# US 12,005,486 B2 · Method to remediate contaminated soil

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- Number: US 12,005,486 B2
- Document ID: US12005486B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/574,883
- Filed: 2022-01-13
- Published: 2023-07-13
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-01-13
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Omer Refa Koseoglu; Robert Peter Hodgkins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005486B2

## CPC

- B09C 1/02: Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching {, flotation}
- B09C 1/08: chemically
- B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00)

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods of remediating contaminated soil. The methods may include mixing an oxidant, a catalyst, and optionally a phase transfer agent to form an oxidant mixture, applying the oxidant mixture onto the contaminated soil, washing the contaminated soil with a washing solution, inserting vacuum pipes into the contaminated soil, and vacuuming the contaminated soil to remove at least one of the oxidation mixture, contaminants, or oxidation products.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for treating soil contaminated with sulfides and disulfides, the method comprising:
analyzing the soil contaminated with sulfides and disulfides to determine the sulfide and disulfide concentrations;
determining an oxidant concentration present in an oxidant mixture based on the sulfide and disulfide concentrations;
mixing the determined amount of oxidant, and a catalyst to form the oxidant mixture;
applying the oxidant mixture onto the contaminated soil;
washing the contaminated soil with a washing solution;
inserting vacuum pipes into the contaminated soil; and
vacuuming the contaminated soil to remove at least one of the oxidant mixture, contaminants, or oxidation products, thereby treating the contaminated soil.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring the oxidant mixture into a disperser before applying the oxidant mixture onto the contaminated soil.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the washing solution comprises water.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidant comprises a peroxide, a peroxy acid, oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the peroxide comprises an alkyl hydroperoxide, an aryl hydroperoxide, a dialkyl peroxide, a diaryl peroxide, a perester, hydrogen peroxide, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein:
the peroxide has a general structure according to Formula I; and
R1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an alkylenearyl group, and R2 hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an alkylenearyl group, and where R1 and R2 are the same or different.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein:
the perester has the general structure according to Formula II; and
where R1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an alkylenearyl group, and R2 hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an alkylenearyl group, and where R1 and R2 are the same or different.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the oxidant comprises an organic hydroperoxide, an organic peroxide, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a transition metal catalyst.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the transition metal catalyst comprises an active species comprising Mo (VI), W (VI), V (V), Ti (IV), or combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the mixing step further comprises mixing a phase transfer agent with the oxidant and the catalyst to form the oxidant mixture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the phase transfer agent comprises formic acid, acetic acid, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the disulfides comprises disulfide oil.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the catalyst is added in a quantity of about 0.005 weight percent to about 1 weight percent based on the combined weight of the sulfides and disulfides.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the soil further comprises sulfoxides and sulfones.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the disulfides comprise oxidized disulfides comprising at least one oxygen atom.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein a ratio of moles of oxidant to moles of molecular sulfur ranges from 1.5:1 to 10:1.

### Claim 18

A method for treating soil contaminated with sulfides and disulfides, the method comprising:
analyzing the soil contaminated with sulfides and disulfides to determine the sulfide and disulfide concentrations;
determining an oxidant concentration present in an oxidant mixture based on the sulfide and disulfide concentrations;
mixing the determined amount of oxidant, a catalyst, and optionally a phase transfer agent to form an oxidant mixture;
transferring the oxidant mixture into a disperser;
applying the oxidant mixture onto the contaminated soil;
washing the contaminated soil with water;
inserting vacuum pipes into the contaminated soil; and
vacuuming the contaminated soil to remove at least one of the oxidant mixture, contaminants, or oxidation products, thereby treating the contaminated soil.