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Treating Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils with Heat

Thermal Soil Remediation


Thermal soil remediation is treating hydrocarbon contaminated soils with thermal desorption. Given the proper equipment and operating conditions, the removal and destruction of hydrocarbon contaminants in soil is relatively simple, safe, and additionally very clean. Tarmac does this in our rotary dryers. High heat volatilizes the hydrocarbons into a vapor, therefore leaving the soils remediated. After that, oxidizers, baghouses, and acid gas scrubbers treat the dryer off-gases.
Oil field waste, refinery waste, tank bottom solids as well as contaminated soil can be thermally treated and remediated.

Tarmac: An Original Equipment Manufacturer

For more than 30 years, Tarmac International, Inc. has built complete thermal soil remediation plants that are in use around the world. Our thermal soil remediation plants have production rates ranging from 5 to 80 tons per hour. Systems can be portable, skid mounted, or stationary. Tarmac designs and builds all components of the system.

Direct Fired Soil Remediation Equipment Indirect Fired Soil Remediation Equipment

Specific Contaminates or Hydrocarbon Content Must be Taken into Account

Direct Fired vs. Indirect Fired Thermal Soil Redmediation


Direct fired plants have a lower fuel cost than indirect fired plants. Tarmac designs direct fired plants when hydrocarbon levels are low.

Indirect Fired Plants are used when the project requires the gas flow within the dryer (super heated steam and hydrocarbons) to be separate from the dryer’s heat source. There can be two common reasons:

Specific contaminates (such as chlorinated compounds) are required to be out of direct contact with the dryer flame.

The hydrocarbon content is too high within the soil (such as 300,000 PPM oil-based drill cutting)

Indirect Fired Remediation S

Cleaning the Off-gas

Air Pollution Control


First, heat vaporizes the hydrocarbons from the soil. After that, the mission is to clean the rotary dryer off-gas. Tarmac uses the following equipment components:

Direct Fired Plants

  • Cyclone
  • Oxidizer
  • Cooling heat exchanger
  • High temperature baghouse
  • Acid gas scrubber

Indirect Fired Plants

  • Cyclone
  • Condensing
  • High temperature baghouse
  • Acid gas scrubber
  • Oxidizer

Direct Fired Soil Remediation
Tarmac Super 7′ x 27′ Direct Fired Thermal Plant, this plant is working in Australia. You can read more details about this project HERE and in addition read about it’s award HERE.

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