Inventors:
Thaddeus J. Kaniecki - Pompton Plains NJ
Harold Diamond - Fort Lee NJ
Larry Rotter - Andover NJ
Rudolph N. Vermes - Randolph NJ
Assignee:
Diamond Chemical Company, Inc. - Lyndhurst NJ
International Classification:
C02F 152
Abstract:
The invention pertains to the purification of commercial, industrial and institutional waste streams in order to bring them into dischargeable compliance with environmental standards. The invention provides a system for removing contaminants, such as fats, oils and grease (FOGs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), from waste effluents on an essentially continuous basis. During the treatment process, the FOGs and TPHs disposed within the textiles to be cleaned are treated with an alkaline, pH- or acid-sensitive detergent, causing their emulsification. The effluent waste stream is then treated by removing the solids and particulates. The alkaline emulsion is broken up by acidification of the wastewater, thereby releasing and dispersing the FOGs and TPHs. The FOGs and TPHs in the broken-up and dissolved emulsion are agglomerated by the introduction of an organic, cationic polymer. The waste stream is then fed to a separation station, where the oils are adsorbed on an appropriate surface, such as a plate or lipophilic media pack.