• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2017

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of air suction rate (SR) during the composting process of swine manure mixed with sawdust used as a bulking agent. In the 25 L composting reactors, the suction rate (SR) was at four different treatment levels (100%, 200%, 300%, 400%), and were fixed on the based on constant aeration rate into the composting mixtures. The temperature reached to thermophilic phase within 2 days and it was maintained up to the $5^{th}$ day of the composting process in all reactors and then gradually decreased to room temperature at the end of the composting process. The moisture content (MC, %) of the initial mixtures was 64.27%, and it was reduced to 38.4, 33.08, 14.59 and 11.93 in the different suction rate of 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, respectively in the end process. During the composting, the level of pH was increased from 6.83 to 8.67 and it gradually decreased to 7.56 in 100% and 200%(SR). At the same time, the pH values were reduced only up to 8.19 at 300%, and 8.08 at 400%(SR), showing that suction strengths of 100% and 200% were the better option for composting than those of 300% and 400%. The total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) of initial composts mixtures was 2.3% and were changed in 3.3, 3.1, 2.5, and 2.3% at the end of the composting period from the 100%-400% (SR) variations respectively. These results also indicated that 100% and 200% (SR) were more affected by the dry mass loss as $CO_2$ and water evaporation. The initial value of C/N ratio was 25.17 and were significantly reduced to 11.88, 11.97, 14.31, and 14.72 at the end of the experiment, respectively from the 100%-400% (SR) variations. These results suggest that the suction rate (SR) of 100% and 200% relative to constant air supply would be the optimal conditions to produce high-quality compost.