of the iron oxides in the range 1000-1150 ^oC, high temperature glass-ceramic foams with closed porosity of about 80-90 vol %, appropriated for thermal and sound isolations, can be manufactured.

NENOV TECHNOLOGIES

Bio-electrochemical methods for utilization of organic compounds from wastewater and resource recovery

Design and construction of different types of lab scale and pilot scale bio-electrochemical reactors (Microbiological Fuel Cells, Microbiological Electrolysis Cells, etc.) for various applications in the field of solid waste and wastewater management. Development of new and advanced technologies for the removal of heavy metals elimination of free radicals in fluids were recently developed based on Bio-electrochemical processes. Several reactors for biological treatment of  waste streams, besides the conventional anaerobic digestion are also applied with the purpose to simultaneously remove pollutants form the treated fluids and recover energy .

Identification and characterization  of electrochemically active bacteria from natural resources

Development of comprehensive approach to identify potential biological niches which contain bacteria with the desired metabolic characteristics. The procedure includes methods for isolation, cultivation and characterization of electrochemically active bacterial species. A microbial collection of strains with proven electrogenic potential has been created. Different methods from the fields of electrochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology are applied for better characterization of the microbial cultures.

AL the strains of interest are also tested for technological feasibility in real bio-electrochemical reactors, both as suspended and immobilized cultures.

Development of technologies and technological procedures for treatment of waste fluids and nutrients recovery

The laboratory develops hybrid technologies for the complete treatment of wastewater from WWTP, agriculture and the food industry, with simultaneous recovery and recycling of resources such as fertilizers and energy.

The main aim of this group of activities is to produce of fertilizers such as struvite for eventual application In the so-called organic farming. For this purpose, a number of alternative technological processes for the non-reagent (chemical free)  treatment of the target fluids are developed and applied. Conventional processes such as membrane filtration, precipitation, and crystallization are also used in their very optimized variants in order to improve energy and cost efficiency.