In recent years, cellulose nitrate production has been increasing due to rising demand from the military and civilian sectors. This inevitably causes the generation of large amounts of waste and the issue of the utilization of accumulating wastewater sediments.
The study presents the results of the development of utilization technology for industrial wastewater sediments from cellulose nitrate production, based on experiments aimed at studying their liquid- and solid-phase fermentative decomposition, which are contained in the bottom sludge of sludge tanks or wastewater treatment system sedimentation ponds. Basic parameters for decomposition processes and stage-based methods have been determined. As a result, a technology for recycling cellulose nitrate production industrial waste into organic and mineral soil and subsoil has been developed; a process line has been designed and built, and sludge tank recultivation work has been conducted.
The technology includes seven process stages: formation of process woodchips; preparation of a mass of nitrocellulose-containing sediments for recycling; preliminary treatment of nitrocellulose-containing wastewater sediments using a liquid-phase fermentation method; feeding stabilized bottom sediments for recycling; reactor recycling of nitrocellulose-containing wastewater sediments (composting); production of organic and mineral soil and subsoil; quality control of ready-to-use soil and subsoil batches.
Based on each stage's productivity, as per preliminary calculations, the developed technology helps extract about 22,000 m3 of bottom sediments and produce about 10,500 m3 of organic and mineral soil and subsoil annually.
By implementing this methodology at the Federal Treasury enterprise (FKP) Aleksinsky Chemical Production, the issue of ensuring fire- and explosion-safety for the enterprise and the town of Aleksin residential area has been addressed, as well as the task of obtaining a useful organic and mineral soil and subsoil in compliance with ecological standards.
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