Thermal Conduction Heating (TCH)
When contaminants boil above 100 °C — or the geology defeats every fluid-based technology — TCH delivers uniform, controllable heat through any soil or rock.
How TCH Works
TCH uses vertical heater wells — steel casings containing electric heating elements that operate at several hundred degrees Celsius. Heat moves outward from each well by thermal conduction, a process so uniform and predictable that virtually any soil type, moisture condition or rock formation heats at a designable rate.
Between the wells, the target zone climbs past the boiling point of water and, where required, well beyond it. Volatile and semi-volatile contaminants vaporize or are destroyed in place by pyrolysis and oxidation, and a co-located vapor extraction network captures everything under vacuum for treatment at the surface.
What makes conduction different
- Geology-independent — thermal conductivity of soils varies by only a factor of ~2, versus orders of magnitude for hydraulic permeability. Heating is uniform even in clay and fractured rock.
- Higher temperatures — the only in situ technology that routinely exceeds 100 °C throughout the target zone, unlocking SVOCs and heavy hydrocarbons.
- Precise control — each heater's output is individually adjustable, shaping the heat front around foundations, utilities and property lines.
When TCH Is the Right Choice
- Semi-volatile compounds and heavy fuels that boil above 100 °C
- Dry, resistive or highly heterogeneous soils where ERH current cannot flow
- Source zones in fractured bedrock
- Sites requiring aggressive mass removal on a firm schedule
- Combined remedies — TCH for the hot core, ERH or bioremediation for the fringe
TCH at a Glance
Any geology
Clay, silt, sand, dry soil, fractured rock — conduction heats them all at a predictable rate.
Highest temperatures
Target zones can be driven far beyond 100 °C, treating compounds no other in situ method reaches.
Surgical precision
Individually controlled heaters shape the treatment volume around structures and utilities.
TCH — Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature does TCH reach?
Heater wells operate at several hundred degrees Celsius at the heater face, allowing target-zone temperatures well above 100 °C where the remedy requires it.
Does TCH work in fractured rock or dry soil?
Yes. Conduction does not depend on moisture or permeability, so TCH performs consistently in clay, dry soils and fractured bedrock.
When is TCH preferred over ERH?
When contaminants boil above 100 °C (SVOCs, heavy fuels, tars), when soils are too dry or resistive for electrical current, or when the target zone sits in bedrock. Our free site evaluation compares both options for your site.
High-Boiling Contaminants? Difficult Geology?
TCH was made for the sites everyone else walks away from. Ask our engineers if it fits yours.
Request a Free Site Evaluation