Apparatus and method for reclaiming contaminated material

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus of removing contaminants such as salts, hydrocarbon, chemicals, minerals, and metals from materials such as sand, soil, gravel, drill cuttings, and other solids, and reclaiming contaminants and materials for reuse. The invention is scalable in size and capability, economic to construct and operate and reliable in operation and performance. The invention slurries contaminated material with a solution. Transports the slurried material throughout a hydraulic chamber, where the contaminants become more associated with the solution than the material. The invention then separates the processed material and contaminated solution into unique reclaimed components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       I. A METHOD FOR REMOVING CONTAMINANTS FROM MATERIALS 
     
     
         1 . A method for removing contaminants comprising oils, salts, chemicals, minerals, etc. from materials comprising of sand, clay, shale, soil, gravel, drill cuttings, etc. The method comprising:
 transferring the material to a process feed mechanism;   feeding the material into a slurry device;   slurring the contaminated material with a solution;   transferring the slurred material to a hydraulic chamber;   transporting the slurred material throughout the hydraulic chamber, allowing some, most or substantially all of the contaminates on the material to be removed from the material in the hydraulic chamber;   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of pretreating the contaminated material prior to the feeding mechanism to enhance the contaminant removal process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of transporting said slurred material throughout said Hydraulic Chamber, allowing contaminates to be removed from material, is enhanced by the additional of turbulators throughout the Hydraulic Chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of transporting said slurred material throughout said Hydraulic Chamber, allowing contaminates to be removed from material, is enhanced by the additional of nozzles throughout the Hydraulic Chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where the hydraulic chamber is in fluid contact with a separation chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of transporting the slurred material from the hydraulic chamber to the separation chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the material of the slurred material is separated from the contaminants and solution of the slurred material in the separation chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of processing the contaminants and solution in the separation chamber into unique components; 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of transporting the reclaimed material and the unique components to holding containers. 
     
     
       II. AN APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING MATERIALS AND CONTAMINANTS 
     
     
         10 . A contaminated material reclamation apparatus comprising:
 a slurry chamber, and a hydraulic chamber and a separation chamber, said slurry chamber being in fluid communication with said hydraulic chamber being in fluid communication with said separation chamber;   a slurry device positioned within said slurry chamber, said slurry device being suitable for combining said solution with said contaminated material, the combination of which forms slurred material;   a separation device positioned within said separation chamber, said separation device being suitable for removing material from said slurred material.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a pretreatment chamber capable of preparing said contaminated material for processing through the invention. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a feed mechanism capable of transporting the contaminated material from a holding container to said slurry chamber at the desired rate. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a pressurization system in fluid communication with a solution holding tank and said slurry device, said pressurization system capable of supplying said solution to said slurry device at the desired rate and pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a nozzle positioned within said hydraulic chamber, said nozzle being suitable for injecting nozzle solution into said hydraulic chamber and impacting said slurred material. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a turbulator affixed to the interior wall of said hydraulic chamber, said turbulator being suitable to cause turbulent flow to said slurred material. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a pressurization chamber, said pressurization chamber cable of providing said nozzle with said solution at a desired rate and pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of turblators. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a heating system, said heating system suitable to heat said solution to a calculated temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising subsequent separation devices within said separation chamber, said subsequent separation devices are suitable for separating contaminants from solution.