Contaminant-reactive geocomposite mat and method of manufacture and use

Abstract

Reactive geocomposite mats, and their method of manufacture, for treating contaminants in soil or water that allow the passage of essentially non-contaminated water therethrough. The geocomposite mat includes a pre-formed woven or non-woven geotextile, having a thickness of about 6 mm to about 200 mm, and having, a porosity sufficient to receive a powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material, contaminant-sorptive material, or a contaminant-neutralizing material (hereinafter collectively referred to as “contaminant-reactant material” or “contaminant-reactive material”) throughout its thickness, or in any portion of the thickness across its entire major surface(s). The powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material is disposed within the pores of the previously formed, high loft geotextile mat to surround the fibers, e.g., by vacuum or vibrating the high loft mat while in contact with the contaminant-reactive material to allow the powdered or granular contaminant-reactive material to flow by gravity into the pores of the previously formed geotextile and vibrational forces. Liquid-permeable cover sheets are adhered to the upper and lower major surfaces of the filled geotextile to prevent the powdered or granular material from escaping from the geotextile during transportation and installation.

1 . A reactive, water-permeable geocomposite article for treating contaminants in soil or water comprising 
 a pre-formed geotextile mat formed from woven or non-woven fibers, having a thickness of about 6 mm to about 200 mm and having upper and lower major surfaces and an apparent opening size in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm, wherein the geotextile has void spaces between geotextile fibers that provide sufficient porosity to receive a powdered or granular reactive;    a powdered or granular reactive material disposed within void spaces of the geotextile mat and surrounding the geotextile fibers;    a liquid-permeable cover sheet adhered to the reactive material-containing geotextile mat to confine the reactive material within the geotextile article.    
   
   
       2 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered or granular reactive material is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, coke breeze, zero-valent iron, apatite, organophilic clay, zeolite, polymeric ion exchange resins, polymeric adsorbing resins and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 1 , wherein the geotextile fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyester, polyamide, and copolymers of any two or more of the foregoing.  
   
   
       4 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 2 , wherein the reactive material is an adsorbent material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, coke breeze, organophilic clay, and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       5 . (canceled)  
   
   
       6 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 5 , wherein the powdered or granular reactive material has a particle size such that at least 90% of the particles have a size in the range of about 6 mesh to about 325 mesh.  
   
   
       7 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 5 , wherein the powdered or granular reactive material comprises about 50% to about 99.9% by volume of the geotextile mat.  
   
   
       8 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 1 , wherein the geocomposite article has 30 lb/ft 3  to 100 lb/ft 3  of powdered or granular reactive material contained therein.  
   
   
       9 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 3 , wherein the geotextile fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers and polyamide fibers.  
   
   
       10 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-formed geotextile mat is non-woven.  
   
   
       11 . The reactive geocomposite article of  claim 10 , wherein the liquid-permeable cover sheets are non-woven textiles.  
   
   
       12 .- 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . The method of claim  19 , including the step of covering all edge surfaces with excess cover material, and securing the excess cover material to the geocomposite article thereby reducing or eliminating escape of powdered or granular material through all edge surfaces of the geotextile article.  
   
   
       21 . The method of claim  19 , wherein the cover sheet is secured over the edge surface by an expedient selected from the group consisting of adhesively securing, needlepunching and ultrasonic welding.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the cover sheets is secured over all edge surfaces by an expedient selected from the group consisting of adhesively securing, needlepunching and ultrasonic welding.  
   
   
       23 . A method of manufacturing a multi-layer geocomposite article having a geotextile layer filled with a powdered or granular material adhered to an adjacent geotextile mat containing no added powdered or granular material comprising: 
 providing a pre-formed geotextile mat having an apparent opening size in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm and having opposed major surfaces;    contacting one of the major surfaces of the geotextile mat with a powdered or granular material capable of sorbing, reacting with, or neutralizing a liquid-contained contaminant, and causing the powdered or granular material to flow into the pre-formed geotextile mat to fill at least a major portion of void spaces in the pre-formed geotextile mat;    adhering liquid-permeable cover sheets to the opposed major surfaces of the pre-formed geotextile mat after the mat has received the powdered or granular material, to form an at least partially filled first geotextile layer; and.    
   
   
       24 . (canceled)  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second geotextile mat is unfilled.  
   
   
       26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . (canceled)  
   
   
       30 . A method of treating contaminated water comprising submerging a water-permeable geocomposite article in water to cover an underwater soil surface for treating contaminants in said soil surface, said water-permeable geocomposite article comprising a pre-formed geotextile mat formed from woven or non-woven fibers, and having an apparent opening size in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm containing an organophilic clay within void spaces of the geotextile mat and surrounding the geotextile fibers; and 
 a liquid permeable cover sheet adhered to the reactive material-containing geotextile mat to confine the organophilic clay within the geotextile article.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the geotextile fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyester, polyamide, and copolymers of any two or more of the foregoing.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the organophilic clay has a particle size such that at least 90% of the particles have a size of about 6 mesh to about 325 mesh.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the geocomposite article has 30 lb/ft 3  to 100 lb/ft 3  of organophilic clay contained therein.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the geotextile fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers and polyamide fibers.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the pre-formed geotextile mat is non-woven.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the liquid-permeable cover sheet is a non-woven textile.