Everything you need to know about Thermal Desorption Units (TDU)

TDU is short for Thermal Desorption Unit. Thermal desorption is a reclamation process that uses high heat to separate hydrocarbons from various types of materials without onsite disposal or incineration. TDU is a specialized piece of equipment that heats contaminated material to a high enough temperature for a long enough time to dry it and vaporize the contaminants.

Contaminated material is placed in the TDU and heated indirectly by contact with a slowly turning drum that is heated on the outer shell. As the material is heated, the contaminants with low boiling points are forced to turn into vapor. The vaporized contaminants are then separated from the solids in the sludge. This process results in a clean and dry end product that can be disposed of easily and cost - effectively, and the vapor can be collected and treated in an off - gas treatment unit.

Thermal desorption system is commonly used in many industries, especially in the petroleum industry. It is used to process organic materials such as oil - bearing material from refineries and oil sludge. Oil sludge, which mainly comes from the extraction, gathering, transportation, and refining process of oil, has a complex composition1. TDU can convert complex and contaminated oil sludge into fuel oil through thermal desorption technology, achieving efficient and clean recycling1. Besides, TDU is also used in the field of soil remediation6. It can effectively degrade and remove pollutants such as chlorinated organic compounds (CVOCs), benzene - series compounds (BTEX), petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), mercury (Hg), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins, making the contaminated soil meet the reuse standards.

• Reduction: By separating fuel oil and syngas, thermal desorption technology significantly reduces the volume of oil sludge and the oil and water content in the solid residue.

• Resource utilization: TDU can achieve a high recovery rate of high - quality fuel oil and syngas. In addition, the energy utilization efficiency is further improved by recycling the heat energy of syngas.

• Harmless treatment: Waste residue, wastewater, and waste gas can all be discharged and reused in compliance with standards, and this recycling method does not produce secondary pollution.

In conclusion, TDU plays a vital role in waste treatment and resource recovery. It provides a sustainable and efficient solution for various industries to deal with contaminated materials, helping to protect the environment and save resources.