US 5,634,983 A · Method for soil remediation

Abstract

A process of soil remediation in which an encapsulation solution is introduced into contact with a soil matrix containing chemical contaminants such as polynucleated aromatics chloronated hydrocarbons and the like in an amount sufficient to form a saturated admixture of the soil matrix and the encapsulation solution, the encapsulation solution being capable of preferentially attracting the chemical contaminants contained in the soil matrix, and containing an effective amount of non-ionic surfactant material, an anionic surfactant material and water; and the admixture is admixed for an interval sufficient to permit the chemical contaminants to preferentially dissociate from contact with the soil matrix in favor of association with the encapsulation solution and at least one carbon bond in the chemical contaminant to be broken as a result of interaction between the non-ionic surfactant material and the contaminant. Once this occurs, a major portion of the encapsulation solution with associated chemical contaminants can be removed from contact with the soil matrix.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A process for treating a process stream containing a chemical contaminant at a first concentration level which comprises:

introducing an aqueous encapsulation solution into contact with the process stream, said encapsulation solution consisting essentially of a non-ionic surfactant material, an anionic surfactant material, and water;
allowing said encapsulation solution to remain in contact with said process stream for an interval sufficient to reduce chemical contaminant from a first concentration level to a second concentration level, said second concentration level lower than said first concentration level;
removing a major portion of said encapsulation solution which has been previously introduced from contact with said process stream after said second concentration level has been attained;
wherein said anionic surfactant material is present in said encapsulation solution in an amount between about 2.0 and about 40.0% by total composition volume, said anionic surfactant material selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated linear alcohols, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl aryl sulfonates, naphthalene sulfonates, alpha olefin sulfonates, and mixtures thereof.

1 more element

A process for reducing chemical contamination in a fluidizable chemically contaminated soil matrix which comprises:

introducing an encapsulation solution into contact with the fluidizable chemically contaminated soil matrix, said encapsulation solution introduced in an amount sufficient to form a saturated admixture with the soil matrix, said encapsulation solution preferentially exhibiting attraction with respect to chemical contaminants contained in the soil matrix, said encapsulation solution consisting essentially of non-ionic surfactant material, an anionic surfactant material, an alcohol dispersing agent, an organo-alkaloid and water;
mechanically agitating said admixture for an interval sufficient to permit said chemical contaminants to preferentially dissociate from contact with the soil matrix to form a dissociated chemical contaminant and sufficient to initiate severance of at least one carbon bond in said dissociated chemical contaminant;
and
removing a major portion of said encapsulation solution from contact with the soil matrix.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for soil remediation

Life of this patent

Method for soil remediation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24