Extraction method and apparatus for cleaning contaminated soil

Apparatus for cleaning contaminated soil, comprising comminuting means for comminuting contaminant containing soil to form a comminuted contaminated soil;

• a countercurrent extractor connected to said comminuting means so as to receive said comminuted contaminated soil and to receive a solvent to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-containing solvent portion;
• filter means including a moving filter medium and having feeder means for dispensing said decontaminated soil to said moving filter medium, said feeder means being connected to said countercurrent extractor to receive said decontaminated soil, and means for washing said dispensed decontaminated soil to form a wash liquid;
• means for supplying a conveying liquid to said countercurrent extractor so as to convey the decontaminated soil with said conveying liquid to said filter means;
• a first distillation means connected to the countercurrent extractor so as to receive the contaminant-containing solvent portion;
• a second distillation means;
• and an exhaust gas wash column;
• and wherein said second distillation means is connected to said filter means to receive said wash liquid from said filter means and said exhaust gas wash column is connected to said countercurrent extractor and to said filter means so as to receive exhaust gases generated in said countercurrent extractor and said filter means.

Apparatus for cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said apparatus comprising:

• a) means for comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) means for filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) means for feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) means for supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor via a feeder means to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• e) means for separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid;
• means for washing exhaust gases formed in said feeder means, said countercurrent extractor and said filter means and means for feeding said exhaust gases to said means for washing said exhaust gases.

Method of cleaning contaminated soil, comprising the steps of:

• a) comminuting contaminant-containing soil to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) extracting said comminuted contaminated soil with a solvent in a countercurrent extractor to which said comminuted contaminated soil and said solvent are fed to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• c) feeding said decontaminated soil to a filter means including a moving filter medium;
• d) filtering said decontaminated soil on said filter means with said moving filter medium;
• e) separating said contaminant-charged solvent portion from said countercurrent extractor in a distillation column into a contaminant extract and a reusable solvent portion;
• f) separating a mixture of a separately added hydrocarbon fraction and said contaminant extract in a liquid-liquid extraction device into a lighter phase containing contaminants, said hydrocarbon fraction and a residual amount of said solvent, and a heavier phase containing water and another portion of said solvent;
• and
• g) feeding exhaust gases formed in said comminuting step a), said extracting step b) and said feeding step c) into an exhaust gas wash device and washing said exhaust gases in said exhaust gas wash device.

Method of cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• and
• e) separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid, said separating of said cleaned soil from said conveying liquid occurring in several washing devices arranged in succession along said moving filter medium.

Method of cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• e) separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid,
• f) dividing said decontaminated soil into a coarse grained soil portion and a fine grained soil portion;
• and
• g) first feeding said coarse grained soil portion to said moving filter medium and then feeding said fine grained soil portion to said moving filter medium so that said fine grained soil portion is deposited on said coarse grained soil portion on said filter medium.

Method of cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• e) separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid,
• f) separating said contaminant-charged solvent portion from said countercurrent extractor in a distillation column into a contaminant extract and a reusable solvent portion;
• and
• g) separating a mixture of a separately added hydrocarbon fraction and said contaminant extract in a liquid-liquid extraction device into a lighter phase containing contaminants, said hydrocarbon fraction and a residual amount of said solvent, and a heavier phase containing water and another portion of said solvent.

Apparatus for cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) means for comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) means for filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) means for feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) means for supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said concurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• and
• e) means for separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid, said means for separating of said cleaned soil from said conveying liquid comprising a plurality of washing devices arranged in succession along said moving filter medium.

Apparatus for cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) means for comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) means for filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) means for feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) means for supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said concurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• e) means for separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid;
• f) means for dividing said decontaminated soil into a coarse grained soil portion and a fine grained soil portion;
• and
• g) means for first feeding said coarse grained soil portion to said moving filter medium and then feeding said fine grained soil portion to said moving filter medium so that said fine grained soil portion is deposited on said coarse grained soil portion on said filter medium.

Apparatus for cleaning soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) means for comminuting soil contaminated with contaminants selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons and hetero-organic compounds in comminuting means to form a comminuted contaminated soil;
• b) means for filling the comminuted contaminated soil into a countercurrent extractor under an inert gas atmosphere so that said comminuted contaminated soil moves as a travelling bed in a downward direction through said countercurrent extractor;
• c) means for feeding a solvent into a lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so that said solvent flows through said travelling bed in a direction opposite to said downward direction to form a decontaminated soil and a contaminant-charged solvent portion;
• d) means for supplying a conveying liquid to said lower portion of said countercurrent extractor so as to convey said decontaminated soil from said countercurrent extractor to a filter means with a moving filter medium;
• e) means for separating said decontaminated soil in said filter means into a cleaned soil and a reusable conveying liquid;
• f) means for separating said contaminant-charged solvent portion from said countercurrent extractor in a distillation column into a contaminant extract and a reusable solvent portion;
• and
• g) means for separating a mixture of a separately added hydrocarbon fraction and said contaminant extract in a liquid-liquid extraction device into a lighter phase containing said contaminants, said hydrocarbon fraction and a residual amount of said solvent, and a heavier phase containing water and another portion of said solvent.