Patent · US Expired

Method for extracting oil from oil-contaminated soil

US5690811A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
6References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 17, 1995
Grant dateNov 25, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 17, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE21B41/005
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method for extracting oil from oil-contaminated soil containing 2 to 5 wt. % oil, comprising contacting the oil-contaminated soil with a solvent in the presence of sonic energy in the frequency range of 0.5 to 2.0 kHz. Specifically, a solvent is first mixed with the oil-contaminated soil and the mixture is then formed into a slurry of oil-contaminated soil particles suspended in the solvent. Thereafter the oil-contaminated soil slurry is passed through a shaker screen to remove soil particles greater than 1/4 inch. The oil-contaminated soil slurry containing the smaller soil particles is then fed into the top of a vertically disposed, substantially rectangular shaped, hollow acoustic chamber of uniform cross-section. Fresh solvent is injected into the bottom of the acoustic chamber that flows upwardly through the acoustic chamber. The fresh solvent is injected at a rate low enough whereby the oil-contaminated soil particles fall by gravity through the upwardly flowing solvent. The oil-contaminated soil particles and solvent in the acoustic chamber are subjected to acoustic energy in the frequency range of 0.5 to 2.0 kHz displaces the oil from the oil-contaminated soil particles t…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.