Shoe manufacturing wastes: Characterisation of properties and recovery options

Fabio Tatàno, Nadia Acerbi, Chiara Monterubbiano, Silvia Pretelli, Lucia Tombari and Filippo Mangani

Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 2012, vol. 66, issue C, 66-75

Abstract: Using the renowned shoe manufacturing sector in Marche Region (Italy) as a case-study, this paper deals with the characterisation of (1) the chemical and physical properties of representative types of shoe manufacturing wastes, (2) the quality profile of a particular material recovery finalised to a soil destination, and (3) the flue gas emissions from burning tests in view of the potential for energy recovery. The property characterisation has primarily revealed the following aspects: a general condition of resulting higher ash contents in shoe waste materials having a mineral or synthetic processing origin; and relatively high energy contents, ranging on the whole expressed as LHV (lower heating value) from 15,710kJkg−1 (for vegetable-tanned leather dust) to 42,439kJkg−1 (for natural rubber). The characterisation of a fertiliser that can be generated from the particular waste type of vegetable-tanned leather dust has determined an interesting quality profile classifiable as organic-nitrogen fertiliser with acceptable values of the humification parameters and heavy metal contents significantly below the assumed quality limits. Finally, simplified pilot-scale burning tests have provided the following findings: higher NOx emissions produced from leather-based materials as compared with the cellulose-based material, which are likely attributable to the substantial “fuel nitrogen” content of the original animal skins; higher HCl emissions produced from the leather-based materials in comparison with the cellulose-based material; and a more even combustion process occurred for the leather dust than for the other shoe materials.

Keywords: Burning test; Emission characterisation; Energy content; Fertiliser quality profile; Property characterisation; Shoe manufacturing waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:recore:v:66:y:2012:i:c:p:66-75

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2012.06.007

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