Separation technologies/processes thermal desorption

Thermal processes like pyrolysis use heat to increase the volatility (separation) to burn, decompose, or detonate (destruction) or to melt (immobilization) contaminants in soil. Separation technologies include thermal desorption and hot gas decontamination. Destruction technologies include incineration, open bum/open detonation, and pyrolysis. Vitrification is used to immobilize inorganic compounds and to destroy some organic materials. In contrast, pyrolysis transforms... 

Thermal desorption treatment is generally considered to be an alternative to incineration. Thermal desorption operates at much lower temperatures than incineration and keeps the heating systems independent of the wastes, which minimizes off-gas production. The technology can be used as a waste minimization process, isolating and concentrating waste constituents, or as a product recovery process. Thermal desorption can also be used to separate contaminants in mixed waste streams by removing volatile constituents. 

The Maxymillian Technologies, Inc. (formerly Clean Berkshires, Inc.), mobile thermal desorption system (TDS) uses rotary kiln technology to remove contaminants from excavated soils and sediments. Thermal desorption is a physical separation process designed to volatilize water... 

The low-temperature thermal aeration (ETTA) technology is a thermal desorption process that separates chlorinated hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (S VOCs), pesticides, and petroleum hydrocarbons from soils at temperatures of 300 to 800° F. This technology uses hot air to desorb contaminants from soil into a contained airstream and treats the airstream before discharging it to the atmosphere. The system is transportable and consists of six major components assembled on flat-bed trailers. The entire system and support areas require approximately 10,000 ft of operating space. 

Other configurations of treatment processes using thermal desorption as the primary separation technique can be applied to organically contaminated soils. Alternative physical/chemical processes can be used to treat the desorber off-gas and the contaminants. To achieve complete contaminant destruction, the off-gas can be treated by using conventional fume incineration or other thermal treatment technology. The choice of the type of desorber and off-gas treatment system depends on the concentration and properties of the chemical contaminants, soil characteristics, quantity of contaminated material, site characteristics, availability of off-site disposal, and regulatory and related requirements. 

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