Frequently Asked Questions

The values of the equipment can be requested through our email: contato@solumambiental.com.br

The different equipment models have a processing capacity of 2 tons/day to 400tons/day. For more than 36 tons/day, we can connect the power generation modules.

The payment can be divided in three installments: 40% upon the signature of the contract, 30% upon the assembly, and 30% when the equipment is installed in the place requested.

The equipment can be financed by any financial institution and by the BNDES, both by the BNDES card and by the FINAME FCC. For more information, see the link below and, on “Pesquisa por Produtos”, Field “Name”, search for VORAX: http://www.bndes.gov.br/SiteBNDES/bndes/bndes_pt/Galerias/Convivencia/Credenciamento_de_Equipamento/conteudo.html

The whole equipment consists of: thermal unit for waste treatment, waste feeding unit, by-product collection unit, gases treatment unit, and chimney.

The equipment shipping will be quoted separately and it can be added to the total value of the contract.

The shipping depends on the equipment installation place and its capacity. For shipping to São Paulo State, the delivery time can be of up to 5 days for a piece of equipment of 5 tons/day.

One-year warranty for any type of problem, repair, or correction. After this period, replacement of parts and components will be quoted separately.

It is possible to hire insurance for the equipment, such as insurance against electrical breakdown and fire.

It is estimated that, if all the maintenances are up-to-date and if the equipment is correctly used, its lifetime is more than 25 years.

We have an adhesion contract valid for the whole country. For other countries, we have a distributor contract.

In Brazil, there is no exclusivity for the area of operation. The exclusivity is given to the client who is already negotiating with us.

In São José dos Campos - SP, we have a 2-ton/day piece of equipment for tests and evaluations. There is also a 5-ton/day one to be delivered to a pharmaceutical multinational company.

We have a 5-ton/day piece of equipment to be delivered to a pharmaceutical multinational company.

If authorized by Solum, it can be negotiated anywhere in the world.

The minimum time period to manufacture one piece of equipment is 8 months, and it can be extended to 10 months, if necessary to develop any special functionality.

The maintenances occur every month and their cost is 2% over the value of the equipment per year. All the maintenances are under responsibility of the Solum Ambiental technicians.

The implementation and installation costs involve transport, food, and accommodation for the whole assembly team, are quoted separately, and then added to the contract. These costs depend on the installation place and equipment capacity

Presentation, catalog, folder, contracts, environmental licenses, gaseous effluents analyses, environmental licensing guide, and solid by-product analysis. Request through e-mail contato@solumambiental.com.br.

The DuoTherm technology allows the processing of any type of waste without the need of separating them. At the end of the process, they are liquefied due to the high temperature and recovered at the bottom of the reactor in a solid form. Inside the reactor, two independent thermal sources produce heat of 1,000°C to 1,300°C in the first source and 1,400°C to 1,600°C in the second source, the latter being fed by electrical power, with gases residence time of around 3 to 6 seconds. The wastes, which are exposed to a temperature gradient inside Vorax, are disintegrated into elements (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen) or simple compounds (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water vapor). A good part of this material melts, forming a liquid phase that goes to the bottom of the reactor and is recovered by a water stream, in solid state, forming a ceramic matrix. Heavy metals such as cadmium are added to the crystalline material of this matrix. Metallic material such as iron forms a second matrix, steely, with more density than the ceramic matrix and separated from it. The gaseous effluent then goes to a full gas-cleaning system composed of dry wash and filters. Every by-product of the process is collected by the collection system and sent to their destination.

The feeding is automatic. After the waste is transported to the feeder, there is no need of manual contact for the process to continue.

DuoTherm is the first Brazilian green patent and it is also patented in more than 41 countries, such as The United States, China, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, etc.

It was designed to operate 24/7 without any problem. This is the operation standard condition.

No. The feeding of the equipment is designed in accordance with the company operation. The feeding is the most important process in the waste treatment process, and must be aligned with the client’s routine.

Sensors, valves, joints, and pumps are some components that can be replaced during the maintenances.

The equipment can identify and show, in the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) operation, all the temperatures, pressures, outflows, and levels.

The operator accesses the data through a touch screen installed in the equipment, called Human-Machine Interface (HMI), which is an application that facilitates the communication between the operator and the equipment and makes it become more effective.

The maintenance plan including all the spare parts and the equipment shutdown routine is delivered together with the equipment manual during the implementation period and covers predictive, preventive, and - when necessary - corrective maintenances.

Yes. Our technology allows feeding and treating liquid wastes.

We have seen that, with crushed waste, we have a gain of efficiency in the waste treatment, as there is an increase in the contact area of the waste with the heat, reducing the melting time and maximizing the performance. We currently work with wastes crushed in 5 cm².

From 36 tons/day on, it is possible to generate up to 1 mW/h of energy. Smaller equipment has not been efficient in this type of generation.

Less than 85 dB.

It is possible to treat any type of waste, except for explosive and radioactive wastes, and wastes with melting point of more than 1,500°C.

It is possible to treat any type of waste, except for explosive and radioactive wastes, and wastes with melting point of more than 1,500°C.

About 600 kWh/ton

There is a mass reduction of 10:1 and a volume reduction of 100:1 to 250:1.

They can be of two types:

Ceramic matrix with the same characteristics of the gravel, or

Iron matrix.

Classified as:

Class II A - Not dangerous - Nor inert, or

Class II B - Not dangerous - Inert

Technically, it is possible to manufacture a mobile unit. However, the environmental laws do not allow this mobile process to be licensed. For mobile units, the treatment capacity is reduced.

The equipment does not generate ashes, but only ceramic or iron matrices, which are not dangerous or inert.

It is not necessary to separate the wastes. The equipment processes any type of waste without the need of separation.

It is possible to install a gaseous-effluents monitor through a probe installed in the chimney. The monitor reads and shows the gaseous levels of the operation. This monitor can be quoted separately and integrated into the equipment.

Solum will make available all the documents to add to the environmental licensing. The environmental licensing is under the client’s responsibility, from the beginning of the process until the license is issued. The competent body analyzes the process used for the treatment, the product to be processed, and the place of the processing.

The 2-ton/day equipment is licensed by CETESB (Environmental Company of São Paulo State) in São José dos Campos - SP for local operation.

Yes. All the gases generated in the process are within the legal limits, in accordance with CONAMA (National Environmental Board).

To neutralize the toxic gases, the machine is equipped with a dry washer (not using water) with German technology. To retain the particulate material, the system has bag filters - also German - and, at the end of the process, the gases are released to the atmosphere in the form of fully non-toxic vapor.

The Solum equipment is licensed, which proves that the process can be licensed. Solum undertakes responsibility for following the process and sharing all the information and technical documentation to contribute and collaborate with the environmental licensing, from the beginning until the end of the process. If necessary, we can attend the meetings in person to make decisions with the competent body. Solum licensing process is available and can be accessed whenever requested.

Available for consultations are documents such as process technical specification, equipment specification, environmental licenses, gaseous-effluents analyses, by-products analyses, and the environmental licensing manual.

We work with a consultancy team specialized in environmental questions that is conducting our environmental licensing processes and technical issues. If necessary, we can hire this team separately.

The by-products, after drastically reduced, can be taken to common landfills or, if they are still inert, they can be used in seedbeds or gardens.

The carbon monoxide and the dioxins and furans are basically neutralized during the combustion and post-combustion processes inside the reactor thermal unit. Using air injection and quench techniques, we can drastically lower the levels of these gases after they are formed.

They can be used as aggregate in construction industry products, such as bricks, blocks, asphalt loads, loads for leveling.

We suggest having 2 operators per shift, one responsible for monitoring the waste feeding and by-products collection and the other responsible for monitoring the wastes treatment and the gases neutralization.

For the equipment operation, it is necessary to have natural gas, compressed air, water, and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).

Leveled indoor floor, 380v electric power, lighting, electrical grounding, and points of use of natural gas, compressed air, and water.

The area depends on the equipment capacity. For a shed that is exclusive for the operation of a 2-ton/day piece of equipment, we estimate a total area of 600m².

Mechanic or mechatronics technician, boiler operators, industrial machines operators.

The maintenance plan including all the spare parts and the equipment shutdown routine is delivered together with the equipment manual during the implementation period and covers predictive, preventive, and - when necessary - corrective maintenances.

The training is included for all the technicians and equipment operators. It is divided into theoretical and practical contents, with 2 modules of 7 hours each. The training is split in 2 days.

The equipment-operation services can be quoted separately. Solum can provide a qualified technical team to operate the equipment during the requested period.

Yes. For equipment with a maximum of 10 tons/day, we suggest to keep it in an indoor area with lighting and leveled floor.

Yes. The operation, maintenance and failure manuals will be delivered during the equipment implementation.

No special PPE is necessary. Boots, gloves, glasses, earplugs, mufflers, standard PPE for the operation.