DuraRem™: in-situ microencapsulation of mining and Oil & Gas environmental liabilities in LATAM

DuraRem™ transforms soils contaminated with mining tailings and/or hydrocarbons. With this Duraflex technology, applied in situ —without having to move thousands of m³ of contaminated soil—, environmental liabilities become a permanent, inert, compactable material.

How it works

With DuraRem™ we are able to transform soils contaminated with metals, hydrocarbons, mining tailings, solvents and other contaminants into inert, compactable materials. Through the microencapsulation generated by sealing all types of capillarity, contaminated materials are converted into material suitable for infrastructure, allowing in-situ treatment.

Additionally, its impermeability prevents external liquids from penetrating and carrying contaminants outward.

As we say with DuraRem™: nothing goes out, nothing comes in!

Applications

The treated material is suitable for infrastructure such as:

• Roads
• Industrial parking foundations
• Housing foundations
• Dams
• Bricks

Advantages of in-situ treatment

• No need to move thousands of m³ of contaminated soil
• Environmental liabilities turned into a permanent, inert, compactable material
• Impermeability: contaminants stay microencapsulated and external liquids cannot penetrate
• Applicable to mining tailings and to soils with hydrocarbons, metals and solvents

Case study: Titanic Quarter, Belfast

In Belfast (Northern Ireland, UK) we treated contaminated soils from the Titanic Quarter, with hydrocarbons and heavy metals, and converted them into the foundations of a residential condominium, meeting UK contamination regulations.

Long-term integrity tests

Together with our distributor in Peru, we are developing tests using a protocol that demonstrates long-term microencapsulation according to international standards: the so-called integrity test, with leaching tests after freeze–thaw cycles. In the tests carried out at PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), microencapsulation reached 99.999% after 12 freeze–thaw cycles.

Soon we will also have additional tests from the United States (with different types of contaminants) and Argentina (integrity tests with hydrocarbons from Vaca Muerta).

Do you have a mining or Oil & Gas environmental liability?

Talk to Solo Rep to evaluate DuraRem™ for your operation in Argentina, Chile or LATAM: email [email protected] or visit our contact page.