• Invertebrates
• Microbes
• Chemistry
• Physics

• Introduction
• Moisture Content
• C/N Ratio
  • Bioavailability of Carbon & Nitrogen
    • Use of fertilizer nitrogen to balance C/N ratio
    • Lignin effects on bioavailability
      • Lignin Table
    • Effect of particle size on bioavailability
  • Estimating carbon content
• Simultaneous Solution of Moisture & C/N Equations
• Download Excel Spreadsheets with compost mixture calculations for up to four ingredients (Mac and PC)

• Ideas for Student Research Projects
• Monitoring the Compost Process
  • Moisture
  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Odor
  • Invertebrates
  • Microbes

• Composting Process Analysis:
  • Calculating VS and moisture losses
  • Oxygen transport
    • Oxygen diffusion
      • Calculating the oxygen diffusion coefficient in air
      • Calculating the oxygen diffusion coefficient in water
    • Capillary theory and matric potential
• Odor Management
  • Ammonia odors
  • Factors leading to anaerobic conditions
    • Excess moisture
    • Inadequate porosity
    • Rapidly degrading substrate
    • Excessive pile size
  • Odor treatment - Biofiltration
• Water Quality Protection

  ---

  top

Cornell Composting	Science & Engineering	Composting in Schools	Resources

Cornell Waste Management Institute © 1996
Dept of Crop and Soil Sciences
101 Rice Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-5601
607-255-1187 
cwmi@cornell.edu