RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Every type of waste is different. What is contamination in one situation can become a valuable raw material in another. Realising this potential takes more than equipment: it takes knowledge, experience and the ability to find the right technical solution.
I.T.Soil’s development is built on more than two decades of experience in waste treatment, research and the continuous improvement of technical solutions.
Our journey has taken us from contaminated soil treatment and the recycling of individual materials to a versatile technical approach combining biological, physicochemical and thermal processes.
We study material properties, assess recycling options and develop solutions that return an increasingly wide range of waste materials to productive use.
Our greatest asset is more than our equipment. It is the knowledge that helps us use technology more effectively.
01 / OUR DEVELOPMENT
Contaminated soil treatment and the development of environmental technologies.
I.T.Soil’s history began in 2002. In the years that followed, contaminated soil treatment and environmental remediation became important parts of the company’s work.
One important technical direction was biological treatment: a process in which selected microorganisms help break down petroleum contamination in soil.
This technology requires an understanding of microbial activity, soil composition, contaminant properties and the conditions needed for effective treatment.
Working with contaminated soil became an important part of the company’s technical expertise and laid the foundations for developing a broader range of treatment methods.
The key outcome was experience that helps us understand contamination and select the most suitable treatment approach.
Research into continuous pyrolysis technology.
The next major step was the development of thermal treatment technologies.
Research project No. 118 explored the recycling of end-of-life vehicle tyres using continuous-flow pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis heats materials in an environment with limited oxygen. Under these conditions, complex organic compounds break down into gaseous, liquid and solid products.
The research included technical calculations, reactor and automated control system design, process modelling and practical investigation.
In 2015, a continuous pyrolysis prototype was developed with a design throughput of 0.5 tonnes per hour.
The prototype was only part of the achievement.
The work established a knowledge base for exploring pyrolysis applications for other, much more complex waste materials.
From recycling individual materials to an integrated system.
As our technical experience grew, it became clear that treating different types of waste need not rely on a single method.
Some contaminants can be broken down biologically. Others can be separated by washing, transformed through chemical reactions or treated at elevated temperatures.
This understanding laid the foundations for a more versatile recycling system.
Alongside the development of pyrolysis, our approach to contaminated soil treatment expanded to include biological treatment, chemical oxidation, stabilisation and washing.
Combining technologies makes it possible to assess solutions for materials that cannot be adequately treated using one method alone.
This stage established a guiding principle: select the right technology for each material rather than adapt every waste stream to one installation.
Expanding the applications of pyrolysis.
In 2019, a material research programme assessed the potential of pyrolysis for treating different types of industrial waste.
The research covered four distinct material groups:
Each material has a different composition and properties. Processing therefore requires an understanding of how it behaves at elevated temperatures and which process conditions are suitable.
The research assessed the technology’s suitability for new waste groups and provided practical experience in their thermal treatment.
Studying these four material groups was an important step from tyre pyrolysis towards more versatile industrial waste treatment.
Research findings put into practice.
Successful research is only the first step. Applying a technology to different materials requires an understanding and systematic description of each process.
Earlier research findings informed the development of methodologies for processing waste containing organic contaminants in a pyrolysis installation.
These extended the technology’s applications to contaminated soil, absorbents, oil filters, plastics and contaminated wood.
This stage demonstrated how research findings can become practical technical knowledge.
We develop both treatment capabilities and an understanding of the processes that make them possible.
From organic waste treatment to the recovery of industrial materials.
As pyrolysis applications continued to develop, attention also turned to spent industrial catalysts.
These materials may contain valuable metals such as vanadium, nickel and molybdenum.
However, organic substances and petroleum contamination often make catalyst reuse more difficult.
Pyrolysis offers a way to thermally treat these materials, remove organic contamination and prepare the metal-bearing material for further recovery.
The technology’s applications thus expanded from organic material treatment to opportunities for recovering valuable industrial resources.
Waste containing valuable metals can become an important source of secondary raw materials.
A broader range of treatment processes. More possibilities.
As the company’s technical expertise grew, integrating different treatment processes became increasingly important.
Pyrolysis, contaminated soil treatment, liquid waste treatment, distillation and wastewater treatment form complementary technical capabilities.
This system allows each waste stream to be assessed individually and matched with an appropriate treatment approach.
In some cases, the main aim is to break down contaminants; in others, to separate them or recover materials and substances for reuse.
A versatile technical approach can address more complex recycling challenges than a single technology alone.
Accumulated knowledge creates new opportunities.
Continuing technical development expanded the range of spent catalysts intended for pyrolysis treatment.
This includes various industrial catalysts, including materials containing transition metals and precious metals.
This development highlights the importance of adaptable technology.
Experience and established treatment approaches allow a broader range of materials to be addressed without always creating an entirely new process.
Knowledge gained from studying one material can become the basis for the next technical solution.
02 / OUR TECHNOLOGIES
There is no universal solution in waste recycling.
Materials differ in composition, contamination, physical properties and reuse potential.
That is why I.T.Soil combines several treatment approaches.
Using natural processes to break down contamination.
Biological treatment uses microorganisms capable of breaking down certain organic contaminants, including petroleum products.
Soil moisture, temperature, oxygen availability and the nutrients needed by microorganisms are controlled to support an effective process.
This method gradually reduces contamination and supports the return of soil to productive use.
Transforming contaminants through chemical reactions.
Chemical oxidation uses oxidising agents to transform certain organic contaminants in soil.
It complements biological treatment and offers another option for materials whose properties require a different technical approach.
Restricting the movement of contaminants.
Stabilisation uses suitable binders to reduce the mobility of contaminants in soil.
The aim is to limit the spread of contamination and improve the stability of the treated material.
Separating contamination from the material.
Soil washing uses water and, where needed, special additives to separate contaminants from soil particles.
After treatment, the contaminated water is directed to further purification.
This technology broadens treatment options for materials that cannot be adequately cleaned using biological methods alone.
Thermal treatment and resource recovery.
Pyrolysis is a thermal process in which organic materials break down into simpler compounds at elevated temperatures with limited oxygen.
Depending on the material’s composition, the process can produce gaseous, liquid and solid products.
The technology offers options for treating end-of-life tyres, plastics, contaminated wood and various industrial wastes.
Separating and recovering valuable substances.
Distillation relies on differences in boiling points and volatility.
Heating a liquid mixture allows its components to evaporate and then condense into separate fractions.
Under suitable conditions, distillation can recover usable substances from liquid mixtures and reduce the amount of material requiring further treatment.
Water treatment as an integral part of recycling.
Various waste treatment processes produce contaminated water that requires appropriate purification.
Wastewater treatment removes petroleum products, suspended solids and other contaminants through complementary physical, chemical and biological processes.
Water treatment is an essential part of an integrated waste treatment system.
03 / KNOWLEDGE THAT CREATES VALUE
Over more than two decades, I.T.Soil’s technical expertise has grown from individual treatment methods into a versatile approach to complex waste recycling.
Biological processes, chemical reactions, thermal treatment and separation technologies help us find solutions for different waste streams.
The variety of technologies is only one part of our development.
Equally important is the ability to understand material properties, analyse treatment processes, investigate materials and turn the resulting knowledge into practical solutions.
Our research and development aims to keep expanding the opportunities to recover resources from materials that would otherwise become waste.
We look beyond what a material is today to explore what it could become tomorrow.