Methodology for the chemical and mechanical treatment and cleanup of oily soils, drill cuttings, refinery wastes, tank bottoms, and lagoons/pits

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved methodology for the removal of oily hydrocarbon materials sorbed onto the surface(s) of inorganic materials. Said oily hydrocarbon materials may be partially oxidized or may be unoxidized. The invention makes use of an exothermic chemical reaction involving hydrogen peroxide and alkaline agents and hydrocarbons to partially oxidize certain reactive functional groups on the hydrocarbons and thus rendering said hydrocarbons more water soluble thereby facilitating the separation of the sorbed or free product hydrocarbons from both the surface of the inorganic material and also from between the interstitial grains (porosity). Furthermore the exothermic process facilitates the reduction of viscosity of said hydrocarbons thus further facilitating the separation of the hydrocarbons from the aqueous and inorganic phases. Said separation can be further enhanced by standard separation techniques such as settling, centrifugation, decantation, use of cyclones, and any and all other physical separation processes. Further by utilizing the hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline environment the interfacial tension of the oil is reduced further aiding said hydrocarbon-water-inorganic sediment separation and recovery of the hydrocarbons.

1 . A chemical and physical method to remove oily materials from sand, silt, grit, soil, sediments by the use of an exothermic process using hydrogen peroxide operating under alkaline conditions to liberate the oily and/or hydrocarbon material away from the surface of inorganic materials and thus allow for the separation of the hydrocarbons, water, and inorganic constituents. 
     
     
         2 . A method to remove the liberated hydrocarbons and achieve separation of said hydrocarbons that now exist in both the aqueous phase and/or as a free phase by means of settling, decantation, filtering, centrifugation, and any other method commonly employed to achieve oil, water, solids separation. 
     
     
         3 . A method to raise the temperature of an oily substrate to achieve lower viscosity of said hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         4 . A method to modify the hydrocarbon chemistry to allow chemically reactive groups to form on said hydrocarbons and thus aid in the removal and separation of the hydrocarbons from the inorganic substrate. 
     
     
         5 . A method to decrease the interfacial tension between the hydrocarbon and water to facilitate the separation of the hydrocarbon from the water and from the inorganic sediment materials.