← Back to Patent Explorer
US4424081A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Reconditioning soils contaminated by crude oils or other refined petroleum products

Assignee: LES INVESTISSEMENTS LIDAL Inc
•
Filing: 1982-01-22
•
Granted: 1984-01-03
•
Expires: 2002-01-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method for reconditioning soils contaminated with crude oils or other refined petroleum products. The system comprises a mixer input device for mixing and heating the soils with a liquid and providing a heated blended slurry. A sparger kiln agitates the slurry to break down its component parts into a fine particle slurry. A first clarifier washes the fine particle slurry to effect a first separation of oil particles from the slurry. A network of flotation cell units further wash and agitate the fine particle slurry from the clarifier to effect a second separation of oil particles from the fine particle slurry. A reagent is added to the flotation cells to effect the oil separation. An aeration clarifier further separates the oil particles from the liquid mixture elected from the flotation cell units. A collecting system is provided to recover the oil particles separated from the first clarifier and the aeration clarifier.

Inventors

  • 👤 Marcel L. Giguere

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 10:11
CPC Classifications
B; B03; B03B; B03B9/00; B03B9/06; B01; B01D; B01D11/00; B01D11/02; B01D37/00; B03D; B03D1/00; B03D1/08; B03D1/082; B03D1/085; B03D1/14; B03D1/1406; B03D1/1412; B03D1/1443; B03D1/1456; B03D1/16; B03D1/18; B03D1/24; B03D1/242; B09; B09C; B09C1/00; B09C1/02; C; C10; C10G; C10G1/00; C10G1/04; C10G1/047; B03D1/1462

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 201 words
A method of reconditioning soils contaminated with crude oils or other refined petroleum products to separate constituent parts of said soils, said method comprising the steps of, (i) mixing and heating said soils with a liquid to provide a heated blended slurry at an input stage, (ii) conveying said blended slurry to a sparger kiln of a further stage for further agitating and heating said blended slurry to provide a fine particle slurry, (iii) further conveying said fine particle slurry to another stage for washing said fine particle slurry to effect a first separation of oil particles from said slurry, (iv) further conveying said slurry to a further stage for further washing said slurry in flotation cell units to effect a second separation of oil particles from said fine particle slurry, (v) collecting said liquid mixture with said oil particles, (vi) further conveying said mixture to a still further stage for subjecting said collected liquid mixture to an aeration clarifier action for separating said oil particles from said mixture, (vii) collecting said oil particles recovered in steps (iii) and (vi), and (viii) collecting said mixture which has been substantially decontaminated from said oil and other contaminated materials for safe disposal thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 201 words
A method of reconditioning soils contaminated with crude oils or other refined petroleum products to separate constituent parts of said soils, said method comprising the steps of, (i) mixing and heating said soils with a liquid to provide a heated blended slurry at an input stage, (ii) conveying said blended slurry to a sparger kiln of a further stage for further agitating and heating said blended slurry to provide a fine particle slurry, (iii) further conveying said fine particle slurry to another stage for washing said fine particle slurry to effect a first separation of oil particles from said slurry, (iv) further conveying said slurry to a further stage for further washing said slurry in flotation cell units to effect a second separation of oil particles from said fine particle slurry, (v) collecting said liquid mixture with said oil particles, (vi) further conveying said mixture to a still further stage for subjecting said collected liquid mixture to an aeration clarifier action for separating said oil particles from said mixture, (vii) collecting said oil particles recovered in steps (iii) and (vi), and (viii) collecting said mixture which has been substantially decontaminated from said oil and other contaminated materials for safe disposal thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein after each said steps (i) and (ii), there is provided the steps of filtering large particles from said soils.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 48 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (i) comprises adding sodium hydroxide to said blended slurry, said slurry being heated to approximately 140° F. in a sump of step (i) and further heated in a sparger kiln to approximately 210° F. in said step (ii).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 74 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (iii) comprises injecting said fine particle slurry at a high velocity from under a separating well submerged in a water reservoir to cause an upward flow, obstructing said flow by a plurality of baffles disposed in the flow path to arrest heavier solid particles as said oil particles are floated to the surface, and separately collecting said oil particles and said solid slurry particles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 74 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (iv) comprises feeding said slurry from under a plurality of cell compartments, feeding an air flow from the bottom of each said compartments, agitating water within each said compartments, adding a foam producing chemical reagent to each said compartments, breaking down said foam floating on the surface of said water and collecting liquid mixture including oil particles floating on the surface of said water.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein there is further provided the step of collecting solid particles of slurry into a slurry launder at the bottom of said cells to prevent said slurry to be carried away by said foam producing reagent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 68 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 5 wherein said step (vi) comprises injecting said collected liquid mixture downwardly into a water reservoir against a flow dispersing device to break-up and disperse said liquid mixture in said water, injecting a plurality of air streams in the bottom of said water reservoir to carry dispersed oil particles from said liquid mixture to the surface of said water reservoir.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1580723A Cited
US3802916A Cited
US4184891A Cited
US4072539A Cited
US4136217A Cited
DE2724271A1 Cited
US4233174A Cited
US4175039A Cited
US4206001A Cited
US4324652A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-01-02 1987-07-04 1988-01-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-01-02 1991-07-04 1992-01-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-01-02 1995-07-04 1996-01-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag