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US 4,376,598 AGranted
In-situ vitrification of soil
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsRichard A. Brouns, James L. Buelt, William F. Bonner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of vitrifying soil at or below a soil surface location. Two or more conductive electrodes are inserted into the soil for heating of the soil mass between them to a temperature above its melting temperature. Materials in the soil, such as buried waste, can thereby be effectively immobilized.
Claims15
A method for in-situ vitrification of soil, comprising the following steps:
- inserting at least one pair of electrodes into the soil at spaced positions from one another;
- providing an initial electrically conductive resistance path in the soil across the electrodes;
- passing electrical current through the electrically conductive resistance path by application of current to the electrodes to heat the soil about the path to its melting temperature, thereby establishing a current-carrying pathway through the molten soil between the electrodes;
- continuing application of current to the electrodes until the soil between them and immediately adjacent to them has been melted;
- and
- terminating application of current to the electrodes to permit cooling and solidification of the melted soil into a solid mass.
3 more elements
A method for in-situ vitrification of buried waste material surrounded by soil at a waste disposal site, comprising the following steps:
- inserting at least one pair of electrodes into the soil at spaced positions spanning at least a portion of the buried waste material;
- providing an initial electrically conductive resistance path in the soil across the electrodes at an elevation above the waste material;
- passing electrical current through the electrically conductive resistance path by application of current to the electrodes to heat the soil about the path to its melting temperature thereby establishing a current-carrying pathway through the molten soil between the electrodes;
- continuing application of current to the electrodes until the soil between and immediately adjacent to them has been melted;
- and
- terminating application of current to the electrodes to permit cooling and solidification of the soil and any remaining waste materials between the electrode positions into a solid mass.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.