The primary function of a thermal blanket is to heat the soil to the boiling point of the contaminants (usually 100 to 325 °C and as high as 900 °C[1]) so that they break down.
Aside from evaporation and volatilization, the contaminants may also be removed from the soil through other mechanisms such as steam distillation, pyrolysis, oxidation, and other chemical reactions.
It is reported that the application of the thermal blanket is limited[3] and this could be attributed to a number of concerns.
Incomplete destruction of contaminants may also lead to the introduction of dioxins and furans into the air.
Shell Technology Ventures, Inc., for instance, has developed its own ISTD thermal blanket solution that can treat or remove contaminants on near-surface soil or pavements without excavation.