How Do I Remove Oil from Water?
Removing Oil from Water
Many people across all areas of industry ask the same question every day: how do you remove oil from water? Machine shops, steel mills, and industrial manufacturers constantly face the challenge of removing oil from coolants and wastewater. This ongoing issue drives up disposal and maintenance costs. In many cases, local water treatment facilities charge manufacturers high fees to properly treat contaminated water.
To reduce costs and minimize disposal liabilities, companies actively seek effective ways to remove oil from water or coolant. A cleaner coolant system also improves the work environment. When oil is left in the coolant tank, it encourages the growth of anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria break down the coolant’s chemical structure, forcing more frequent coolant changes.
Oil-laden coolant with a high concentration of anaerobic bacteria poses two additional problems. First, the bacteria create a foul odor. Second, the oil produces smoke when it contacts the hot cutting tool during operation.
Oil Skimmers
One of the easiest ways to remove hydrocarbons from water or coolant is by using a belt oil skimmer. It is a low maintenance, easy to use tool for removing oil from water or coolant.
Belt oil skimmers, such as the Model 8, work because of the differences in specific gravity between oil and water. Water has a specific gravity of one. Most oils have a specific gravity of less than one. Because of these differences, oil floats to the top of the water where it can be removed. A belt oil skimmer uses oil oleophilic material, (usually made of stainless steel or plastic), in the form of a belt to break the surface tension of the water to attract and collect the floating oil.
The belt passes through a set of wiper blades via a motorized head pulley where the oil is wiped off both sides of the belt. The oil then flows through the skimmer troughs and into a proper disposal container. Because the belt materials used do not attract water, very little coolant or water is picked up.
Some of the advantages of using a belt oil skimmer over other methods to remove oil are the lower initial cost compared to coalescers and other filtration systems, low maintenance, no filters to change, and no mess involved as with absorbent booms or pads. With an oil skimmer, virtually the only required maintenance is replacing a belt and wiper blade set as needed. Next, Abanaki skimmers require very little operating space, usually with no modification to the tank. Finally, our oil skimmers have pick-up rates of up to 200 gph with minimal water or coolant content. Other forms of oil removal cannot perform as well.
Reducing Disposal Costs
Many companies have found ways to turn disposal costs into income. By using an Abanaki oil skimmer to remove oil from coolant, one company began selling its used oil for recycling instead of paying to dispose of oil-contaminated coolant.
Another cost-saving benefit came from extending coolant life, which reduced both coolant replacement and maintenance expenses. As a result, the Abanaki oil skimmer paid for itself in a short time.
Abanaki Corporation designs and manufactures a wide range of oil skimmers to fit any application size. Whether it’s a small coolant tank in a CNC lathe or a large-scale pit in a steel mill, Abanaki has a skimmer that can handle the job. We offer models that remove anywhere from 1 to 200 gallons of oil per hour. Our turnkey systems include options for motors, heaters, stands, and oil concentrators. You’ll find Abanaki skimmers in parts washers, car washes, wells, steel mills, and other industries where hydrocarbons must be removed.
Learn more about Abanaki belt oil skimmers.
By Christopher Ott, Product Manager
Abanaki Corporation; Oil Skimmer Division
