Wastewater generated by industrial operations, such as steel manufacture, mining, and food processing, as well as truck or equipment washdowns, sometimes includes oils and other pollutants. Water needs to be treated to remove the oil content before it can be reasonably released or recycled.
An Oil Water Separator, therefore, becomes quite helpful. Our speciality at Citi Industries is installing oil-water separators in wash bays across various sectors, enabling companies to comply with environmental regulations, reduce expenses, and generate income.
What Is an Oil Water Separator?
Designed to separate oils and suspended particulates from wastewater, an oil-water separator is initially based on American Petroleum Institute (API) standards established in the 1930s. These systems are today found in everything from steel mills to petrochemical plants.
Managing wastewater before it is sent into municipal systems or returned to the environment depends largely on oil-water separators. They ensure that facilities meet legal requirements, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of wastewater treatment systems.
How Does an Oil Water Separator Work?
An oil-water separator is a flow-through mechanism that extracts oil from water by means of gravity and coalescence. The separator’s basic idaea is that, given the correct circumstances, oil will naturally rise to the surface because its density is lower than that of water.
The process is as follows:
- Oily water comes into the entrance of the separator.
- A baffle helps to lessen turbulence; solids start to settle towards the bottom.
- Oil droplets float to the surface to create a coating that can be skimmed off.
- Clean water free from suspended particles and oil comes out from a designated outlet.
The performance is influenced by:
- Size and density of an oil drop
- Flow rate and retention period
- Tank size and form
Let’s investigate the two often utilised forms of oil-water separators in industry.
Types of Oil Water Separators
1. Gravity Oil Water Separators (API Separators)
These depend just on the variations in specific gravity between water and oil. The approach is broken out here:
- Oily water reaches a baffle.
- Gravity pulls solids towards the bottom.
- Rising to the surface and gathered at the top is oil.
- One second baffle stops the oil from leaving with the treated water.
Large-scale industrial systems, where space and volume allow for slower separation, make great use of these.
2. Coalescing Oil Water Separators
These systems feature oleophilic (oil-attracting) mediums, but they operate much like gravity separators. Their performance improvement follows:
- Water passes across a media bed.
- When attached to the media, oil droplets mix (coalesce) to form larger droplets.
- These bigger droplets climb faster, hence enhancing separation efficiency.
More small installations and applications requiring higher separation performance will find a perfect fit in this design.
Advantages of an Oil Water Separator
Putting in an oil water separator especially one catered to your site has many benefits:
Enhanced Oil Elimination
Effective separation helps skimmers to remove floating oil, hence lowering pollution quickly.
Improved wastewater treatment
The first removal of oils improves and prolongs the performance of downstream filtration and chemical treatment systems.
Compliance with Regulations
Meet local and federal discharge criteria to avoid expensive penalties.
Reduced Maintenance Charges
A properly sized and installed separator keeps other systems cleaner and calls for less maintenance.
Prospective Revenue
Sometimes, recovered oil is sold or used, generating extra cash.
Why Should You Install Your Oil Water Separator Through Citi Industries?
At Citi Industries, we have extensive knowledge in installing industrial facilities and wash bays oil-water separators. Whether a gravity or coalescing separator is the best fit, we evaluate your site characteristics, wastewater type, and flow rates to suggest.
Our dedication to compliance and quality ensures that your company remains ahead of environmental regulations and helps to save on long-term operational expenses.
Does your facility require an oil-water separator?
Get in touch with Citi Industries now to find out more about our complete oil-water separator solutions. Let’s help you control wastewater more sustainably and effectively.
1300 002 484
