System and method for catalytic treatment of contaminated groundwater or soil
AssigneeShaw Environment & Infrastructure, Inc.
InventorsCharles E. Schaefer, Charles W. Condee
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Abstract
A method for the treatment of a contaminated medium including the steps of introducing hydrogen into the contaminated medium, adding micron-sized metal catalyst particles to the contaminated medium, reacting the contaminated medium with the micron-sized metal catalyst and substantially retaining the catalyst particles in the contaminated medium. In another aspect, a system for the ex situ treatment of contaminated fluid including a vessel configured to receive the contaminated fluid, micron-sized metal catalyst particles located in the vessel, a hydrogen source positioned for delivering hydrogen to the contaminated fluid, and a membrane filter positioned to prevent the metal catalyst from eluting from the vessel.
Claims61
A method for the in situ treatment of a contaminated medium comprising the steps of:
- introducing hydrogen into the contaminated medium;
- adding uncontained and unaffixed micron-sized metal catalyst particles to the contaminated medium;
- reacting the contaminated medium with the uncontained and unaffixed catalyst particles;
- and
- substantially retaining the uncontained and unaffixed catalyst particles in the contaminated medium by natural filtration of the particles through the contaminated medium.
A method for ex situ treatment of contaminated fluid, said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing hydrogen into the contaminated fluid;
- intermingling the contaminated fluid with uncontained and unaffixed micron-sized metal catalyst particles in a vessel;
- and
- substantially preventing the uncontained and unaffixed catalyst particles from eluting from the vessel with a membrane filter coupled to the vessel.
A system for the ex situ treatment of contaminated fluid, said system comprising:
- a vessel configured to receive and adapted to contain the contaminated fluid and micron-sized metal catalyst particles;
- a hydrogen source positioned for delivering hydrogen to the contaminated fluid received in the vessel, said hydrogen source comprising pressurized tubing positioned at least partially within said vessel;
- and
- a membrane filter coupled to the vessel and positioned to substantially prevent the metal catalyst from eluting from said vessel.
A system for the ex situ treatment of contaminated fluid, said system comprising:
- a vessel configured to receive and adapted to contain the contaminated fluid and micron-sized metal catalyst particles;
- a hydrogen source positioned for delivering hydrogen to the contaminated fluid received in the vessel, said hydrogen source comprising an external membrane system located upstream of said vessel;
- and
- a membrane filter coupled to the vessel and positioned to substantially prevent the metal catalyst from eluting from said vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.