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Solid Waste Management
GLOSSARY
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Solid Waste Management
GLOSSARY
This publication (SW-108ts)
was prepared by the Federal solid waste management program
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
1972
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An environmental protection publication
in the solid waste management series (SW-108 tfj.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
Price 30 cents
Stock Number 5502-0075
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FOREWORD
Solid waste management is interdisciplinary. It incorporates, for example, the
specialized efforts of engineers, planners, earth scientists, labor managers, economists,
lawyers, and psychologists, as well as businessmen in a variety of service trades and
industries. Each group has its own specialized and ever-expanding nomenclature. Not
unexpectedly, therefore, confusion exists regarding certain terms in everyday use. Perhaps
the most common instance is the way community officials and others often refer to
dumps when they mean sanitary landfills and vice versa. The blurring-of the clear cut
distinction between the two terms has been a serious problem in communicating to
citizens the need for better solid waste disposal.
There is need, then, for a glossary to standardize the concepts in frequent use. This
publication is also needed for terms that are coming into use in the literature of solid
waste management and may be less well known to government officials and members of
the industries involved. This glossary represents an attempt to perform both services.
Whenever possible, modifying terms are listed beneath the noun modified. The choice
of terms to be defined and many of the definitions themselves have benefitted from the
investigations and reports undertaken under the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, as
amended. In preparing training manuals, staff personnel of the Office of Solid Waste
Management Programs concerned with this activity have of necessity developed standard
sets of terms, and the present glossary has drawn from their work. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency also gratefully acknowledges the contributions made
by many individuals in the Federal solid waste management program, other Federal
agencies, State and local governments,private industry,and universities.. We will welcome
suggestions from users for additional or better definitions that could be included in future
editions of the glossary.
—SAMUEL HALE, JR.
Deputy Assistant Administrator
for Solid Waste Management
111
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GLOSSARY
ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE-A motor vehicle
that applicable State laws deem to have been
abandoned.
ABRASION-Wearing away of surface material, such
as refractories in an incinerator or parts of solid
waste handling equipment, by the scouring action
of moving solids, liquids, or gases.
ACTINOMYCETES • A large group of moldlike
microorganisms which give off an odor
characteristic of rich earth and are the significant
organisms involved in the stabilization of solid
wastes by composting.
AERATION-The process of exposing a bulk material,
such as compost, to air.or of charging a liquid with
a gas or a mixture of gases.
AEROBIC-Able to live and grow only if free oxygen
is present.
AFTERBURNER«A device used to burn or oxidize
the combustible constituents remaining in the
effluent gases.
AGGREGATE • Crushed rock or gravel screened to
sizes for use in road surfaces, concrete, or bitumi-
nous mixes.
AIR
Ambient-The surrounding air.
Combustion-Air used for burning a fuel.
Cooling-Ambient air that is added to hot combus-
tion gases to cool them.
Excess Combustion • Air supplied in excess of
theoretical air, usually expressed as a percent-
age of the theoretical air.
Primary Combustion-Air admitted to a combus-
tion system at the point where the fuel is first
oxidized.
Secondary Combustion.Air introduced above or
beyond a fuel bed by a natural, induced, or
forced draft. It is generally referred to as
overfire air if supplied above the fuel bed
through the side walls or the bridge wall of the
primary chamber.
Theoretical'The amount of air, calculated from the
chemical composition of a waste, that is re-
quired to completely burn the waste. Also
referred to as stoichiometric air and theoretical
combustion air.
AIR DEFICIENCY-A lack of air, in an air-fuel
mixture, to supply the quantity of oxygen stoi-
chiometrically required to completely oxidize the
fuel.
AIR HEATER-A heat exchanger through which air
passes and is heated by a medium of a higher
temperature, such as hot combustion gases in
metal tubes.
AIR JETS-Streams of high-velocity air that issue from
nozzles in an incinerator enclosure to provide
turbulence, combustion air, or a cooling effect.
AIR POLLUTANT-A substance that, when present in
the atmosphere in large enough concentrations,
adversely affects the environment.
AIR POLLUTION • An impaired condition of the
atmosphere that results because certain substances
present in it are too numerous or are of a noxious
character.
AIR PREHEATER See AIR HEATER.
AIR QUALITY STANDARDS-Levels below which a
specific substance or combination of substances
must be kept in the atmosphere as established by
legislation.
ALKALINITY-The measurable ability of solutions or
aqueously suspended solids to neutralize an acid.
ANAEROBIC-Able to live and grow in the absence of
free oxygen.
ANALYSIS
Proximate Analysis • Analysis of a solid fuel to
determine (on a percentage basis) how much
moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash
the sample contains; usually the fuel's heat
value is also established.
Ultimate Analysis-The chemical analysis of a solid,
liquid, or gaseous fuel. In the case of coal, coke,
or solid waste, the amounts of carbon,
hydrogen, sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and ash are
determined.
ANGLE OF REPOSE-The maximum acute angle that
the inclined surface of a pile of loosely divided
material can make with the horizontal.
AQUIFER-An underground, water-bearing geologic
formation.
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ARCH
Drop • A form of construction that supports a
vertical refractory furnace wall and serves to
deflect gases downward.
Furnace«A nearly horizontal structure that extends
into a furnace and serves to deflect gases.
Ignition • A refractory furnace arch or surface
located over a fuel bed to radiate heat and to
accelerate ignition.
ASH-The incombustible material that remains after a
fuel or solid waste has been burned.
ASH-FREE BASIS-The method whereby the weight
of ash in a fuel sample is subtracted from its total
weight and the adjusted weight is used to calculate
the percent of certain constituents present. For
example, the percent of fixed carbon (F C) on an
ash-free basis is computed as follows:
F_C (weight) X 100
Fuel Sample (weight) - Ash (weight)
= % ash-free F C
ASH PIT «A pit or hopper located below a furnace
where residue is accumulated and from which it is
removed.
ASH SLUICE*A trench or channel in which water
transports residue from an ash pit to a disposal or
collection point.
AUTOMOBILE SHREDDER See SHREDDER.
AUXILIARY-FUEL FIRING EQUIPMENT • Equip
ment used in an incinerator to supply additional
heat by burning an auxiliary fuel so that the
resulting higher temperatures: (1) dry and ignite
the waste material; (2) maintain ignition thereof;
(3) effect complete combustion of combustible
solids, vapors, and gases.
BACKFILL-The material used to refill a ditch or
other excavation, or the process of doing so.
BACKHOE TAMPING-A processing step, often used
in direct-dump transfer systems, in which a con-
ventional backhoe is used to compact waste
contained in an open-top transfer trailer.
BACTERIA-Single-cell, microscopic organisms, that
possess rigid cell walls. They may be aerobic,
anaerobic, or facultative; they can cause disease;
and some are important in the stabilization of
solid wastes.
BAFFLE-A construction intended to change the
direction of fluid flow.
Water Cooled-A baffle composed essentially of
closely spaced boiler tubes.
BAFFLE CHAMBER'A chamber following the com-
bustion chamber, in which baffles change the
direction of and/or reduce the velocity of the
combustion gases in order to promote the settling
of fly ash or coarse particulate matter.
BAGASSE-The fibrous residue that remains after
juice is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets.
BALER-A machine used to compress and bind solid
waste or other materials.
BEARING CAPACITY-The maximum load that a
material can support before failing.
BECCARI PROCESS-A composting process devel-
oped by Dr. Giovanni Beccari in 1922. Anaerobic
fermentation is followed by a final stage in which
decomposition proceeds under partially aerobic
conditions; the process was later modified by
Verdier and Bordas.
BEDDING, ANIMAL-Material, usually organic, that is
placed on the floor of livestock quarters for animal
comfort and to absorb excreta.
BIODEGRADABLE-The significant breaking down
by microorganisms of the physical and/or chemical
structure of a compound.
BLADE
Earth-A heavy, broad plate that is connected to
the front of a tractor and is used to push and
spread soil or other material.
Landfill-A U-blade with an extension on top that
increases the volume of solid wastes that can be
pushed and spread, and protects the operator
from any debris thrown out of the solid waste.
U-Blade-A dozer blade with an extension on each
side; they protrude forward at an obtuse angle
to the blade and enable it to handle a larger
volume of solid waste than a regular blade.
BLAST GATE-A sliding metal damper in a duct,
usually used to regulate the flow of forced air.
BLOWER • A fan used to force air or gas under
pressure.
BOOM-Any heavy beam that is hinged at one end and
carries a weight-lifting device at the other.
BOOSTER CYCLE-The period during which addi-
tional hydraulic pressure is exerted to push the last
charge of solid waste into a transfer trailer or a
container attached to a stationary compactor.
BREECHING-A passage that conducts the products
of combustion to a stack or chimney.
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BREECHING BYPASS • An arrangement whereby
breechings and dampers permit the intermittent
use of two or more passages to direct or divert the
flow of the products of combustion.
BRICK (FIREBRICK)-Refractory brick made from
fireclay.
Alumina-Diaspore Fireclay-Brick consisting mainly
of diaspore or nodule clay and having an
alumina content of 50, 60, or 70 percent (plus
or minus 2.5 percent).
High-Duty Fireclay-A fireclay brick that has a
pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) not lower
than Cone 31-23, or does not deform more
than 1.5 percent at 2,460 F (1,350 C) in the
standard local test.
Insulating-A firebrick having a low thermal con-
ductivity and a bulk density of less than 70
pounds per cubic foot; suitable for lining
industrial furnaces. Also called insulating block.
Intermediate-Duty Fireclay-A fireclay brick that
has a PCE above Cone 29 or does not deform
more than 3 percent at 2,460 F (1,350 C) in
the standard local test.
Super-Duty Fireclay-A fireclay brick that has a
PCE above Cone 33 on the fired product,
shrinks less than 1 percent in the American
Society for Testing Materials permanent linear
change test, Schedule C (2,910 F), and does not
incur more than 4 percent loss in the panel
spalling test (preheated to 3,000 F).
BRIQUETTER-A machine that compresses a mate-
rial, such as metal turnings or coal dust, into small
pellets.
BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (Btu) -The quantity of
heat required to increase the temperature of one
pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
BUCKET'An open container affixed to the movable
arms of a wheeled or tracked vehicle to spread
solid waste and cover material, and to excavate
soil.
BULL CLAM -A tracked vehicle that has a hinged,
curved bowl on the top of the front of the blade.
BULLDOZER'A tracked vehicle equipped with an
earth blade.
BURN (BRICK)-The degree of heat treatment to
which refractory bricks are subjected when manu-
factured.
BURNER
Conical-A hollow, cone-shape combustion cham-
ber that has an exhaust vent at its point and a
door at its base through which waste materials
are charged; air is delivered to the burning solid
waste inside the cone. Also called a teepee
burner.
Primary • A burner that dries out and ignites
materials in the primary combustion chamber.
Refuse • A device for either central or on-site
volume reduction of solid waste by burning; it
is of simple construction and all the factors of
combustion cannot be controlled.
Residential'A device used to burn the solid wastes
generated in an individual dwelling.
Secondary-A burner installed in the secondary
combustion chamber of an incinerator to main-
tain a minimum temperature and to complete
the combustion of incompletely burned gases.
Sometimes referred to as an afterburner.
BURNING AREA-The horizontal projection of a
grate, a hearth, or both.
BURNING RATE-The quantity of solid waste incin-
erated or the amount of heat released during
incineration. The rate is usually expressed in
pounds of solid waste per square foot of burning
area per hour or in Btu's per square foot of
burning area per hour.
CABLE PULLOUT UNLOADING METHOD-A pro-
cedure in which a landfill tractor empties a
transfer trailer by pulling a cable network from the
front to the rear of the vehicle.
CAPACITY (INCINERATOR)
Design-The number of tons of solid waste that a
designer anticipates his incinerator will be able
to process in a 24-hour period if specified
criteria are met.
Firm • The processing capacity of an incinerator
when its largest independent unit is not oper-
ating.
Rated-The number of tons of solid waste that can
be processed at an incinerator per 24-hour
period when specified criteria prevail.
CAPILLARY WATER-Underground water that is
held above the water table by capillary attraction.
CARBONACEOUS MATTER-Pure carbon or carbon
compounds present in the fuel or residue of a
combustion process.
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)-A colorless, odorless,
non-poisonous gas that forms carbonic acid when
dissolved in water; it is produced during the
thermal degradation and microbial decomposition
of solid wastes.
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CARBON DIOXIDE RECORDER.An instrument
that continuously monitors the volume concentra-
tion (in percent) of carbon dioxide in a flue gas.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)-A colorless, poisonous
gas that has an exceedingly faint metallic odor and
taste. It is produced during the thermal degrada-
tion and microbial decomposition of solid wastes
when the oxygen supply is limited.
CARBON NITROGEN RATIO (C/N)-The ratio of the
weight of carbon to the weight of nitrogen present
in a compost or in materials that are being
composted.
CARRY-CLOTH-A large piece of canvas or burlap
used to transfer solid waste from a residential solid
waste storage area to a collection vehicle.
CATALYTIC COMBUSTION SYSTEM-A process in
which a substance is introduced into an exhaust
gas stream to burn or oxidize vaporized hydrocar-
bons or odorous contaminants; the substance itself
remains intact.
CELL-Compacted solid wastes that are enclosed by
natural soil or cover material in a sanitary
landfill.
CELL HEIGHT-The vertical distance between the top
and bottom of the compacted solid waste enclosed
by natural soil or cover material in a sanitary
landfill.
CELL THICKNESS -The perpendicular distance be-
tween the cover materials placed over the last
working faces of two successive cells in a sanitary
landfill.
CENTRAL GARBAGE GRINDER-A conveniently
located facility that mechanically pulverizes food
wastes collected from many sources in a communi-
ty.
CHARGE-The quantity of solid waste introduced
into a furnace at one time.
CHARGING CHUTE-An overhead passage through
which waste materials drop into an incinerator.
CHARGING CUTOFF GATE-A modified charging
gate used in continuous-feed furnaces that do not
have high temperatures near the charging hopper.
A sliding steel plate at the bottom of the charging
hopper closes on a machined seat at the top of the
charging chute.
CHARGING GATE-A horizontal, movable cover that
closes the opening on a top-charging furnace.
CHARGING HOPPER-An enlarged opening at the
top of a charging chute.
CHECKER WORK-A pattern of multiple openings in
a refractory structure through which the products
of combustion pass to accelerate the turbulent
mixing of gases.
CHIMNEY See STACK.
CHIPPER-A size-reduction device having sharp blades
attached to a rotating shaft (mandrel) that shave
or chip off pieces of certain objects, such as tree
branches or brush.
CLAMSHELL BUCKET-A vessel used to hoist and
convey materials; it has two jaws that clamp
together when the vessel is lifted by specially
attached cables.
CLAY • A fine-grain soil having liquid limits and
plasticity indexes that plot above the "A" line on
the Unified Soil Classification System plasticity
chart.
CLINKERS-Hard, sintered, or fused pieces of residue
formed in a fire by the agglomeration of ash,
metals, glass, and ceramics.
COLLECTION-The act of removing solid waste from
the central storage point of a primary source.
Alley-The picking up of solid waste from contain-
ers placed adjacent to an alley.
Carryout-Crew collection of solid waste from an
on-premise storage area using a carrying con-
tainer, carry-cloth, or a mechanical method.
Contract-The collection of solid waste carried out
in accordance with a written agreement in
which the rights and duties of the contractual
parties are set forth.
Curb • Collection of solid waste from containers
placed adjacent to a thoroughfare.
Franchise'Collection made by a private firm that is
given exclusive right to collect for a fee paid by
customers in a specific territory or from
specific types of customers.
Municipal-The collection of solid waste by public
employees and equipment under the supervi-
sion and direction of a municipal department or
official.
Private-The collection of solid waste by individuals
or companies from residential, commercial, or
industrial premises; the arrangements for the
service are made directly between the owner or
occupier of the premises and the collector.
Setout/Setback The removal of full and the
return of empty containers between the on-
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premise storage point and the curb by a
collection crew.
COLLECTION FREQUENCY-The number of times
collection is provided in a given period of time.
COLLECTION METHOD
Daily Route-A method in which each collection
crew is assigned a weekly route that is divided
into daily routes.
Definite Working Day-A variation of the large-
route method in which definite routes are laid
out and a crew assigned to each. Collection
proceeds along a route for the length of time
adopted for a working day. The next day,
collection begins where the crew stopped "the
day before. This procedure continues until the
whole route is covered, whereupon the crew
returns to the beginning of the route.
Group Task-A method in which the responsibility
for collecting on assigned routes is shared by
more than one crew. Any crew that finishes a
particular route works on another until all are
completed.
Inter-Route Relief'A method in which regular
crews help collect on other routes when they
finish their own.
Large Route • A method in which each crew is
assigned a weekly route. The crew works each
day without a fixed stopping point or work
time, but it completes the route within the
working week.
Reservoir Route-A method in which several crews
are used to pick up on a centrally located route
after having collected on peripheral routes.
Single Load-A variation of the daily route method
in which areas or routes are laid out that
normally provide a full load of solid waste.
Each crew usually has at least two such routes
for a day's work. The crew quits for the day
when the assigned number of routes is com-
pleted.
Swing Crew A method in which one or more
reserve work crews go anywhere help is needed.
Variable-Size Crew-A method in which a variable
number of collectors is provided for individual
crews, depending on the amount and conditions
of work on particular routes.
COLLECTION STOP'A stop made by a vehicle and
crew to collect solid waste from one or more
service sites.
COLLECTOR (INCINERATOR)
Bag-Type-A filter in which the filtering medium is
a fabric cylindrical bag.
Cyclone-A collector in which an inlet gas stream is
made to move vertically; its centrifugal forces
tend to drive suspended particles to the wall of
the cyclone.
Dust -Any device used to remove dust from
exhaust gases.
Fly Ash-Equipment used to remove fly ash from
combustion gases.
Mechanical-A device in which inertial and gravita-
tional forces separate dry dust from gas.
Multicyclone • A dust collector consisting of a
number of cyclone collectors that operate in
parallel; the volume and velocity of combustion
gas can be regulated by dampers to maintain
efficiency over a given load range.
COM BUST! ON-The chemical combining of oxygen
with a substance that results in the production of
heat and usually light.
COMBUSTION CHAMBER
Primary • The chamber in an incinerator where
waste is ignited and burned.
Secondary• The chamber of an incinerator where
combustible solids, vapors, and gases from the
primary chamber are burned and fly ash is
settled.
COMBUSTION GASES-The mixture of gases and
vapors produced by combustion.
COMBUSTION RATE See BURNING RATE.
COMPACTION PIT TRANSFER SYSTEM-A transfer
system in which solid waste is compacted in a
storage* pit by a crawler tractor before being
pushed into an open-top transfer trailer.
COMPACTOR
Mobile-A vehicle with an enclosed body containing
mechanical devices that convey solid waste into
the main compartment of the body and com-
press it.
Sanitary Landfill -A vehicle equipped with a blade
and with rubber tires sheathed in steel or
hollow steel cores; both types of wheels are
equipped with load concentrations to provide
compaction and a crushing effect.
Stationary-A machine that reduces the volume of
solid waste by forcing it into a container.
COMPOST • Relatively stable decomposed organic
material.
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COMPOSTING • A controlled process of degrading
organic matter by microorganisms.
Mechanical'A method in which the compost is
continuously and mechanically mixed and
aerated.
Ventilated Cell-A composting method in which the
compost is mixed and aerated by being dropped
through a vertical series of ventilated cells.
Windrow-An open-air method in which compost-
able material is placed in windrows, piles, or
ventilated bins or pits and is occasionally
turned or mixed. The process may be anaerobic
or aerobic.
CONTAINER
Carrying-A receptacle of 35 to 50 gallons capacity,
usually constructed of plastic or aluminum,
that is carried by a collector in a backyard
carryout service; frequently called a tote barrel.
Disposable • Plastic or paper sacks designed for
storing solid waste.
Lift and CarryA large container that can be lifted
onto a service vehicle and transported to a
disposal site for emptying; also called a detach-
able container or drop-off box.
Roll-on/Roll-off • A large container (20 to 40 cubic
yards) that can be pulled onto a service vehicle
mechanically and carried to a disposal site for
emptying.
CONTAINER TRAIN-Small trailers, hitched in series
that are pulled by a motor vehicle; they are
utilized to collect and transport solid waste.
CONVERSION See REPROCESSING.
CONVEYOR
Apron-One or more continuous chains that are
supported and moved by a system of sprockets
and rollers; they carry overlapping or interlock-
ing plates that move bulk materials on their
upper surface.
Drag-A conveyor that uses vertical steel plates
fastened between two continuous chains to
drag material across a smooth surface.
Flight • A drag conveyor that has rollers inter-
spersed in its pull chains to reduce friction.
Inclined Plate-A separating device that operates by
feeding material onto an inclined steel plate
belt conveyor so that heavy and resilient
materials, such as glass, bounce down the
conveyor, and light and inelastic materials are
carried upward by the motion of the belt.
Residue-A conveyor, usually a drag- or flight-type,
used to remove incinerator residue from a
quench trough to a discharge point.
ScrewA rotating helical shaft that moves material,
such as incinerator siftings, along a trough or
tube.
COOLING SPRAYS-Water sprays directed into flue
gases to cool them and, in most cases, to remove
some fly ash.
CORROSION-The alteration of a material by chemi-
cal action.
COST PER TON PER MINUTE • A unit that is often
used in cost comparisons between transfer and
direct-haul operations.
COVER MATERIAL • Soil that is used to cover
compacted solid waste in a sanitary landfill.
CRANE
Bridge-A lifting unit that can maneuver horizon-
tally in two directions.
Monorail-A lifting unit, suspended from a single
rail, that can move in one horizontal direction.
CULLET-Clean, color-sorted, crushed glass that is
used in glassmaking to speed up the melting of
silica sand.
CUT'Portion of a land surface or an area from which
earth or rock has been or will be excavated. The
distance between an original ground surface and an
excavated surface.
CUT AND COVER (CUT AND FILL)-An infre-
quently and incorrectly used term referring to the
trench method of sanitary landfilling.
CUT-OFF TRENCH-A trench that is filled with
material that is impermeable or very permeable to
the flow of gas or water. The barrier is used to
prevent the movement of gas or water or to
intercept them and to direct them to another
location. See GAS BARRIER.
DAMPER-A manually or automatically controlled
valve or plate in a breeching, duct, or stack, that is
used to regulate a draft or the rate of flow of air or
other gases.
Barometric-A hinged or pivoted .plate that auto-
matically regulates the amount of air entering a
duct, breeching, flue connection, or stack; it
thereby maintains a constant draft in the
incinerator.
Butterfly-A plate or blade installed in a duct,
breeching, flue connection, or stack that rotates
on an axis to regulate the flow of gases.
Guillotine-An adjustable plate, utilized to regulate
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the flow of gases, installed vertically in a
breeching.
Sliding-A plate normally installed perpendicularly
to the flow of gas in a breeching and arranged
to slide across it to regulate the flow.
DANO BIOSTABILIZER SYSTEM-An aerobic, ther-
mophilic composting process in which optimum
conditions of moisture, air, and temperature are
maintained in a single, slowly revolving cylinder
that retains the compostable solid waste for one to
five days. The material is later windrowed.
DEAD ANIMALS'Animals that have died from any
cause except those slaughtered or killed for human
use.
DECOMPOSTION-The reduction of the net energy
level and change in chemical composition of
organic matter, as by microorganisms.
DEGLASSERSee OSBORNE SEPARATOR.
DEMOLITION WASTE See WASTE, Construction
and Demolition.
DENSITY
Sanitary Landfill • The ratio of the combined
weight of solid waste and the soil cover to the
combined volume of the solid waste and the
soil cover. (Wsw + Wsoll/VSw + VSOii)
Solid Waste-The number obtained by dividing the
weight of solid waste by its volume.
DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION-The airless heating
of organic matter that results in the evolution of
volatile substances and produces a solid char
consisting of fixed carbon and ash. See LANTZ
PROCESS.
DIRECT-DUMP TRANSFER SYSTEM-The unload-
ing of solid waste directly from a collection vehicle
into an open-top transfer trailer or container.
DISPERSION«The dilution or removal of a substance
by diffusion, turbulence, etc. Technically, a two-
phase system involving two substances, the first of
which is uniformly distributed in a finely divided
state through the second (the dispersion medium).
DISPOSAL
Ocean-The deposition of waste into an ocean or
estuarine body of water.
On-Site-The utilization of methods or processes to
eliminate or reduce the volume or weight of
solid waste on the property of the generator.
Waste-The orderly process of discarding useless or
unwanted material.
DOWNPASS-A chamber or gas passage placed be-
tween two combustion chambers to carry the
products of combustion downward.
DRAFT-The difference between the pressure in an
incinerator, or any component part, and that in
the atmosphere; it causes air or the products of
combustion to flow from the incinerator to the
atmosphere.
Forced'The positive pressure created by the action
of a fan or blower, which supplies the primary
or secondary combustion air in an incinerator.
Induced • The negative pressure created by the
action of a fan, blower, or ejector located
between an incinerator and a stack.
Natural -The negative pressure created by the
height of a stack or chimney and the difference
in temperature between flue gases and the
atmosphere.
DRAFT CONTROLLER-An automatic device that
maintains a uniform furnace draft by regulating a
damper.
DRAGLINE-A revolving shovel that carries a bucket
attached only by cables and digs by pulling the
bucket toward itself.
DRAG PLATE • A plate beneath a traveling or
chain-grate stoker used to support the returning
grates.
DRUM MILL'A long, inclined steel drum that rotates
and grinds solid wastes in its rough interior;
smaller ground material falls through holes near
the end of the drum and larger material drops out
of the end. The drum mill is used in some
composting operations.
DULONG'S FORMULA-A formula for calculating
the approximate heating value of a solid fuel based
on its ultimate analysis.
DUMP-A land site where solid waste is disposed of in
a manner that does not protect the environment.
DUMPING'An indiscriminate method of disposing of
solid waste. Meaning the unloading or emptying of
a container: use discharging.
DUMP PLATE -A hinged plate in an incinerator that
supports residue and from which residue may be
discharged by rotating the plate.
DUST*Fine-grain particulate matter that is capable of
being suspended in air.
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DUST LOADING-The amount of dust in a gas;
usually expressed in grains per cubic foot or
pounds per thousand pounds of gas.
ECOLOGY-The science that deals with the interrela-
tionships of organisms and their living and non-
living surroundings.
ECOSYSTEM-The interdependence of organisms and
their surroundings.
EFFLUENT-The substances that flow out of a
designated source.
EFFLUENT SEEPAGE-Diffuse discharge onto the
ground of liquids that have percolated through
solid waste or another medium; they contain
dissolved or suspended materials.
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR • A device that
collects particulates by placing an electrical charge
on them and attracting them onto a collecting
electrode.
ELUTRIATION'Separation of solid waste into heavy
and light fractions by washing.
EMISSIONS-Material that is released into the air
either by a discrete source (primary emission) or as
the result of a photochemical reaction or chain of
reactions (secondary emission).
EMISSION STANDARD-A rule or measurement
established to regulate or control the amount of a
given pollutant that may be discharged into the
outdoor atmosphere from its source.
ENGINE SIDESCREEN-A rugged screen that fits on
the engine housing of a vehicle used at a sanitary
landfill to keep paper and other objects from
accumulating and damaging the engine.
ENVIRONMENT-The conditions, circumstances, and
influences surrounding and affecting the develop-
ment of an organism or group of organisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM-The interraction of an
organism or group of organisms with its natural
and manmade surroundings.
EROSION
Accelerated • Erosion of soil material at a faster
than natural rate. Accelerated erosion occurs
when vegetal cover is destroyed or is affected
by some activity of man.
Refractory-The wearing away of refractory sur-
faces by the washing action of moving liquids,
such as molten slags or metals, or the action of
moving gases.
EVASE STACK-An expanding connection on the
outlet of a fan or in an air flow passage; its
purpose is to convert kinetic energy into static
pressure.
EXPANSION
Permanent Expansion-The ability of some refrac-
tories to increase m size permanently at temper-
atures within their useful range. Also known as
secondary expansion.
EXPANSION CHAMBER See SETTLING CHAM-
BER.
EXPANSION JOINT
Refractory • An open joint left open so that
refractories can expand thermally or perma-
nently. Also, small spaces or gaps built into a
refractory structure to permit sections of ma-
sonry to expand and contract freely and to
prevent the distortion or buckling of furnace
structures under excessive expansion stresses.
These joints are built in such a way that the
masonry can move but that little or no air or
gas can leak through it.
EXTRACTION See RECOVERY.
FACE See WORKING FACE.
FACULTATIVE • Able to live and grow with or
without free oxygen.
FAIRFIELD HARDY DIGESTER (COMPOSTING)
A patented product of Fairfield Engineering Com-
pany, Marion, Ohio, which decomposes garbage,
sewage sludge, industrial, and other organic wastes
by a controlled continuous aerobic-thermophilic
process.
FAN
Induced Draft-A fan that exhausts hot gases from
heat-absorbing equipment, dust collectors, or
scrubbers.
Overfire Air-A fan used to provide air above a fuel
bed.
FIELD CAPACITY (OF SOLID WASTE) The
amount of water retained in solid waste after it
has been saturated and has drained freely. Also
known as moisture-holding capacity.
FILL See SANITARY LANDFILL.
FILTER
Bag-A device containing one or more fabric bags
for recovering particles from the dust laden gas
or air.
Fabric-A device designed to remove particles from
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a carrier gas by passage of the gas through a
porous (fabric) medium.
FIRECLAY-A sedimentary clay containing only small
amounts of fluxing impurities. It is high in
hydrous aluminum silicates and is, therefore,
capable of withstanding high temperatures.
FIXED CARBON-The ash-free carbonaceous material
that remains after volatile matter is driven off
during the proximate analysis of a dry solid waste
sample.
FLAREBACK-A burst of flame from a furnace in a
direction opposed to the normal gas flow; it
usually occurs when accumulated combustible
gases ignite.
FLUE'Any passage designed to carry combustion
gases and entrained particulates.
FLUE DUST-Solid particles (smaller than 100 mi-
crons) carried in the products of combustion.
FLUE GAS-Waste gas from a combustion process.
FLUE GAS SCRUBBER OR WASHER-A type of
equipment that removes fly ash and other objec-
tionable materials from flue gas by the use of
sprays, wet baffles, or other means that require
water as the primary separation mechanism.
FLUIDIZED BED TECHNIQUE-A combustion pro-
cess in which heat is transferred from finely
divided particles, such as sand, to combustible
materials in a combustion chamber. The materials
are supported and fluidized by a column of
moving air.
FLUXING-Dissolving or melting of a substance by
chemical action.
FLY ASH-All solids, including ash, charred paper,
cinders, dust, soot, or other partially incinerated
matter, that are earned in a gas stream.
FOMITE • An inanimate object that can harbor or
transmit pathogenic organisms.
FOOD PROCESSING WASTE-Waste resulting from
operations that alter the form or composition of
agriculture products for marketing purposes.
FOOD WASTE-Animal and vegetable waste resulting
from the handling, storage, sale, preparation,
cooking, and serving of foods, commonly called
garbage.
FOULING-The impedance to the How of gas or heat
that results when material accumulates in gas
passages or on heat absorbing surfaces in an
incinerator.
FRONT END LOADER-A collection vehicle with
arms that engage a detachable container, move it
up over the cab, empty it into the vehicle's body,
and return it to the ground.
FUEL BED-The layer of solid fuel or solid waste on a
furnace grate or hearth.
FUME • Suspended particles in a gas, one micron or
less in diameter.
FUNGI • Simple plants that lack a photosynthetic
pigment. The individual cells have a nucleus
surrounded by a membrane, and they may be
linked together in long filaments called hyphae,
which may grow together to form a visible body.
Simpler fungi are involved in the stabilization of
solid waste and sewage.
FURNACE -The chambers of an incinerator where
drying, ignition, and combustion occur.
FURNACE VOLUME-The total internal volume of
combustion chambers.
FUSION POINT-The temperature at which a particu-
lar complex mixture of minerals can flow under
the weight of its own mass. Because most refrac-
tory materials have no definite fusion points but
soften gradually over a range of temperatures, the
conditions of measurement have been standardized
by the ASTM. See PYROMETRIC CONE EQUIV-
ALENT.
GARBAGE See FOOD WASTE.
GARCHEY SYSTEM-A patented system in which
residential waste is temporarily stored in a water-
filled flushing device mounted under a sink, it is
conveyed through tubes to a central holding tank.
GAS BARRIER-Any device or material used to divert
the flow of gases produced in a sanitary landfill or
by other land disposal techniques. See CUT-OFF
TRENCH.
GASIFICATION-The process of converting a solid or
liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel.
GAS WASHER OR SCRUBBER See FLUE GAS
SCRUBBER.
GENERATION-The act or process of producing solid
waste.
GRADER • A gas- or diesel-powered, pneumatic-
wheeled machine equipped with a centrally lo-
cated blade that can be angled to cast to either
side.
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GRADIENT-The degree of slope or a rate of change.
GRAPPLE-A clamshell-type bucket having three or
more jaws; also called a star or orange peel bucket.
GRATE-A device used to support the solid fuel or
solid waste in a furnace during drying, ignition, or
combustion. Openings in it permit air to pass
through it.
Fixed-A grate that has no moving parts; called a
stationary grate. A stationary grate through
which no air passes is called a dead plate.
Movable-A grate with moving parts. A movable
grate designed to feed solid fuel or solid waste
to a furnace is called a stoker. See STOKER.
GRAVEL-Rock fragments from 2 mm to 64 mm (.08
to 2.5 inches) in diameter; gravel mixed with sand,
cobbles, boulders, and containing no more than 15
percent of fines.
GRAVITY WALL-A furnace wall supported directly
by the foundation or floor of a structure.
GRINDING-The mechanical pulverization of solid
waste.
GROUNDWATER-Water present in the saturated
zone of an aquifer.
Free-Groundwater in aquifers that are not bound-
ed by or confined in impervious strata.
GROUNDWATER RUNOFF • That part of the
groundwater that is discharged into a stream
channel as spring or seepage water.
GROUSER-A ridge or cleat that extends across a
crawler tractor track to improve its traction.
GROUT-A cementing or sealing mixture of cement
and water to which sand, sawdust, or other fillers
may be added.
HAMMERMILL • A broad category of high-speed
equipment that uses pivoted or fixed hammers or
cutters to crush, grind, chip, or shred solid wastes.
HARDPAN-A hardened, compacted, or cemented
soil layer.
HAUL DISTANCE
1. The distance a collection vehicle travels from its
last pickup stop to the solid waste transfer station,
processing facility, or sanitary landfill.
2. The distance a vehicle travels from a solid waste
transfer station or processing facility to a point of
final disposal.
3. The distance that cover material must be
transported from an excavation or stockpile to the
working face of a sanitary landfill.
HAUL TIME-The elapsed or cumulative time spent
transporting solid waste between two specific
locations.
HEARTH
Burning-A solid surface to support the solid fuel or
solid waste in a furnace during drying, ignition,
or combustion, without air openings in it. The
surface upon which material is placed for
combustion.
Cold Drying-A surface upon which unheated waste
material is placed to dry or burn; hot combus-
tion gases are then passed over the material.
Drying-A solid surface in an incinerator upon
which wet waste materials or liquids or waste
matter that may turn to liquid before burning
are placed to dry or burn with the help of hot
combustion gases.
Hot Drying-A surface upon which waste material is
placed to dry or burn;.hot combustion gases
first pass over the wastes and then under the
hearth.
HEAT
Available-The quantity of useful heat produced
per unit of fuel if it is completely burned; the
heat values of the dry flue-gas and water vapor
are deducted.
HEAT BALANCE -An accounting of the distribution
of the heat input and output of an incinerator,
usually on an hourly basis.
HEAT EXCHANGER-A device that transfers heat
from one fluid to another without allowing them
to mix.
HEAT OF COMBUSTION-The heat released, meas-
ured in Btu's, when a unit quantity of waste or
fuel is burned.
HEAT RELEASE RATE-The amount of heat libera-
ted during complete combustion; it is usually
expressed in Btu's per hour per cubic foot of the
internal volume of the furnace where the combus-
tion takes place.
HEAT VALUE
High-The Btu's liberated when a pound of solid
waste is burned completely and the products of
combustion are cooled to the initial tempera-
ture of the solid waste, as in a calorimeter.
LowThe high heat value minus the latent heat of
vaporization of the water that is formed by
burning the hydrogen in the fuel.
HEAVY MEDIA SEPARATION-Separation of solid
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wastes into heavy and light fractions in a fluid
medium whose density lies between theirs.
HOG FEEDING-The utilization of heat-treated food
wastes as a livestock feed.
HOUSEHOLD SOLID WASTE See SOLID WASTE,
Residential.
HUMUS-Decomposed organic material.
HYDRAULIC SCOOPER-A self-propelled crawler
vehicle equipped with hydraulically operated arms
that lift, empty, and replace containers carried on
a transfer trailer bed.
HYDRAULIC TIPPER-A device that unloads a
transfer trailer by raising its front end to a 70
degree angle.
HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S)-A poisonous gas with
the odor of rotten eggs that is produced from the
reduction of sulfates in and the putrefaction of a
sulfur-containing organic material.
HYDROLOGY-Science dealing with the properties,
distribution, and flow of water on or in the earth.
IGNITION TEMPERATURE-Lowest temperature of
a fuel at which combustion becomes self-
sustaining.
IMPACT MILL-A machine that grinds material by
throwing it against heavy metal projections rigidly
attached to a rapidly rotating shaft.
IMPERVIOUS-Resistant to penetration by fluids or
gases.
INCINERATION-The controlled process by which
solid, liquid, or gaseous combustible wastes are
burned and changed into gases and the residue
produced contains little or no combustible mate-
rial.
INCINERATOR • An engineered apparatus used to
burn waste substances and in which all the factors
of combustion-temperature, retention time, tur-
bulence, and combustion air—can be controlled.
Batch Fed • An incinerator that is periodically
charged with solid waste; one charge is allowed
to burn down or burn out before another is
added.
Cell-type-An incinerator whose grate areas are
divided into cells, each of which has its own ash
drop, underfire air control, and ash grate.
Central-A conveniently located facility that burns
solid waste collected from many different
sources.
Chute Fed-An incinerator that is charged through
a chute that extends two or more floors above
it.
Continuous Feed-An incinerator into which solid
waste is charged almost continuously to main-
tain a steady rate of burning.
Controlled-Air -An incinerator with two or more
combustion areas in which the amounts and
distribution of air are controlled. Partial com-
bustion takes place in the first zone, and gases
are burned in a subsequent zone or zones.
Direct Fed-An incinerator that accepts solid waste
directly into its combustion chamber.
Flue Fed-An incinerator that is charged through a
shaft that functions as a chute for charging
waste and has a flue to carry the products of
combustion.
Industrial • An incinerator designed to burn a
particular industrial waste.
Multiple Chamber-An incinerator consisting of two
or more chambers, arranged as in-line or retort
types, interconnected by gas passage ports or
ducts.
Municipal • A privately or publicly owned incin-
erator primarily designed and used to burn
residential and commercial solid wastes.
On-Site-An incinerator that burns solid waste on
the property utilized by the generator thereof.
Open Pit-A burning device that has an open top
and a system of closely spaced nozzles that
place a stream of high-velocity air over the
burning zone.
Retort-type • A multiple-chamber incinerator in
which the gases travel from the end of the
ignition chamber, then pass through the mixing
and combustion chamber.
INCINERATOR GAS See FLUE GAS.
INDORE PROCESS • An anaerobic composting
method that originated in India; it is similar to the
Bangalore process and was modified by Van
Maanen. Organic wastes are placed in alternate
layers with human or animal excreta in a pit or
pile. The piles are turned twice in six months and
drainage is used to keep the compost moist.
INFILTRATION-The process whereby some precipi-
tation flows through the surface of the ground.
INFILTRATION AIR-Air that leaks into the cham-
bers or ducts of an incinerator.
INOCULUM • Microorganisms placed in a culture
medium, soil, compost, etc.
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INTERFLOW • That portion of precipitation that
infiltrates into the soil and moves laterally under
its surface until intercepted by a stream channel or
until it resurfaces down slope from its point of
infiltration.
INTERMITTENT STREAM • A channel in which
water sometimes flows.
INTERNAL COMPACTION TRANSFER SYSTEM-A
transfer method in which the reciprocating action
of a hydraulically powered bulkhead contained
within an enclosed trailer packs solid waste against
the rear doors.
JUNK • Unprocessed materials suitable for reuse or
recycling.
K-F ACTOR-The thermal conductivity of a material,
expressed as Btu per sq ft per hour in degrees
Fahrenheit and inches. See THERMAL CON-
DUCTIVITY.
KNIFE HOG See CHIPPER.
LANTZ PROCESS-A destructive distillation tech-
nique, in which the combustible components of
solid waste are converted into combustible gases,
charcoal, and a variety of distillates.
LEACHATE-Liquid that has percolated through solid
waste or other medium and has extracted dissolved
or suspended materials from it.
LEDGE PLATE-A plate that is adjacent to or
overlaps the edge of a stoker.
LIFT-In a sanitary landfill, a compacted layer of solid
wastes and the top layer of cover material.
LINING-The material used on the inside of a furnace
wall; usually of high-grade refractory tiles or bricks
or a plastic refractory material.
LITTER-Wantonly discarded material.
LOAD-BEARING RESISTANCE (REFRACTORY)
The degree to which a refractory resists defor-
mation when subjected to a specified compressive
load at a specified temperature and time.
LOAM-A soft, easily worked soil containing sand, silt,
and clay.
LYSIMETER-A device used to measure the quantity
or rate of water movement through or from a
block of soil or other material, such as solid waste,
or used to collect percolated water for quality
analysis.
MANURE • Primarily the excreta of animals; may
contain some spilled feed or bedding.
MATERIAL BALANCE • An accounting of the
weights of materials entering and leaving a pro-
cessing unit, such as an incinerator, usually on an
hourly basis.
MEMBRANE BARRIER-Thin layer of material im-
permeable to the flow of gas or water.
METALS-In the secondary materials industry, metals
include all ferrous, nonferrous, and alloy materials.
METHANE (CH4)-An odorless, colorless, and asphyx-
iating gas that can explode under certain circum-
stances; can be produced by solid waste under-
going anaerobic decomposition.
MICRON-A measure of dust-particle diameter equal
to 1/1,000 of a millimeter (1/25,400 of an inch).
MICRON EFFICIENCY CURVE-A curve showing
how well a collector traps micron-size particles.
MILLED REFUSE-Solid waste that has been mechan-
ically reduced in size.
MIXING CHAMBER-A chamber usually placed be-
tween the primary and secondary combustion
chambers of an incinerator; the products of
combustion are thoroughly mixed there by tur-
bulence that is created by increased velocities of
gases, checker work, or turns in the direction of
the gas flow.
MOISTURE CONTENT (SOLID WASTE)-The weight
loss (expressed in percent) when a sample of solid
waste is dried to a constant weight at a temper-
ature of 100 C to 105 C.
MOISTURE HOLDING CAPACITY See FIELD
CAPACITY.
MOISTURE PENETRATION-The depth to which
irrig iiion water or rain penetrates soil before the
rate of downward movement becomes negligible.
MONOLITHIC CONSTRUCTION See MONOLITHIC
LINING.
MONOLITHIC LINING-A refractory lining or con-
struction made in large sections on site; conven-
tional layers and joints of brick construction are
not used.
MORTAR
Air-Setting Refractory-A finely ground material
that, when it dries, develops a strong bond
between refractory materials, even when heated
to working furnace temperatures. Also known
as cold-setting refractory mortar.
Fireclay • A mortar made of high-fusion-point fire-
clay and water; it is often used to fill joints in
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refractory walls to stop air or gas leaks without
. forming a strong bond.
Heat-Setting Refractory-A mortar in which the
bond is developed by the application of rela-
tively high temperatures, which vitrify part of
its constituents. Also known as hot-setting
refractory mortar.
Hydraulic Setting-A mortar that hardens or sets as
a result of hydration, a chemical reaction with
water. In an incinerator, the water in the
mortar evaporates and a ceramic bond develops
when the working furnace temperature is
applied.
MUNGO-The waste of milled wool that is combined
with other fibers to make low-quality cloth.
ODOR THRESHOLD-The lowest concentration of an
airborne odor that a human can detect.
OFFAL • Intestines and discarded parts, including
paunch manure, of slaughtered animals.
OPACITY RATING-The apparent obscuration of an
observer's vision that equals the apparent obscura-
tion of smoke of a given rating on the Ringelmann
Chart.
OPEN BURNING-Uncontrolled burning of wastes in
the open or in an open dump.
OPEN DUMP See DUMP.
ORGANIC CONTENT • Synonymous with volatile
solids, except for small traces of some inorganic
materials such as calcium carbonate, that lose
weight at temperatures used in determining vol-
atile solids.
ORGANISM-Any living thing.
MicroorganisnvAny living thing that is microscopic
or submicroscopic in size.
ORSAT • An apparatus used to analyze flue gases
volumetrically by measuring the amounts of car-
bon dioxide, oxygen, and carbon monoxide pres-
ent.
OSBORNE SEPARATOR-A device that utilizes a
pulsed, rising column of air to separate small
particles of glass, metal, and other dense items
from compost.
OVERFIRE AIR See AIR, Secondary Combustion.
PACKER See COMPACTOR.
PATHOGEN • An organism capable of producing
disease.
PEAT'Partially decomposed organic material.
PEEP DOOR-A small door or hole in an incinerator,
through which combustion can be observed.
PERCENT MOISTURE CONTENT (SOLID WASTE)
The percent of moisture contained in solid waste;
it can be calculated on a dry or wet basis.
100 (water content of sample)
Dry weight of sample & water content of sample
l.Wet =
_ 100 (water content of sample)
Dry weight of sample
PERCOLATION-A qualitative term that refers to the
downward movement of water through soil, solid
waste, or other porous medium.
PERMEABILITY-The capacity of a porous medium
to conduct or transmit fluids.
pH-Negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concen-
tration; a measure of acidity and alkalinity.
PICKING TABLE OR BELT-Table or belt on which
solid waste is manually sorted and certain items
are removed. It is normally used in composting
and salvage operations.
PLASTIC INSULATION-An insulation that is plastic
enough when mixed with water that it can adhere
to outer furnace walls or be placed over furnace
arches.
PNEUMATIC ASH HANDLING-A system of pipes
and cyclone separators that conveys fly ash or
floor dust to a bin via an air stream.
POLLUTION-The condition caused by the presence
in the environment of substances of such character
and in such quantities that the quality of the
environment is impaired or rendered offensive to
life.
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)-A common plastic
material that releases hydrochloric acid when
burned.
POROSITY • Ratio of the volume in any porous
material that is not filled with solid matter to the
total volume occupied.
PROCESSING -Any method, system, or other treat-
ment designed to change the physical form or
chemical content of solid waste.
PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION-The gases, vapors,
and solids that result from the combustion of a
fuel.
PSI-Pressure in pounds of force per square inch.
PULVERIZATION-The crushing or grinding of mate-
rial into small pieces.
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PUSH PIT • A storage system sometimes used in
stationary compactor transfer systems. A hy-
draulically powered bulkhead that traverses the
length of the pit periodically pushes the stored
waste into the hopper of a compactor.
PUTREFACTION-The decomposition of organic mat-
ter by microorganisms and oxidation, resulting in
odors.
PUTRESCIBLE • Organic matter capable of being
decomposed by microorganisms.
PYROLYSIS'The chemical decomposition of a mate-
rial by heat in the absence of oxygen.
PYROMETER • An instrument for measuring or
recording temperatures.
Optical A temperature-measuring instrument that
matches the intensity of radiation at a single
wavelength from a tungsten filament with the
intensity of the radiation at the same wave-
length emitted by a heat source.
Radiation-A device that determines temperature
by measuring the intensity of radiation at all
wavelengths emitted by a material having a high
temperature.
PYROMETRIC CONE EQUIVALENT (PCE)-An in-
dex to the refractoriness of a material; it is
obtained by a test that provides the number of a
standard pyrometric cone that is closest in its
bending behavior to that of a pyrometric cone
made of the material when both are heated in
accordance with the ASTM Standard Method of
Test for Pyrometric Cone Equivalent of Refrac-
tory Materials.
QUENCH TROUGH-A water-filled trough into which
burning residue drops from an incinerator furnace.
RASPER-A grinding machine in the form of a large
vertical drum containing heavy hinged arms that
rotate horizontally over a rasp-and-sieve floor.
RATED LOAD-The maximum load that a crane is
designed to handle safely.
RECLAMATION-The restoration to a better or more
useful state, such as land reclamation by sanitary
landfilling, or the obtaining of useful materials
from solid waste.
RECOVERABLE RESOURCES • Materials that still
have useful physical or chemical properties after
serving a specific purpose and can, therefore, be
reused or recycled for the same or other purposes.
RECOVERY-The process of obtaining materials or
energy resources from solid waste. Synonyms:
Extraction, Reclamation, Salvage.
Energy Energy available from the heat generated
when solid wastes are incinerated.
RECYCLING-The process by which waste materials
are transformed into new products in such a
manner that the original products may lose their
identity.
REFRACTORY-Nonmetallic substances used to line
furnaces because they can endure high tempera-
tures. In addition, they should normally be able to
resist one or more of the following destructive
influences: abrasion, pressure, chemical attack,
and rapid changes in temperature.
Castable-A hydraulic-setting refractory, suitable
for casting or being pneumatically formed into
heat-resistant shapes or walls.
High Alumina-A refractory product containing
47.5 percent more alumina than regular refrac-
tories.
Plastic-A blend of ground fireclay materials in a
plastic form, that is suitable for ramming into
place to form monolithic linings or special
shapes. It may be air-setting or heat-setting and
is available in different qualities of heat resis-
tance.
REFUSE See SOLID WASTE.
REFUSE CHUTE-A pipe, duct, or trough through
which solid waste is conveyed pneumatically or by
gravity to a central storage area.
REFUSE TRAIN See CONTAINER TRAIN.
REINJECTION • Reintroduction of fly ash into a
furnace to burn out all the combustibles.
RENDERING • A process of recovering fatty sub-
stances from animal parts by heat treatment,
extraction, and distillation.
REPROCESSING-The action of changing the con-
dition of a secondary material.
RESIDUE-Material that remains after gases, liquids,
or solids have been removed.
Incinerator Residue All of the • solid material
collected after an incineration process is com-
pleted.
REUSE-The reintroduction of a commodity into the
economic stream without any change.
RINGELMANN CHART-Printed or photographically
reproduced illustrations of four shades of gray,
that an observer can use to estimate the density of
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smoke emitted from an incinerator. A clear stack
is recorded as 0, and 100 percent black smoke as
5. Number 1 has a 20 percent density, and 2
through 4 are progressively 20 percent more dense.
RIPARIAN RIGHTS-Rights of the landowner to
water on or bordering his property; they include
his right to prevent upstream water from being
diverted or misused.
RUBBISH-A general term for solid waste—excluding
food waste and ashes—taken from residences,
commercial establishments, and institutions.
RUBBLE-Broken pieces of masonry and concrete.
RUNOFF-That portion of precipitation or irrigation
water that drains from an area as surface flow.
SALVAGE-The utilization of waste materials.
SALVAGING-The controlled removal of waste mate-
rials for utilization.
SAND-A course-grained soil, the greater portion of
which passes through a No. 4 sieve, according to
the Unified Soil Classification System.
SANDY LOAM-A soft, easily worked soil containing
0 to 20 percent clay, 0 to 50 percent silt, and 43
to 85 percent sand, according to the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture classification code.
SANITARY LANDFILL-A site where solid waste is
disposed using sanitary landfilling techniques.
SANITARY LANDFILLING-An engineered method
of disposing of solid waste on land in a manner
that protects the environment, by spreading the
waste in thin layers, compacting it to the smallest
practical volume, and covering it with soil by the
end of each working day.
SANITARY LANDFILLING METHOD
Area-A method in which the wastes are spread and
compacted on the surface of the ground and
cover material is spread and compacted over
them?
Quany-A variation of the area method in which
the wastes are spread and compacted in a
depression; cover material is generally obtained
elsewhere.
Ramp-Another variation of the area method in
which a cover material is obtained by excavat-
ing in front of the working face. A variation of
this method is known as the progressive slope
sanitary landfilling method.
Trench-A method in which the waste is spread and
compacted in a trench. The excavated spoil is
spread and compacted over the waste to form
the basic cell structure.
Wet Area-A method used in a swampy area where
precautions are taken to avoid water pollution
before proceeding with the area landfill tech-
nique.
SANITATION-The control of all the factors in man's
physical environment that exercise or can exercise
a deleterious effect on his physical development,
health, and survival.
SATELLITE VEHICLE-A small collection vehicle
that transfers its loads into a larger vehicle
operating in conjunction with it.
SILT • A fine-grain soil having liquid limits and
plasticity indexes that plot below the "A" line on
the Unified Soil Classification System plasticity
chart.
SCAVENGER-One who participates in the uncon-
trolled removal of materials at any point in the
solid waste stream.
SCOOTER-A three-wheeled satellite vehicle equipped
with a flatbed, dump box, or packer body.
SCRAP • Discarded or rejected material or parts of
material that result from manufacturing or fabri-
cating operations and are suitable for reprocessing.
Home-Scrap that never leaves the manufacturing
plant and is reprocessed there. Also known as
revert scrap.
Obsolete-Scrap that results when material becomes
worn or otherwise unusable for its original
purpose.
Prompt Industrial-Scrap that is left over from the
fabrication of iron and steel products.
SCREEN
Rotary-An inclined, meshed cylinder that rotates
on its axis and screens material placed in its
upper end.
Vibrating • An inclined screen that is vibrated
mechanically and screens material placed on it.
SCRUBBER See FLUE GAS SCRUBBER OR
WASHER.
SECATOR-A separating device that throws mixed
material onto a rotating shaft; heavy and resilient
materials bounce off one side of the shaft, while
light and inelastic materials land on the other and
are cast in the opposite direction.
SECONDARY MATERIAL-A material that is utilized
in place of a primary or raw material in manufac-
turing a product.
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SEEPAGE • Movement of water or gas through soil
without forming definite channels.
SEPARATION-The systematic division of solid waste
into designated categories.
SEPARATION CHAMBER See SETTLING CHAM-
BER.
SEPARATOR
Ballistic • A device that drops mixed materials
having different physical characteristics onto a
high-speed rotary impeller; they are hurled off
at different velocities and land in separate
collecting bins.
Inertial-A material separation device that relies on
ballistic or gravity separation of materials
having different physical characteristics.
Magnetic-Any device that removes ferrous metals
by means of magnets.
SERVICE SITE-A residential unit, commercial estab-
lishment, or other pick-up point that receives
periodic solid waste collection service.
SETTLEMENT-A gradual subsidence of material.
Differential'The nonuniform subsidence of mate-
rial from a fixed horizontal reference plane.
SETTLING CHAMBER-Any chamber designed to
reduce the velocity of the products of combustion
and thus to promote the settling of fly ash from
the gas stream. See BAFFLE CHAMBER.
SETTLING VELOCITY-The velocity at which a given
dust will fall out of dust-laden gas under the
influence of gravity only.
SEWAGE SLUDGE-A semiliquid substance consisting
of settled sewage solids combined with varying
amounts of water and dissolved materials.
SEWAGE TREATMENT RESIDUES'Coarse screen-
ings, grit, or sludge from waste water treatment
units.
SHALE-A soft rock formed of consolidated clay or
silt.
SHEAR SHREDDER-A size reduction machine that
cuts material between two large blades or between
a blade and a stationary edge.
SHREDDER-A machine that reduces discarded auto-
mobiles and other low-grade sheet and coated
metal in a continuous operation to fist-size pieces.
SIFTINGS-The fine materials that fall from a fuel bed
through its grate openings during incineration.
SILICA (SiO2)-The oxide of silicon, a major con-
stituent of fireclay refractories, alone or in chem-
ical combinations.
SILICON CARBIDE-A refractory material that has a
high melting point, is very dense, and resists
abrasion.
SILT-Mineral soil grains intermediate between clay
and sand (0.05 to 0.002 mm in diameter). Water-
borne sediment whose individual grains have diam-
eters approaching those of silt. Soil material that
contains at least 80 percent silt, less than 12
percent clay, and less than 20 percent sand.
SINTERING-A heat treatment that causes adjacent
particles of a material to cohere below a tempera-
ture that would cause them to melt.
SLAG • A mineral substance formed by chemical
action and fusion at furnace operating temper-
atures.
SLAGGING OF REFRACTORIES-Destructive chem-
ical action that forms slag on refractories subjected
to high temperatures. Also a molten or viscous
coating produced on refractories by ash particles.
SLOPE-The deviation of a surface from the horizon-
tal expressed as a percentage, by a ratio, or in
degrees.
SLOPS See SWILL.
SLOUGH-Wet or marshy area.
SLUDGE-A semi-liquid sediment.
SMOKE-An aerosol consisting of all the dispersible
particulates produced by the incomplete com-
bustion of carbonaceous materials entrained in
flue gas.
SMOKE ALARM-An instrument that continuously
measures and records the density of smoke by
determining how much light is obscured when a
beam is shown through the smoke; an alarm fitted
in a flue goes off when the smoke exceeds a preset
density.
SMOKE DENSITY-The amount of solid matter
contained in smoke; it is often measured by
systems that relate the grayness of the smoke to an
established standard.
SMOKE EYE-A device consisting of a light source
and a photoelectric cell that measures the degree
to which smoke in a flue gas obscures light.
SOIL-The unconsolidated natural surface material
present above bedrock; it is either residual in origin
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(formed by the in-place weathering of bedrock) or
has been transported by wind, water, or gravity.
SOIL COHESION-The mutual attraction exerted on
soil particles by molecular forces and moisture
films.
SOIL PLASTICITY-The property of a soil that allows
it to be deformed or molded in a moist condition
without cracking or falling apart.
SOLID WASTE • Useless, unwanted, or discarded
material with insufficient liquid content to be free
flowing. See also WASTE.
Agricultural-The solid waste that results from the
rearing and slaughtering of animals and the
processing of animal products and orchard and
field crops.
Commercial • Solid waste generated by stores,
offices and other activities that do not actually
turn out a product.
Industrial-Solid waste that results from industrial
processes and manufacturing.
Institutional • Solid wastes originating from educa-
tional, health care, and research facilities.
Municipal-Normally, residential and commercial
solid waste generated within a community.
Pesticide -The residue resulting from the manufac-
turing, handling, or use of chemicals for killing
plant and animal pests.
Residential-All solid waste that normally originates
in a residential environment. Sometimes called
domestic solid waste.
SOLID WASTE FILL See SANITARY LANDFILL.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT • The purposeful,
systematic control of the generation, storage,
collection, transport, separation, processing, recy-
cling, recovery', and disposal of solid wastes.
SOOT • Agglomerations of tar-impregnated carbon
particles that form when carbonaceous-material
does not undergo complete combustion.
SPALLING OF REFRACTORIES-The breaking or
crushing of a refractory unit due to thermal,
mechanical, or structural causes.
SPARK ARRESTER-A screen-like device that keeps
sparks, embers, 01 other ignited materials above a
given size within an incinerator.
SPOIL-Soil or rock that has been removed from its
original location.
SPOTTER-In truck use, the man who directs a driver
into a loading or unloading position.
SPRAY CHAMBER-A chamber equipped with water
sprays that cool and clean incinerator combustion
products passing through the chamber.
STACK-A vertical passage through which products of
combustion are conducted to the atmosphere.
STACK EFFECT-The vertical movement of hot gases
in a stack that results because they are hotter
(lighter) than the atmosphere.
STACK SAMPLING-The collecting of representative
samples of gaseous and particulate matter that
flows through a duct or stack.
STERILIZATION-The destruction, by chemical or
physical means, of a microorganism's ability to
reproduce; to render something barren.
STOICHIOMETRIC AIR See AIR, Theoretical.
STOKER-A mechanical device to feed solid fuel or
solid waste to a furnace.
Chain Grate-A stoker that has a moving chain as a
grate surface; the grate consists of links
mounted on rods to form a continuous surface
that is generally driven by a shaft with sprock-
ets.
Incinerator-A mechanically operable moving grate
arrangement for supporting, burning, and trans-
porting solid waste in a furnace and discharging
the residue.
Inertial Grate-A stoker consisting of a fixed bed of
plates that is carried on rollers and activated by
an electrically driven mechanism; it draws the
bed slowly back against a spring and then
releases it so that the entire bed moves forward
until stopped abruptly by another spring. The
inertia of the solid waste carries it a small
distance forward along the stoker surface, and
then the cycle is repeated.
Oscillating Grate • A stoker of which the entire
grate surface oscillates to move the solid waste
and residue over the grate surface.
Reciprocating Grate -A stoker consisting of a bed
of bars or plates arranged so that alternate
pieces, or rows of pieces, reciprocate slowly in a
horizontal sliding mode and act to push the
solid waste along the stoker surface.
Rocking Grate -A stoker consisting of a bed of bars
or plates on axles. When the axles are rocked in
a coordinated manner, the solid waste is lifted
and advanced along the surface of the grate.
Rotary Kiln • A cylindrical inclined device that
rotates, thus causing the solid waste to move in
a -iow cascading and forward motion.
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Traveling Grate • A stoker that is essentially a
moving chain belt carried on sprockets and
covered with separated small metal pieces called
keys. The entire top surface can act as a grate
while moving through the furnace but can flex
over the sprocket wheels at the end of the
furnace, return under the furnace, and reenter
the furnace over sprocket wheels at the front.
STORAGE-The interim containment of solid waste,
in an approved manner, after generation and prior
to ultimate disposal.
STORAGE PIT-A pit in which solid waste is held
prior to processing.
STREET REFUSE-Material picked up when streets
and sidewalks are swept manually and mechani-
cally.
SUBSIDENCE-Settling or sinking of the land surface
due to many factors such as the decomposition of
organic material, consolidation, drainage, and
underground failures.
SUBSOIL-That part of the soil beneath the topsoil;
usually does not have an appreciable organic
matter content.
SULFUR OXIDES (S0«)-Compounds of sulfur com-
bined with oxygen that have a significant influence
on air pollution.
SURFACE COMPACTION-Increasing the dry density
of surface soil by applying a dynamic load.
SURFACE CRACKING-Discontinuities that develop
in the cover material at a sanitary landfill due to
the surface drying or settlement of the solid waste.
(These discontinuities may result in the exposure
of solid waste, entrance or egress of vectors, intru-
sion of water, and venting of decomposition gases.)
SURFACE DUMP See DUMP.
SWILL-Semiliquid waste material consisting of food
scraps and free liquids.
TAILINGS-Second grade or waste material derived
when raw material is screened or processed.
TEEPEE BURNER See BURNER, Conical.
TEMPERING AIR See AIR, Cooling.
TERMINAL VELOCITY See SETTLING VELOCI-
TY.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY • The specific rate of
heat flow per hour through refractories or other
substance expressed in Btu per sq ft of area, for a
temperature difference of one degree Fahrenheit,
and for a thickness of one inch expressed as Btu
per sq ft per hour in degrees Fahrenheit and
inches.
THERMAL EFFICIENCY-The ratio of heat used to
total heat generated.
THERMAL SHOCK RESISTANCE-The ability of a
material to withstand sudden heating or cooling or
both without cracking or spalling.
THERMOCOUPLE-Two lengths of wire, made from
different kinds of homogeneous metals, that are
connected to form a complete electric circuit; they
develop an electromotive force when one junction
is at a different temperature than the other.
TIDAL MARSH-Low flat marshlands traversed by
interlaced channels and tidal sloughs and subject
to tidal inundation; normally, the only vegetation
present is salt-tolerant bushes and grasses.
TIPPING FLOOR-Unloading area for vehicles that are
delivering solid waste to an incinerator or other
processing plant.
TOE-The bottom of the working face at a sanitary
landfill.
TOPSOIL'The topmost layer of soil; usually refers to
soil that contains humus and is capable of sup-
porting good plant growth.
TOPOGRAPHIC MAP-A map indicating surface
elevations and slopes.
TOTAL COST BIDDING-A method of establishing
the purchase price of movable equipment; the
buyer is guaranteed that maintenance will not
exceed a set maximum amount during a fixed
period and that the equipment will be repurchased
at a set minimum price when the period ends.
TOTE BARREL See CONTAINER, Carrying.
TRANSFER STATION -A site at which solid waste is
concentrated and then taken to a processing
facility or sanitary landfill.
TRANSPORT • The movement of solid waste sub-
sequent to collection.
TRASH See RUBBISH.
TROMMEL See SCREEN, Rotary.
TUYERES • Openings or ports in a grate through
which air can be directed to improve combustion.
UNDERFIRE AIR-Any forced or induced air, under
control as to quantity and direction, that is
supplied beneath a grate and passes through a fuel
bed.
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UNLOADING BULKHEAD-A steel plate that ejects
waste out the rear doors of an enclosed transfer
trailer. It is propelled by a telescoping, hydrauli-
cally powered cylinder that traverses the length of
the trailer.
UTILITY (PRIVATE)-A private business that col-
lects, processes, and disposes of solid waste
under a government license or monopoly fran-
chise.
VAPOR PLUME-Flue gas that is visible when it
emerges from a stack because it contains con-
densed water droplets or mist.
VECTOR
Disease Vector • A carrier, usually an arthropod,
that is capable of transmitting a pathogen from
one organism to another.
VITRIFICATION-A process whereby high temper-
atures effect permanent chemical and physical
changes in a ceramic body, most of which is
transformed into glass.
VOLATILE MATTER-The material lost from a dry
solid waste sample that is heated until it is red in a
closed crucible.
VOLATILE SOLIDS-The material lost from a dry
solid waste sample that is heated until it is red in
an open crucible in a ventilated furnace. The
weight of the volatile solids is equal to that of the
volatile matter plus that of the fixed carbon.
WALL
Air Cooled • A refractory wall that has a lane
directly behind it through which cool air flows.
Battery-A double or common wall between two
incinerator combustion chambers; both faces
are exposed to heat.
Bridge-A partition between chambers over which
pass the products of combustion.
Core-In a battery wall, those center courses of
brick, none of which are exposed on either side.
Curtain-A refractory construction or baffle that
deflects combustion gases downward.
Insulated • A furnace wall on which refractory
material is installed over insulation.
Refractory-A wall made of heat resistant material.
Sectionally-Supported • A furnace or boiler wall
which consists of special refractory blocks or
shapes that are mounted on and supported at
intervals of height by metallic hangers.
Unit Suspended-A furnace wall or panel that is
hung from a steel structure.
Water-Cooled-A furnace wall composed of boiler
tubes.
WASTE See also SOLID WASTE.
Bulky Waste-Items whose large size precludes or
complicates their handling by normal collec-
tion, processing, or disposal methods.
Construction and Demolition Waste-Building mate-
rials and rubble resulting from construction,
remodeling, repair, and demolition operations.
Hazardous Waste-Those wastes that require special
handling to avoid illness or injury to persons or
damage to property.
Wood Pulp Waste-Wood or paper fiber residue
resulting from a manufacturing process.
Special Waste-Those wastes that require extraor-
dinary management.
Yard Waste-Plant clippings, prunings, and other
discarded material from yards and gardens. Also
known as yard rubbish.
WASTE PROCESSING-An operation such as shred-
ding, compaction, composting, and incineration, in
which the physical or chemical properties of
wastes are changed.
WASTE SOURCES • Agricultural, residential, com-
mercial, industrial activities that generate wastes.
WATERSHED-Total land area above a given point on
a stream or waterway that contributes runoff to
that point.
WATER TABLE-The upper limit of the part of the
soil or underlying rock material that is wholly
saturated with water.
Perched Water-A water table, usually of limited
area, maintained above the normal free-water
elevation by the presence of an intervening,
relatively impervious stratum.
WET DIGESTION-A solid waste stabilization process
in which mixed solid organic wastes are placed in
an open digestion pond to decompose anaer-
obically.
WET LINE KIT-A system used in conjunction with
an enclosed transfer trailer to power its unloading
bulkhead. The bulkhead's hydraulic pump is
driven by a power-take-off unit on the semi-
tractor's transmission.
WET MILLING-The mechanical size reduction of
solid wastes that have been wetted to soften the
paper and cardboard constituents.
WET PULPING See WET MILLING.
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WETTING AGENT-A chemical that reduces the
surface tension of water and enables it to soak into
porous material more readily.
WHITE GOODS-Discarded kitchen and other large,
enameled appliances.
WINDBOX • A chamber below a furnace grate or
surrounding a burner, through which air is sup-
plied under pressure to burn the fuel.
WORKING FACE-That portion of a sanitary landfill
where waste is discharged by collection trucks and
is compacted prior to placement of cover material.
YARD TRACTOR-A small semi-tractor used exclu-
sively for maneuvering transfer trailers into and
out of loading position.
ZONE OF AERATION-The area above a water table
where the interstices (pores) are not completely
filled with water.
ZONE OF CAPILLARITY-The area above a water
table where some or all of the interstices (pores)
are filled with water that is held by capillarity. See
CAPILLARY WATER.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. 1.1.A. incinerator standards. New York, Incinerator Institute of America, May 1966. 31 p.
2. BUSINESS & DEFENSE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. Iron & steel scrap consumption
problems. Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, Mar. 1966. 52 p.
3. SCHWARTZ, D. Lexicon of incinerator terminology.//? Proceedings; 1964 National Incinerator
Conference, New York, May 18-20, 1964. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, p.
20-31.
4. Elements of solid waste management. [Training course manual in solid wastes.) [Cincinnati], U.S.
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Sept. 1968. [ 140 p.] [Restricted distribution.]
5. AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION. Municipal refuse disposal. 3d ed. Chicago,
Public Administration Service, 1970. 538 p.
6. USA standard for domestic gas-fired incinerators. New York, American Gas Association, 1967. 32
P-
7. HANKS, T.G. Solid waste/disease relationships, a literature survey. Public Health Service
Publication No. 999-UIH-6. Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967. 179 p.
8. Glossary of boiler and electric utility terms; lexicon of American Boiler Manufacturers
Association. In G.R. Fryling, ed. Combustion engineering. Rev. ed. New York, Combustion
Engineering, Inc., 1967. p. Bl-36.
9. Glossary of soil and water terms. Special Publication SP-04-67. St. Joseph, Michigan, American
Society of Agricultural Engineers, Jan. 1967. 61 p.
10. Committee report-glossary of soil science terms. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings;
29(3):330-351, May-June, 1965.
11. NATIONAL AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION. Unpublished Glossary, 1969.
12. Terminology of forest service technology practice and products. Washington, Society of American
Foresters, 1971. 349 p.
13. Proceedings, 1964 National Incinerator Conference, New York, May 18-20, 1964. American
Society of Mechanical Engineers. 180 p.
yo661
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