Frequently Asked Questions

It is an enclosed, slowly rotating drum that composts organic waste under controlled conditions. The XACT BioReactor turns continuously while material moves from the infeed end to the discharge end, passing through three temperature zones. Composting inside a vessel controls odour, leachate, temperature and airflow in ways an open windrow cannot.

Material spends 4 to 7 days in the drum. It then cures for 2 to 4 weeks before use or sale. Exact timing depends on the feedstock and the finished product you need.

The core of the drum holds thermophilic temperatures of 140 to 158°F (60 to 70°C). Sustained heat in that range destroys pathogens and weed seeds.

Poultry litter, chicken manure, dairy and livestock manure, horse manure and bedding, biosolids, food waste, green and yard waste, and mixed municipal organics. Wet feedstocks are blended with carbon-rich material such as shavings, sawdust or cardboard to balance moisture and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.

Composting happens inside a closed drum. A negative ventilation fan draws air in at the infeed end and out at the discharge end, so process air leaves in a controlled stream instead of drifting off an open pile.

The material stays inside the vessel during processing, so liquid is not running off an exposed pile into soil or drainage.

Far less than windrow composting. The system sits on a fixed pad with a mixer, infeed conveyor, drum and discharge auger in a straight line, with no windrow acreage and no turning equipment.

Drums range from 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) in diameter and from 10 to 60 feet (3 to 18 m) long. The BioReactor line includes Models 510, 630, 740 and 1060, and the Model 1060 is 10 ft × 60 ft. Larger volumes run several units side by side.

Capacity depends on the feedstock, its moisture and the model. Send us your material types and daily volume, and we will size a system for your site.

It depends on the model, the number of units and the site. Ask for a pro forma and we will send a sized system with capital and operating costs and a projected compost yield.

About 4 hours with proper lifting equipment. Each BioReactor is run and tested at the factory before it ships. On site, the frame and ends are bolted in place, the drum is craned onto the frame, and the ends are closed up.

The drum turns on four friction drives. If one stops, the other three keep it rotating, so processing continues while the drive is serviced.

A complete Model 1060 system has 38.7 hp of installed power across the 25 hp mixer, the four 2 hp drum drives, the conveyors, the discharge screw and the ventilation fan. Smaller models need less.

Installations include County Wide Refuse in Moline, Kansas; HiPoint AG; a municipal organic waste facility in Goa, India; a resort hotel in Cancún, Mexico; and Marshall University in West Virginia.

XACT BioReactors are designed and built by Xact Systems Inc. in Ontario, Canada.