Methods and systems are provided for two-stage treatment of contaminated particulate material, such as soil, sediment, and/or sludge. The methods and systems utilize a thermal desorption process combined with a smoldering combustion process. The contaminated particulate material is first exposed to thermal desorption at high temperatures (e.g., greater than 150° C.) to form a heated contaminated particulate material. Next, a smoldering combustion process is initiated by introducing a combustion-supporting gas. The combined process can take place in the same or different treatment units. Treating the particulate material with a thermal desorption process prior to a smoldering combustion process enhances the completeness and throughput compared to operating these processes separately.

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.

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 rotary kiln-type core sand regeneration system, having a rotating cylinder, a burner for directing a flame into the rotating cylinder, a motor for rotating the rotating cylinder, front and rear boundary frames and rollers for supporting the rotating cylinder, and a platform on which the rotating cylinder, the burner, the motor, the front and rear boundary frames and the rollers are mounted. The rotating cylinder has a used core sand inlet, an exhaust cylinder and a preliminary heating cylinder arranged from the rear and a regenerated core sand outlet formed at a front part thereof, the rotating cylinder being directly coupled to the burner at a front end, and including at least one combustion cylinder having passing holes through which the core sand and the flame from the burner are passed in a front part thereof.

Methods are provided for the removal of sulfur and other ARD/AMD-generating materials through the smoldering combustion of an organic material. The methods comprise admixing an ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material with an organic material to produce a mixture, exposing the mixture to an oxidant, and initiating a self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture. Additional embodiments aggregate the organic material or ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material or mixture thereof in an impoundment such as a reaction vessel, depression or matrix pile. Further embodiments utilize at least one heater to initiate combustion and at least one air supply port to supply oxidant to initiate and maintain combustion.

A method for the treatment of waste by plasma treating the waste to destroy the hazardous organic components and to yield a slag and an off-gas by plasma treating the waste in the presence of added oxygen gas in a transferred-arc plasma treatment unit, followed by directing off-gas from the plasma treatment unit to a thermal oxidizer combustion chamber.

A method for the treatment of waste by plasma treating the waste to destroy the hazardous organic components and to yield a slag and an off-gas by plasma treating the waste in the presence of added oxygen gas in a transferred-arc plasma treatment unit, followed by directing off-gas from the plasma treatment unit to a thermal oxidizer combustion chamber.

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.