Sludge Solidification, Waste Reduction & Cost Savings

ZORBZALL® sodium polyacrylate super absorbent polymer (SAP) can rapidly absorb free liquid in suitable wastewater, industrial and process sludges, creating a more manageable material for handling, transportation and disposal. RNR Environmental can evaluate representative sludge samples to determine effective dosage, performance and treatment economics.

ZORBZALL® dosage can begin around 0.5%–1.5% by weight in suitable applications, with many waste streams requiring less than 1%. Actual dosage depends on moisture content, salts, minerals, pH, contaminants and solids content. Representative sample testing helps determine the appropriate dosage before full-scale treatment and can prevent unnecessary absorbent usage and expense.

The cheapest absorbent per pound is not necessarily the lowest-cost sludge treatment. Total treatment cost depends on absorbent price, dosage, added material weight and volume, labor, handling, hauling and disposal fees. RNR evaluates the complete process to help customers achieve the lowest practical cost per treated ton or gallon. ZORBZALL® is currently available with bulk pricing as low as $0.89 per pound for a full truckload.

Sludge can contain large amounts of water that contribute substantial weight and cost to transportation and disposal. RNR evaluates more than simply how to make sludge pass a solidification requirement. Depending on the waste stream and application, opportunities may exist to reduce water burden, improve handling, decrease disposal tonnage and reduce the number of loads being transported. These savings can be substantially greater than the savings achieved from absorbent price alone.

RNR Environmental provides more than bulk absorbent. RNR can evaluate the entire waste-management process—including dosage, solidification methods, material handling, water burden, application logistics, transportation and disposal. In suitable applications, improvements in treatment methods and logistics can create savings far greater than the difference of a few cents per pound in absorbent cost. The objective is not to sell the most absorbent; it is to help determine the most economical overall solution for managing the waste.

Solidifying sludge and reducing the amount of waste requiring disposal are not necessarily the same thing. In suitable applications, RNR can evaluate whether RNR WasteShrink™ Technology can be incorporated into the overall waste-management process to reduce water burden, hauling weight and disposal tonnage. WasteShrink™ can complement solidification and other treatment strategies, potentially producing substantial savings in transportation and disposal costs.