SOLIDS REUSE
The solids left from treated effluent are made up of titanium oxide and other heavy metals-polymers and other trace elements. These products are the backbone of paint manufacturing. The solids can be mixed with equal parts of sand and cement to form inert cement like substances when dry. Samples of this mixture have been tested by various government departments and have come inside test parameters for non - leachate substances set down by Australian and U.S.A. E.P.A. standards.
Other systems on the market use aluminium sulphate, and recommend, that when dry the solids can be disposed of to normal landfill. This contradicts the rulings of every EPA in Australia on disposal of paint waste, which is listed as hazardous (sometimes Toxic), and must be disposed to the appropriate waste depot.
A lot of research and testing has been carried out by RA Industries on the solid waste generated by our Reclaimer system.
As previously stated the solids are actually the core structure of acrylic paint manufacturing. What a waste to dump it all.
There are many paint manufacturers that use waste solids in the formulation of their products. There are at the least 10 Brand name products currently on the Australian market made from local and imported recycled products, generated by static systems using similar processes as the Reclaimer.
Early experimentation on in situ reconstitution of solids was encouraging to say the least. The polymer Reclamite developed by RA Industries works on the wetting agent in acrylic paints. If the wetting agent is replaced in the solids and supplemented by any PVA sealing agent the solids return to an emmultion that is suitable as a primer coat on all porous materials.
Surfaces treated with this reclaimed product 5 years ago and covered with premium paint products are still stable. Paint manufactures would disagree but what good is a 10-year guarantee on a paint company's product worth anyhow if they are selling reclaimed solids in the first place. It is always easy for the company to say it was the painter's fault or there is another anomaly.
The solids left from treated effluent are made up of titanium oxide and other heavy metals-polymers and other trace elements. These products are the backbone of paint manufacturing. The solids can be mixed with equal parts of sand and cement to form inert cement like substances when dry. Samples of this mixture have been tested by various government departments and have come inside test parameters for non - leachate substances set down by Australian and U.S.A. E.P.A. standards.
Other systems on the market use aluminium sulphate, and recommend, that when dry the solids can be disposed of to normal landfill. This contradicts the rulings of every EPA in Australia on disposal of paint waste, which is listed as hazardous (sometimes Toxic), and must be disposed to the appropriate waste depot.
A lot of research and testing has been carried out by RA Industries on the solid waste generated by our Reclaimer system.
As previously stated the solids are actually the core structure of acrylic paint manufacturing. What a waste to dump it all.
There are many paint manufacturers that use waste solids in the formulation of their products. There are at the least 10 Brand name products currently on the Australian market made from local and imported recycled products, generated by static systems using similar processes as the Reclaimer.
Early experimentation on in situ reconstitution of solids was encouraging to say the least. The polymer Reclamite developed by RA Industries works on the wetting agent in acrylic paints. If the wetting agent is replaced in the solids and supplemented by any PVA sealing agent the solids return to an emmultion that is suitable as a primer coat on all porous materials.
Surfaces treated with this reclaimed product 5 years ago and covered with premium paint products are still stable. Paint manufactures would disagree but what good is a 10-year guarantee on a paint company's product worth anyhow if they are selling reclaimed solids in the first place. It is always easy for the company to say it was the painter's fault or there is another anomaly.
The main issue is that paint and its waste are hazardous, not only to the environment but also to the people who use it. It is very easy to request a material safety data sheet (M.S.D.S) from the point of sale. It is also a legal requirement that the vendor must supply one on request.
During a recent project, enough waste was collected to make 98 Buddhas, each 50cm tall and weighing approximately 35kg wet, drying to 15kg. This rounds out to about 1000kg of paint waste from this one project. Most of these Buddhas were sold for $30. Therefore the cost of maintaining a Reclaimer unit can be easily offset by reuse of the waste.
During a recent project, enough waste was collected to make 98 Buddhas, each 50cm tall and weighing approximately 35kg wet, drying to 15kg. This rounds out to about 1000kg of paint waste from this one project. Most of these Buddhas were sold for $30. Therefore the cost of maintaining a Reclaimer unit can be easily offset by reuse of the waste.
"Waste was collected to make 98 Buddhas"
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