Article: http://www.gizmag.com/pig-manure-asphalt/44110/

1-Sustainability Problem

Asphalt, also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. And petroleum is not sustainable product so for bio alternative researchers from North Carolina A&T State University have developed a process that uses pig manure as a low-cost replacement for petroleum in the production of road asphalt.

2-Technology Article Summary

In searching for bio alternatives, A&T State University researchers discovered that swine waste is especially rich in oils very similar to petroleum, at a grade too low to make gasoline but suited for asphalt.

With the funding from the National Science Foundation, the group developed a process that turns the waste into a black crude and it is much cheaper and greener than black crude.

It is without odor and is already started testing to see how would it be in real life including a simulation of truck traffic making 20,000 passes over it. The tests have so far been successful, passing Department of Transportation specifications, which led the group to form the company Bio-Adhesives to scale up their research.

Besides it is a win-win solution either for farmers and construction industry Asphalt made from pig manure could alleviate what’s become a huge environmental issue – effluence from factory farm feedlots – especially in large swine-producing states like North Carolina.

3-Stakeholders

Tax payers, Farmers, Construction Industry,

4-Deployment

As it already passed tests and Department of transportation specifications, Deployment could be start from North Caroline first as pilot region as it is a large swine-producing state and later could spread.