Patent ID: 6082548
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: B03B,B03D,B09C

Abstract:
An apparatus for treating contaminated soil comprising a reactor vessel (10, 200) for holding a volume of water, said reactor vessel (10, 200) having at least one first chamber (12, 202) and a second chamber (14, 204); (a) a baffle (16, 206) partially separating said first (12, 202) and second (14, 204) chambers, wherein said chambers (12, 14; 202, 204) are in fluid communication; (b) a soil conveyor for conveying a supply of said contaminated soil to said first chamber (12, 202); and (c) gas supply means for directing a supply of gas into said first chamber (12, 202), characterized in that:said gas is directed into said first chamber (12,202) at a velocity sufficient to create a turbulent mixture of said soil and water in said first chamber (12, 202) thereby physically scouring the surfaces of said soil by inter-particle abrasion and liquid shear to effect separation of said soil into a substantially small particle size first fraction and a substantially large particle size second fraction; and wherein said reactor vessel (10,200) further comprises a first outlet (50, 230) located in a lower portion of said second chamber for withdrawing a slurry comprising at least said second soil fraction from said reactor vessel (10, 200).