Selected studies on the compaction of waste newsprint

This thesis presents the results of laboratory testing on the compaction of six inch pieces of newsprint. The paper was randomly deposited in a cylinder and compacted with a pressure of 4,850 psi. Water, plastic, and glass were added to simulate conditions encountered in the compaction of refuse. The optimum moisture content varied according to the pressures applied and was dependent on the degree of lubrication, surface tension, and hydrogen bonding present. The addition of plastic resulted in two distinctively different curves dependent on its distribution in the sample. The plastic ruptured causing dramatic increases in compaction. Glass acted by restricting the movement of the paper. To investigate the concept of improved lubrication, graphite was added. This resulted in the maximum density achieved during testing. The interior grain structure and the post-expansion of the samples were also investigated after compaction. This revealed that shearing of the paper had occurred under high contents, that the water had moved to the outside of the sample during compaction, and that the ten percent moisture samples had the least post-expansion. In addition, the density of the paper decreased away from the center of the sample emphasizing the importance of proper loading procedures.