Valorization Of By-products From The Olive Oil Extraction: ‎evolution Of Chemical And Spectroscopic Characteristics ‎during Composting

Compost plays a central role in organic soil fertility. Composting ‎is considered a viable solution for olive mill waste. The objective ‎of this work was to study the composting of olive pomace in order ‎to obtain reusable compost in organic farming. Four different ‎windrows were prepared by mixing olive pomace with different ‎agro-industrial by-products, which were used either as building ‎agents or as N sources. The main process parameters ‎‎(temperature, pH, organic carbon) were monitored over four ‎months to ascertain the maturity of the compost. Fonctionnel ‎groups of compost were investigated with FT-IR spectroscopy. All ‎windrows reached temperatures of 60°C indicating good ‎sanitation composts The initial acidic pH of 5.53 to 6.13 reached ‎adequate pH values of 6.6 to 8 after 120 days. The decrease in ‎carbon content is lower than expected because high content of ‎lignin in initial compounds. IF spectra windrows presented ‎strong similarities. The massif around 3440 cm -1 and pic of 2924 ‎cm-1disappears after 120 days. It would be a degradation of ‎holocellulose.‎