Drying and Recycling of Primary Sludge from Champion International Corporation's Non-integrated Paper Mill in Hamilton, Ohio, 1993 Environmental Conference Proceedings

The previous success of the Champion International Corporation’s Hamilton Mill in recycling its primary sludge into Portland Cement has been improved to include sludge drying. The primary sludge has a high inorganic content, providing a suitable substitute for a portion of the clay and limestone used as raw materials in the Portland Cement industry. The primary wastewater treatment sludge from this non-integrated paper mill is dried from a nominal 50% solids to approximately 85% solids in a rotary dryer before shipment for recycle. The dryer is a triple pass model that has been used to dry many materials including bark, grains, and sludge. The dried sludge is easier to store and handle for the Portland Cement plant. Cost savings are realized by not shipping the additional thirty-five (35) percent water content of the screw pressed sludge. An additional market for the material is also being developed. This dried material is now being substituted for up to twenty-five (25) percent of the furnish of one (1) ply of a multi-ply paperboard machine. Our waste stream once again has become another facility’s raw material.