title: Integrating particle physical geometry into composting degradation kinetics.
abstract: The study was carried out to integrate physical geometry of compost particle with degradation kinetics to model biological reactions, which revealing additional dynamic approaches. A sphere and its circumscribing cube were used to represent compost particles. An inner sphere, representing anaerobic zone, was introduced to describe variations of substrate volume without sufficient oxygen supply. Degradation of soluble substrates and hydrolysis of insoluble substrates were associated with the particle geometry. Transportation of soluble substrates produced from hydrolysis was expressed using Fick's law. Through the integration of degradation kinetics with geometry models, degradation models could describe varying volume of composting materials involving aerobic or anaerobic digestion and transportation of soluble substrates in a unit compost particle.
authors.affiliation: Huazhong Agricultural University, College of Engineering, 1 Shi-zi-shan Street, 430070 Wuhan, China. Electronic address: wangyongjiang@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yongjiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Huazhong Agricultural University, College of Engineering, 1 Shi-zi-shan Street, 430070 Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ai
mesh_terms: D004058:Diffusion; D004867:Equipment Design; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012987:Soil; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Composting; Kinetics; Particle geometry; Solubility