c,
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
EPA/542/F-92/004
March 1992
&EPA
A Citizen's Guide To
Solvent Extraction
Technology Innovation Office.
.Technology Fact Sheet
CONTENTS
What Is Solvent
extraction?
How Doss ft Work?
Why Consider Solvent
Extraction?
What Contaminant*
Can It Treat?
Will ft Work At
Every Site?
Where l* Solvent
Extraction Being
Selected?
For More Information
Page
1
2
3
4
What Is Solvent Extraction?
Solvent extraction is a treatment
technology that uses a solvent (a fluid
that can dissolve another substance) to
separate or remove hazardous organic
contaminants from sludges, sediments,
or soil. (Sludge is a mud-like material
produced from industrial or sewage
waste and sediment is fine-grained rock
and mineral fragments which have
settled to the bottom of a water body
such as a river or lake.) Solvent
extraction does not destroy
contaminants. It concentrates them so
they can be recycled or destroyed. It is
used in combination with other
technologies to destroy the separated
concentrated contaminants.
When the soil enters an extractor (a
tank where the contaminated soil is
mixed with the solvent), the soil is
separated into three components, or
fractions: solvent with dissolved
contaminants, solids, and water.
Contaminants are concentrated into
each of these fractions. For example,
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
concentrate in the contaminated solvent
mixture, while metals are left behind in
the solids and water. Each fraction can
then be individually treated or disposed
of more cost effectively. A simplified
drawing of the solvent extraction
process is illustrated in Figure 1 on page
2. The solvent extraction process
involves five steps:
Preparation (screening the contami-
nated material)
Extraction
Separation of concentrated contami-
nants from solvent
Removal of residual solvent
Contaminant recovery, recycling, or
further treatment
These are explained in the following
paragraphs.
Solvent Extraction Profile
Separates contaminants so they may be treated Individually.
Is a transportable technology that can be brought to the site.
Reduces volume of contaminated material.
Processes from 24 to over 100 tons of waste per day.
)s designed to operate without air emissions.
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Region 5, Library (PM2J)
Produced by the
Superfund Program
1
Printed on Recycled Paper
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How Does It Work?
Treatment of contaminated soil will be discussed in this
guide, but the method would be essentially the same for
treatment of sludges or sediments.
The process begins by digging up the contaminated soil and
moving it to a staging area (a place where contaminated
material is prepared for treatment). The soil is then sifted to
remove debris and large objects, such as rocks. The soil
may be processed in either a batch, a semi-batch, or a
continuous mode. In the semi-batch mode, the material is
cycled through the extraction unit in increments. If the soil
is processed continuously, it may need to be made more
fluid so it can move easily through the process by pumping.
This is accomplished by adding water or, in the case of oily
sludges, adding solvents to the material.
The soil is placed in the extractor. Extractors can vary in
size. Some process 24 tons per day while others may treat
over 100 tons daily. The larger systems may require a set
up area of more than 4,000 square feet. This is about the
size of a tennis court. The solvent is poured into the
extractor, and the soil and solvent are mixed together.
Consequently, the organic contaminants dissolve into the
solvent.
A number of factors control the speed with which
contaminants are dissolved from the soil. Some of these
controlling factors include temperature, moisture content,
and the level of contamination. Each is critical to the design
of the treatment. Treatability studies performed in a
laboratory are required to determine how much solvent is
needed and how long the material must remain in the
extractor in order to assure maximum effectiveness. Since
some solids may contain contaminants that require more
than one cycle in the extractor for the solids to become
nonhazardous, this step of the process may require
repetition.
The extraction process produces three fractions:
The contaminated solvent mixture, which is removed
from the mixing tank and passed to a separation tank;
The treated soil or sludge (Depending on the
concentrations of contaminants present in the solids, the
solids may require a repeat cycle or further treatment by
some other technique);
The water, which must be analyzed to determine if
further treatment is necessary before discharge to either
a publicly-owned treatment plant or other approved
discharge area.
Figure 1
Solvent Extraction Process Flow
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Contaminated Soil
Treat
Again If
Necessary
Recycled Solvent
Solvent with
Organic ťJ
Contaminants
Water
Separator
Concentrated
Contaminants
(Further Treatment
or Disposal)
Treated Solids
Oversized Rejects
(Boulders, Logs, Etc.)
To OtherTreatment/Disposal
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The separation process occurs next The contaminated
solvent mixture flows to the separation tank. Here, the
pressure and temperature are changed, causing the organic
contaminants to separate from the solvent or the solvent is
extracted with another solvent At the completion of this
step, concentrated contaminants result Concentrated
contaminants are removed from the separation tank, and the
solvent is sent to the mixing tank for reuse. These
contaminants are then analyzed to determine their suitability
for recycle/reuse, or need for further treatment before
disposal.
Solvent extraction units are designed to operate without air
emissions. However, at some sites volatile air emissions
could occur during excavation or preparation of
contaminated soil. If air emissions exceed applicable
regulatory standards, then waste preparation and handling
procedures must be modified to meet the standards.
Why Consider Solvent Extraction?
Solvent extraction is both an effective and cost efficient
process for separating hazardous contaminants from non-
hazardous materials and concentrating the hazardous
materials for further treatment Because the contaminants
are separated, the treatment selected can be targeted to the
contaminant. As a result of solvent extraction, many of the
contaminants may be recycled or reused in manufacturing,
thus minimi/ing disposal requirements. The process has
been effective in removing organic contaminants from paint
wastes, synthetic rubber process wastes, coal tar wastes,
drilling muds, wood treating wastes, pesticide/ insecticide
wastes, and oily wastes.
What Contaminants Can It Treat?
Solvent extraction has been shown to be effective in treating
sediments, sludges, and soils containing primarily organic
contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), halogenated solvents
(solvents containing halogens, which are bromine, chlorine,
or iodine), and petroleum wastes. These contaminants
typically come from metal degreasing, printed circuit board
cleaning, gasoline, and wood preserving manufacturing
processes. Table 1 lists the solvents that are used. This
technology is generally not used for removing inorganics
(i.e., acids, bases, salts, and heavy metals) as these materials
do not readily dissolve in most solvents. Other treatment
methods can be applied to these contaminants.
Will It Work At Every Site?
Solvent extraction is effective at separating hazardous
organic contaminants from soils, sludges and sediments. It
does not reduce the toxicity of the contaminants and,
therefore, additional treatment techniques must be used
during the clean-up. Some of the limitations of this
technology include:
If the waste contains detergents or strong acids or
bases, solvent extraction may not be effective.
Their presence can reduce the amount of
contamination removed and inhibit the speed with
which the contaminants can be removed.
The presence of lead and other inorganics may
interfere with the removal of organic materials.
Implementation can require complex engineering
considerations. For example, some systems
include compressed butane and propane, which
require strict management to prevent them from
vaporizing and becoming flamable.
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What Is An Innovative Treatment
Technology?
Treatment technologies are processes applied
to the treatment of hazardous waste or
contaminated materials lo permanently after
their condition through chemical, biological, or
physical means. Technologies that have been
tested, selected or used for treatment of
hazardous waste or contaminated materials but
lack well-documented cost and performance
data under a variety of operating conditions are
called innovative treatment technologies.
s^ ,>
Where Is Solvent Extraction Being
Selected?
Solvent extraction has been selected as a treatment method
at several Superfund sites. Table 2 on page 4 lists some
sites, their locations, and the types of facilities. In addition
to using this technology at Superfund sites, solvent
extraction is also commonly used by manufacturers in their
day-to-day operations. Since solvents are expensive raw
materials that can be reused, manufacturers, such as the
drycleaning and perfume industries, regularly recycle the
solvents used in their manufacturing processes.
Table 1
Solvents Used In The Solvent Extraction Process
Liquid Carbon Dioxide
Propane
Butane
Triethylamine
Acetone
Methanol
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Table 2
Site Locations Where Solvent Extraction Has Been Selected*
Site Location Type of Facility
Norwood Massachusetts Industrial Waste Dumping
O'Connoc Maine Salvage and Electrical
Transformer Recycling
Pinette's Salvage Yard Maine Salvage and Vehicle Repair
Ewan Property New Jersey Industrial Waste Dumping
General Refining Georgia Abandoned Waste Oil
Recycling Facility
Traband Warehouse Oklahoma Abandoned Storage
Management Complex
'All waste types and soil conditions are not similar. Each site must be individually investigated and tested. Engineer-
ing and scientific judgment must be used to determine if a technology is appropriate for a site.
For More information
EPA prepared this fact sheet to provide basic Information on solvent extraction. Additional technical reports
are listed below. The documents containing a "PB" designation are available by contacting the National
Technical Information Service (NT1S) at 1-800-336-4700. Mali orders can be sent to:
National Technical Information Service
Springfield, VA 22161
Other documents may be obtained by contacting:
Center for Environmental Research Information
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
(513)569-7562
There may be a charge for these documents.
Applications Analysis Report - CF Systems Organic Extraction System, New Bedford, MA, EPA/540/
A5-90/002.
Evaluation of BEST Solvent Extraction Sludge Treatment Technology 24 Hour Test, PB88-245907.
Innovative Technology: BEST Solvent Extraction Process, EPA/9200.5-253FS; PB90-274218.
Engineering Bulletin, Solvent Extraction Treatment, September 1990, EPA/540/2-90/013.
NOTICE: This fact sheet is intended solely as general guidance and information. It is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any
party in litigation with the United States. The Agency also reserves the right to change this guidance at any time without public notice.
4 'U.S. Government Priming Office: 1992648-080/60004
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