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Abstract

A method of and apparatus for decontaminating contaminated soils and similar materials, the method includes (a) drying and comminuting contaminated soil and similar material in a mill through which a flow of hot gases is passed to provide a mixture of solids and gases; (b) introducing the mixture into a cyclone separator where the mixture is separated into gaseous and solid components; (c) thermally treating the solid components in a decontamination zone at a temperature effective to decontaminate at least a portion of the solid components; (d) passing the solid components after thermally treating same in step (c) into a dwell zone configured as a flow-through region; (e) thermally treating the solid components within the dwell zone at a temperature effective to decontaminate at least a portion of the solid components; (f) cooling the solid components after step (e) by transferring same into a cooling region of a cooling line; (g) thermally afterburning gaseous components from at least one of steps (b) and (c) in a burner; (h) cooling and filtering at least a part of the gaseous components from step (g); and (i) discharging the gaseous components from step (h) to the atmosphere.

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