# US 9,750,967 B1 · Process for treating contaminated soil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,967 B1 - Document ID: US9750967B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/188,023 - Filed: 2016-06-21 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-21 - Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Applicants: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Peter Hoelen; Gabriel P. Sabadell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750967B1 ## CPC - B01J 8/24: according to "fluidised-bed" technique (B01J8/20 takes precedence) - B01J 8/085: {Feeding reactive fluids (for solid material, see B01J8/0015)} - B01J 8/087: {Heating or cooling the reactor} - B01J 8/10: moved by stirrers or by rotary drums or rotary receptacles {or endless belts} - B09C 1/00: Reclamation of contaminated soil - B09C 1/06: thermally - B09C 1/08: chemically - B01J 2208/00752: Feeding - B01J 2208/00858: Moving elements - B01J 2208/00893: Feeding means for the reactants - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - 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 Disclosed are a process and a system for treating contaminated soil. The process includes introducing a contaminated soil to an agitation unit. Ozone is supplied to the agitation unit thereby forming a soil-gas mixture, and the soil-gas mixture is agitated for sufficient time for the ozone to contact the contaminants thereby forming an ozone-treated soil and a residual gas-particulates mixture. The ozone-treated soil and the residual gas-particulates mixture are removed from the agitation unit. If necessary, remaining ozone is then flushed from the soil. The process occurs under negative pressure to prevent ozone from being released to the atmosphere. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for treating contaminated soil, comprising: a. introducing a soil containing a contaminant and moisture to an agitation unit; b. supplying ozone to the agitation unit thereby forming a soil-gas mixture; c. agitating the soil-gas mixture in the agitation unit such that the ozone contacts the contaminant thereby forming an ozone-treated soil and a residual gas-particulates mixture; d. removing the ozone-treated soil from the agitation unit; and e. removing the residual gas-particulates mixture from the agitation unit; wherein the agitation unit and the removal of the residual gas-particulates mixture from the agitation unit are maintained under negative pressure to prevent ozone from being released to the atmosphere. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the contaminant comprises an organic compound. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the contaminant comprises a hydrocarbon compound. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the contaminant comprises a petroleum compound. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the process is continuous. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the soil-gas mixture in the agitation unit is controlled for temperature and/or moisture content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the soil of the soil-gas mixture in the agitation unit is controlled at a moisture content from 2 to 20 wt %. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the soil of the soil-gas mixture in the agitation unit is controlled at a moisture content from 4 to 8 wt %. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising supplying a heated gas to the agitation unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the heated gas comprises heated air or steam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ozone is heated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising supplying steam to the agitation unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ozone is supplied at a concentration from 0.01 to 25 wt. % based on the weight of the soil. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ozone is supplied at a concentration of from 0.25 to 1 wt. % based on the weight of the soil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the soil-gas mixture is heated thereby removing a portion of the moisture from the soil to facilitate contact between the ozone and the hydrocarbons in the soil while leaving sufficient moisture in the soil to provide enhanced reactivity of the ozone and hydrocarbons in the soil-gas mixture. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising heating the agitation unit and wherein the heating of the soil-gas mixture is by heat exchange from the agitation unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitating occurs at a temperature from 0° C. to 100° C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitating occurs at a temperature from 30° C. to 60° C. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitating occurs at a temperature from 40° C. to 50° C. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitating occurs at a gas pressure from 0.01 atmosphere to 0.95 atmosphere. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitating occurs at a gas pressure from 0.5 atmosphere to 0.8 atmosphere. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the agitation unit is a rotating drum, rotary kiln, pug mill, screw type mixer, fluidized bed reactor, or shaking conveyor belt. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising supplying a composition selected from the group consisting of polymers, surfactants, solvents, oxidizers and combinations thereof to the agitating unit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising removing the ozone from the ozone-treated soil by flushing the ozone-treated soil with air in an enclosed chamber. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising removing the ozone from the ozone-treated soil by spraying the ozone-treated soil with water. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising removing the ozone from the ozone-treated soil by blending the ozone-treated soil with an organic carbon source selected from the group consisting of wood chips, sawdust, biochar, mulch, plant debris, compost and activated carbon. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising removing ozone-containing gas from the residual gas-particulates mixture in the agitation unit and recycling the ozone-containing gas to an inlet to the agitation unit.