Method for heat enhanced reductive bioremediation
AssigneeTersus Environmental LLC
InventorsGary M. Birk, David F. Alden, John Sankey, Guilherme Mascalchi de Figueiredo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for treating an environmental medium is disclosed. A heat source with a heat exchanger is provided aboveground in proximity to the environmental medium to be treated. A mixture is heated to a temperature below a boiling point of the mixture. The mixture consists of a vegetable oil, an emulsifier, and water. The heated mixture and an alkaline compound catalyst are introduced into the contaminated environmental medium. The alkaline compound is potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The alkaline compound is dissolved in an alcohol in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 5% of the alkaline compound to form an alkyl oxide solution.
Claims20
A method for treating an environmental medium, the method comprising:
- heating a mixture aboveground with a heat source to a temperature below a boiling point of the mixture, wherein the mixture is heated to a temperature of about 90° C., wherein the mixture comprises a vegetable oil, an emulsifier, and water;
- and
- injecting the mixture into the environmental medium at a flow rate of at least 150 m3/d to produce an injection event having an area of at least 75 m3, wherein the injection event area has a temperature of greater than 30° C. for at least 10 days without additional heating;
- and
- introducing an alkaline compound catalyst into the environmental medium, wherein the alkaline compound catalyst comprises from 0.1 to 5 wt. %, relative to the total weight of the catalyst, of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or a mixture thereof, and an alcohol.
A method for treating an environmental medium, the method comprising:
- heating a mixture aboveground with a heat source to a temperature below a boiling point of the mixture, wherein the mixture is heated to a temperature of about 90° C., wherein the mixture comprises a vegetable oil, an emulsifier, and water;
- injecting the mixture into the environmental medium at a flow rate of at least 150 m3/d and in an amount to replace 25% to 100% of a total pore volume (Vpore) of the environmental medium with the mixture, the total pore volume being calculated according to the following equation:
- Vpore=Treatment Area×Treatment Thickness×Porosity;
- wherein the injection event area has a temperature of greater than 30° C. for at least 10 days without additional heating;
- and
- introducing an alkaline compound catalyst into the environmental medium, wherein the alkaline compound catalyst comprises from 0.1 to 5 wt. %, relative to the total weight of the catalyst of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or a mixture thereof, and an alcohol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.