# US 8,770,891 B2 · Vapor phase elemental sulfur amendment for sequestering mercury in contaminated soil

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- Number: US 8,770,891 B2
- Document ID: US8770891B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/455,718
- Filed: 2012-04-25
- Published: 2013-10-31
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-25
- Assignees: Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
- Applicants: Brian B. Looney; Miles E. Denham; Dennis G. Jackson
- Inventors: Brian B. Looney; Miles E. Denham; Dennis G. Jackson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770891B2

## CPC

- B09C 1/08: chemically
- B09C 1/00: Reclamation of contaminated soil
- B09C 1/06: thermally
- B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00)

## Abstract

The process of treating elemental mercury within the soil is provided by introducing into the soil a heated vapor phase of elemental sulfur. As the vapor phase of elemental sulfur cools, sulfur is precipitated within the soil and then reacts with any elemental mercury thereby producing a reaction product that is less hazardous than elemental mercury.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of treating in-situ elemental mercury contamination within a soil comprising steps of:
providing an in-situ soil substrate having elemental mercury contamination;
introducing a supply of sulfur into a below ground region in proximity to the in-situ soil substrate;
heating the supply of sulfur in the below ground region to form a sulfur vapor;
directing the sulfur vapor from the below ground region and into the in-situ soil substrate having elemental mercury contamination;
precipitating, the sulfur within the in-situ soil substrate;
allowing the precipitated sulfur to react with residual elemental mercury present within the soil, thereby forming a reaction product of a mercury sulfide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said step of introducing into a soil a sulfur vapor further comprises passing heated air through a mixture of course sand and elemental sulfur.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said step of introducing into a soil a sulfur vapor further comprises introducing a sulfur vapor through an access well.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said heating step further comprises heating the elemental sulfur to a temperature of between about 100° C. to about 207° C.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of heating a supply of elemental sulfur further comprises heating a supply of elemental sulfur present within an access well.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said step of heating further comprises heating the elemental sulfur to a temperature of at least about 100° C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said heating step further comprises heating the elemental sulfur to a temperature of between about 100° C. to about 207° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The process according to claim 5 wherein said heating step further comprises heating the elemental sulfur to a temperature of between about 100° C. to about 207° C.

### Claim 9

A process of treating elemental mercury within a soil comprising steps of:
heating a subsurface soil to a temperature sufficient to enhance vapor phase concentration of elemental mercury present within the soil;
using vapor extraction to remove vaporized elemental mercury from the soil;
introducing a vapor phase of elemental sulfur into the heated soil by passing heated air through a mixture of coarse sand and elemental sulfur, thereby distributing the elemental sulfur throughout the mercury contamination zone;
allowing the sulfur vapor to react with vapor phase elemental mercury to form a reaction product of a mercury sulfide;
cooling said soil and thereby precipitating the vapor phase sulfur within the soil;
allowing the precipitated sulfur to react with residual elemental mercury present within the soil thereby forming a reaction product of mercury sulfide.

### Claim 10

A process of treating in-situ elemental mercury contamination within a soil comprising steps of:
introducing into a soil contaminated with mercury a sulfur vapor, the sulfur vapor formed by heating elemental sulfur present within an access well;
allowing the sulfur vapor to react with a vapor phase elemental mercury present in the soil to form a stable and nontoxic reaction product of mercury sulfide;
precipitating a portion of the sulfur vapor as elemental sulfur within the contaminated soil region;
reacting the precipitated elemental sulfur with residual elemental mercury present within the soil, thereby forming a reaction product, of a mercury sulfide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said process comprises the additional step of reacting sulfur vapor introduced into the soil with a vapor phase of elemental mercury present within the soil.