Decontamination process.

摘要

An economical process for separating chemical contaminants such as volatile and semivolatile organic chemicals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), even if the contaminants are present at low concentrations, from inert materials such as soils or sludges. The process comprises subjecting a feed material to a reduced pressure of from 6.6 x 10<3> to 5.3 x 10<4> Pa at a temperature below the incineration or pyrolysis temperature of the material but effective to volatilize chemical contaminants present therein, and substantially continuously removing the resulting evolved vapours for a period of time sufficient to effect the desired degree of decontamination of the material.