Nontoxic chemical process for in situ permeability enhancement and accelerated decontamination of fine-grain subsurface sediments
Abstract
The remediation of heterogeneous subsurfaces is extremely time consuming and expensive with current and developing technologies. Although such technologies can adequately remove contaminants in the high hydraulic conductivity, coarse-grained sediments, they cannot access the contaminated low hydraulic conductivity fine-grained sediments. The slow bleed of contaminants from the fine-grained sediments is the primary reason why subsurface remediation is so time-consuming and expensive. This invention addresses the problem of remediating contaminated fine-grained sediments. It is intended that, in the future, a heterogeneous site be treated by a hybrid process that first remediates the high hydraulic conductivity, coarse-grained sediments, to be followed by the process, described in this invention, to treat the contaminated low hydraulic conductivity fine-grained sediments. The invention uses cationic flocculents and organic solvents to collapse the swelling negative double layer surrounding water saturated clay particles, causing a flocculated, cracked clay structure. The modification of the clay fabric in fine-grained sediments dramatically increases the hydraulic conductivity of previously very tight clays many orders of magnitude.
- Inventors:
-
- Livermore, CA
- Tracy, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 870778
- Patent Number(s):
- 5593248
- Assignee:
- Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B09 - DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE B09C - RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E02 - HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING E02D - FOUNDATIONS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- nontoxic; chemical; process; situ; permeability; enhancement; accelerated; decontamination; fine-grain; subsurface; sediments; remediation; heterogeneous; subsurfaces; extremely; time; consuming; expensive; current; developing; technologies; adequately; remove; contaminants; hydraulic; conductivity; coarse-grained; access; contaminated; fine-grained; slow; bleed; primary; reason; time-consuming; addresses; remediating; intended; future; site; treated; hybrid; remediates; followed; described; treat; cationic; flocculents; organic; solvents; collapse; swelling; negative; double; layer; surrounding; water; saturated; clay; particles; causing; flocculated; cracked; structure; modification; fabric; dramatically; increases; previously; tight; clays; magnitude; hydraulic conductivity; organic solvents; organic solvent; double layer; chemical process; remove contaminants; surrounding water; time consuming; toxic chemical; subsurface sediment; layer surrounding; /405/166/
Citation Formats
Kansa, Edward J, Wijesinghe, Ananda M, and Viani, Brian E. Nontoxic chemical process for in situ permeability enhancement and accelerated decontamination of fine-grain subsurface sediments. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web.
Kansa, Edward J, Wijesinghe, Ananda M, & Viani, Brian E. Nontoxic chemical process for in situ permeability enhancement and accelerated decontamination of fine-grain subsurface sediments. United States.
Kansa, Edward J, Wijesinghe, Ananda M, and Viani, Brian E. Wed .
"Nontoxic chemical process for in situ permeability enhancement and accelerated decontamination of fine-grain subsurface sediments". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870778.
@article{osti_870778,
title = {Nontoxic chemical process for in situ permeability enhancement and accelerated decontamination of fine-grain subsurface sediments},
author = {Kansa, Edward J and Wijesinghe, Ananda M and Viani, Brian E},
abstractNote = {The remediation of heterogeneous subsurfaces is extremely time consuming and expensive with current and developing technologies. Although such technologies can adequately remove contaminants in the high hydraulic conductivity, coarse-grained sediments, they cannot access the contaminated low hydraulic conductivity fine-grained sediments. The slow bleed of contaminants from the fine-grained sediments is the primary reason why subsurface remediation is so time-consuming and expensive. This invention addresses the problem of remediating contaminated fine-grained sediments. It is intended that, in the future, a heterogeneous site be treated by a hybrid process that first remediates the high hydraulic conductivity, coarse-grained sediments, to be followed by the process, described in this invention, to treat the contaminated low hydraulic conductivity fine-grained sediments. The invention uses cationic flocculents and organic solvents to collapse the swelling negative double layer surrounding water saturated clay particles, causing a flocculated, cracked clay structure. The modification of the clay fabric in fine-grained sediments dramatically increases the hydraulic conductivity of previously very tight clays many orders of magnitude.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}