Pliant media blasting method

Claim 1

A method of treating a contaminated surface with a plurality of discrete, individual particles of a pliant particulate blasting media capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media, said method comprising the steps of a) positively conveying said pliant blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media from a storage container into a discharge conduit; b) supplying an air flow under pressure to said discharge conduit; c) mixing said air flow and said pliant blasting media together to form a pressurized mixture thereof in said discharge conduit; and d) discharging said pressurized mixture against the contaminated surface and absorbing contaminant from said surface with said absorbent cellular material.

Claim 2

A method of treating a contaminated surface with a plurality of discrete, individual particles of a pliant particulate blasting media capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media, said method comprising the steps of a) positively conveying said pliant blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media from a storage container into a discharge conduit; b) supplying an air flow under pressure to said discharge conduit; c) mixing said air flow and said pliant blasting media together to form a pressurized mixture thereof in said discharge conduit; and d) discharging said pressurized mixture against the contaminated surface and absorbing contaminant from said surface with said absorbent cellular material.

Claim 10

A method of treating a contaminated surface with a plurality of discrete, individual particles of a pliant particulate blasting media capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media, said method comprising the steps of: a) positioning a screw conveyor, having a housing with an inlet and an outlet, adjacent an outlet of a storage container; b) rotating said screw conveyor to positively convey said pliant blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated wit a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media from the storage container to a discharge conduit; c) supplying an air flow under pressure to said discharge conduit; d) mixing said air flow and said pliant blasting media together to form a pressurized mixture thereof in said discharge conduit; e) discharging said pressurized mixture against the contaminated surface, thereby absorbing within said pliant absorbent cellular blasting media, contaminant from said surface; f) preventing jamming and bridging of said pliant blasting media in the storage container to ensure a continuous supply of said pliant blasting media to the screw conveyor; g) collecting the discharged pliant blasting media containing absorbed contaminant; h) removing the absorbed contaminant from said pliant blasting media.

Claim 11

A method of treating a contaminated surface with a plurality of discrete, individual particles of a pliant particulate blasting media capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media, said method comprising the steps of: a) positioning a screw conveyor, having a housing with an inlet and an outlet, adjacent an outlet of a storage container; b) rotating said screw conveyor to positively convey said pliant blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated wit a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media from the storage container to a discharge conduit; c) supplying an air flow under pressure to said discharge conduit; d) mixing said air flow and said pliant blasting media together to form a pressurized mixture thereof in said discharge conduit; e) discharging said pressurized mixture against the contaminated surface, thereby absorbing within said pliant absorbent cellular blasting media, contaminant from said surface; f) preventing jamming and bridging of said pliant blasting media in the storage container to ensure a continuous supply of said pliant blasting media to the screw conveyor; g) collecting the discharged pliant blasting media containing absorbed contaminant; h) removing the absorbed contaminant from said pliant blasting media.

Claim 13

A method of treating a surface with a plurality of individual, discrete particles of a pliant particulate blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media and capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface, said method comprising the steps of: a) positioning screw conveyor means, having a housing with an inlet and an outlet, adjacent an outlet of a storage container containing a supply of said pliant blasting media pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media; b) dividing the storage container with first and second air tight door means into first and second compartments, the first compartment being defined between said screw conveyor means and the first door means and the second compartment being defined between the first door means and the second door means; c) feeding said pliant blasting media from the second compartment into the first compartment; d) rotating said screw conveyor means to positively convey said pliant blasting media from the first compartment into a discharge conduit; e) supplying a flow pressurized air to said discharge conduit so that said pliant blasting media and the pressurized air can mix together to form a pressurized mixture thereof; and f) discharging said pressurized mixture against a contaminated surface and absorbing contaminant from said surface with said absorbent cellular material.

Claim 14

A method of treating a surface with a plurality of individual, discrete particles of a pliant particulate blasting media comprising a dry light resilient absorbent cellular material pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media and capable of absorbing a contaminant from said surface, said method comprising the steps of: a) positioning screw conveyor means, having a housing with an inlet and an outlet, adjacent an outlet of a storage container containing a supply of said pliant blasting media pretreated with a dry powder to increase the density and abrasiveness of said media; b) dividing the storage container with first and second air tight door means into first and second compartments, the first compartment being defined between said screw conveyor means and the first door means and the second compartment being defined between the first door means and the second door means; c) feeding said pliant blasting media from the second compartment into the first compartment; d) rotating said screw conveyor means to positively convey said pliant blasting media from the first compartment into a discharge conduit; e) supplying a flow pressurized air to said discharge conduit so that said pliant blasting media and the pressurized air can mix together to form a pressurized mixture thereof; and f) discharging said pressurized mixture against a contaminated surface and absorbing contaminant from said surface with said absorbent cellular material.