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Title: Reduce oil and grease content in wastewater

Journal Article · · Hydrocarbon Processing; (United States)
OSTI ID:6426612
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Pace Consultants, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
  2. Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

Poor water quality is often blamed on biological oxidation unit malfunction. However, poorly treated water entering the bio-unit is more often the problem. At the microscopic level, oil/water-separation dynamics are influenced by pH, fluid velocity, temperature, and unit volumes. Oily water's physical and chemical properties affect pretreatment systems such as API separators, corrugated plate interception (CPI) separators, air flotation and equalization systems. A better understanding of pretreatment systems' limits and efficiencies can improve wastewater quality before it upsets the biological oxidation (BIOX). Oil contamination in refinery wastewater originates from desalting, steam stripping, product treating, tank drains, sample drains and equipment washdown. The largest volumetric contributors are cooling tower blowdowns and contaminated stormwater. The paper describes the BIOX process; oil/water separation; oil/water emulsions and colloidal solutions; air flotation; surfactants; DAF (dissolved air flotation) process; IAF (induced air flotation) process; equalization; load factors; salts; and system design.

OSTI ID:
6426612
Journal Information:
Hydrocarbon Processing; (United States), Vol. 72:6; ISSN 0018-8190
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English