A method of processing a mineral solid mixture, in particular road construction material, containing impurities with aromatic and/or aliphatic hydrocarbons, wherein the solid mixture is heated to a temperature below 570° C., wherein the solid mixture is heated in at least one heated rotating drum-like apparatus and is passed through at least one container and that the solid mixture is heated during or after the heating process, drum-like apparatus and is passed through at least one container, and in that the solid mixture is subjected to a negative pressure during heating or after heating, and in that the hydrocarbons are extracted from the heated solid mixture by the negative pressure and are rendered harmless by thermal combustion.

The invention provides a system for pyrolysis, comprising: (i) a gas producer comprising a gasification zone and a producer gas outlet, wherein the gas producer is configured to: oxidise at least one carbon-containing feed in the presence of an oxidising gas in the gasification zone to form a producer gas; and discharge the producer gas from the gasification zone via the producer gas outlet, wherein a residual oxygen content of the producer gas is substantially depleted or maintained below a maximum predetermined amount by controlling a ratio of oxygen fed to the gasification zone to the carbon-containing feed, (ii) a pyrolyzer comprising a pyrolysis zone and one or more pyrolyzer gas outlets, wherein the pyrolyzer is configured to: feed the producer gas discharged from the gasification zone to the pyrolysis zone; pyrolyze a pyrolyzable organic feed in the pyrolysis zone in the presence of the producer gas to produce a carbonaceous pyrolysis product and a gas mixture comprising combustible components comprising pyrolysis gas; and discharge the gas mixture from the pyrolysis zone via the one or more pyrolyzer gas outlets, and (iii) a first combustor comprising a combustion zone, wherein the first combustor is configured to: receive the gas mixture discharged from the pyrolysis zone in the combustion zone; feed an oxygen-containing gas to the combustion zone; and combust at least a portion of the combustible components present in the gas mixture in the combustion zone to produce a combustion product gas.

A method for remediating contaminated soil and groundwater includes selecting a treatment material and creating a smolderable mixture of a contaminant, the treatment material, and soil.

A method for remediating a contaminated porous matrix including selecting the type and quantity of organic fuel to create a smolderable mixture of the organic fuel and contaminated porous matrix, and controlling the rate of oxidant addition to manipulate the relative proportions of oxidative breakdown products, non-oxidative breakdown products, and non-destructive remediation processes. The method further involves collecting the volatilized contaminant, and any gaseous breakdown products of the contaminant.

A method for remediating contaminated soil and groundwater includes selecting a treatment material and creating a smolderable mixture of a contaminant, the treatment material, and soil.

Porous media containing undesired substances, e.g., perfluoroalkylated substances, are treated by mixing the porous media with a solid fuel comprising organic material. The mixture is heated to 200 C. to 400 C. to initiate smoldering combustion and an oxidizer gas is forced through the heated mixture such that the smoldering combustion is self-sustaining until the mixture reaches a PFAS destructive temperature and the perfluoroalkylated substances are thermally destroyed. A system is provided for conducting the treatment. The system includes a source of wax, wood chips, sawdust, tire scraps, waste rubber compounds, coal, granular activated carbon, solid fat, and combinations thereof as solid fuel. A mixer is provided for mixing the porous media with the solid fuel. An ignition system including static heating elements and a gas blower are provided for forcing heated oxidizer gas through the mixture such that self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture is initiated and sustained.

A method for remediating contaminated soil and groundwater includes selecting a treatment material and creating a smolderable mixture of a contaminant, the treatment material, and soil.

A method for remediating a contaminated porous matrix including selecting the type and quantity of organic fuel to create a smolderable mixture of the organic fuel and contaminated porous matrix, and controlling the rate of oxidant addition to manipulate the relative proportions of oxidative breakdown products, non-oxidative breakdown products, and non-destructive remediation processes. The method further involves collecting the volatilized contaminant, and any gaseous breakdown products of the contaminant.

Porous media containing undesired substances, e.g., perfluoroalkylated substances, are treated by mixing the porous media with a solid fuel comprising organic material. The mixture is heated to 200 C. to 400 C. to initiate smoldering combustion and an oxidizer gas is forced through the heated mixture such that the smoldering combustion is self-sustaining until the mixture reaches a PFAS destructive temperature and the perfluoroalkylated substances are thermally destroyed. A system is provided for conducting the treatment. The system includes a source of wax, wood chips, sawdust, tire scraps, waste rubber compounds, coal, granular activated carbon, solid fat, and combinations thereof as solid fuel. A mixer is provided for mixing the porous media with the solid fuel. An ignition system including static heating elements and a gas blower are provided for forcing heated oxidizer gas through the mixture such that self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture is initiated and sustained.

A thermal desorption system for remediating contaminated material in a zero oxygen environment by heating a gas and flowing the heated gas through a core heating conduit traversing the interior of a material compartment of a bin filled with contaminated material, redirecting the flow of heated gas from the core heating conduit to a space between the exterior of the bin and the interior of a bin housing insulator encapsulating the bin to provide dual indirect heating to the contaminated material within the bin, directing off gases of contaminated vapors released by desorption from the material to an exhaust header through a plurality of vapor outlets, and condensing the offgas in the exhaust header.