Benefits of ISTD

Works Equally Well in All Soil Types including Tight Clays and in Highly Heterogeneous Settings

An important feature of the ISTD thermal conduction heating process is that the thermal conductivity values for the entire range of known soils vary by a factor of less than plus or minus five, while fluid conductivity of soils may vary by a factor of a million or more. Thus, thermal conductivity of soil is largely independent of soil type. Further, heat flow through the soil formation is not generally limited by soil type, heterogeneity, or other factors that typically limit the effectiveness of remedial technologies that rely solely on the flow of fluids through the soil matrix.

Compared to fluid injection processes, the conductive heating process is very uniform in its vertical and horizontal sweep. Furthermore, transport of the vaporized contaminants is improved by the creation of permeability, which results from drying and shrinking of the soil. Flow paths are created even in tight silt and clay layers, allowing escape and capture of the vaporized contaminants. The combined effectiveness of both heat and vapor flow yields nearly 100% sweep efficiency, leaving no area untreated.