QUALITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF COMPOST IN DEWAR VESSELS - A CALORIMETRIC INTERPRETATION

Composting technologies rely on standard methods for quality determina tion. The maturity of a compost is assayed by self-heating experiments in Dewar-vessels. The resulting maximum temperature is classified on a five-level scale. This study demonstrated systematic errors that mig ht occur when assays are performed in Dewars of different size. The ve ssels were characterized as heat conduction calorimeters and the proce sses of biochemical decomposition and heat generation and autothermic effects (temperature) were evaluated quantitatively.