Oily Water Applications at Chemical Plants

In the chemical industry, oil is often discharged into wastewater during processes such as cooling or polymerization.

Overview

In the chemical industry, oil is often discharged into wastewater during processes such as cooling or polymerization. This oil/water solution typically collects in common industry basins following completion of one of these processes or sumps when rainwater washes away oil that has leaked or spilled.

Posing a need for oil separation and removal to ensure compliance with wastewater regulations, oil skimming systems like those from Oil Skimmers, Inc., deliver key players in the chemical industry numerous benefits, including:

• Produces cleaner wastewater – improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment and helping to avoid costly fines or the need to discharge in small amounts
• Lowers operational costs and maintenance needs
• Increases opportunity to meet and/or exceed local, state and federal EPA wastewater disposal requirements
• Creates new revenue through the sale of collected oil that can be reused or sold

Applications

In addition to general wastewater system treatment, common applications for oil removal in the chemical industry, include:

• Process water used throughout the cooling or polymerization process
• Cooling water areas containing oil leaks or spills
• Industry basins where chemicals and cooling water collects or drains and mixes with, or further mixes with, oil
• Industry sumps where rainwater runoff and oil leaks and spills collect