Industrial Wastewater Treatment

We provide defoamer technologies to eliminate foam in boilers, cooling towers, and effluent systems, and ensure smooth operating conditions. The most common of these defoaming agents are surface tension reduction and bubble-wall destabilization products. Defoamer products consist of silicone, oil-based, ester-based, water-based, and polymeric constituents.

EMULSION BREAKERS

ChemTreat’s chemical treatment programs offer a complete portfolio of emulsion flocculants, which are suspensions of minute beads of high-molecular-weight polymer in water, emulsified in an oil carrier. The minute beads are approximately 1 micron in diameter and contain concentrated polymer dissolved in water. These concentrated polymer beads, or “hydrogels,” are dispersed in a carrier fluid of high-flashpoint mineral oil by means of a dispersing surfactant that keeps the hydrogels from coalescing into larger droplets. Because the hydrogels are of greater density than the carrier oil, they are prone to settle over time, resulting in concentrated polymer solids on the bottom of the container with a layer of oil on the top. This separation can develop faster if the droplets are large, so keeping the droplets small and well-dispersed is important in maintaining the product stability.

Emulsion flocculants are typically copolymers of acrylamide, a nonionic building block, and a charge-bearing monomer. In the case of anionic flocculants, the anionic charge is produced by co-polymerizing acrylic acid with the acrylamide monomer. The ratio of acrylic acid to acrylamide determines the degree of charge on the molecule.

In the case of cationic flocculants, the cationic charge is provided by co-polymerizing AETAC, a methyl acrylate-derived cationic monomer with the acrylamide monomer. The ratio of AETAC to acrylamide determines the degree of charge on the molecule.

Because the hydrogels are made up of tightly-coiled polymer chains, mixing energy and time are required to ensure full contact of the hydrogels with the water to enable the polymer chains to uncoil fully. The polymer chains may be cationic, anionic, or nonionic with varying charge weights. The charge on the chain helps uncoil the chain, so a higher-charged polymer will open faster than a low-charged or uncharged polymer.

A heavy metals removal program is necessary to ensure proper adherence to site discharge requirements for constituents such as iron, lead, copper, chromium, nickel, and manganese. These contaminants can enter wastewater streams from a variety of industrial processes, and if untreated, are toxic to the environment and living ecosystems. In recent years, many regulatory agencies have tightened discharge requirements for customer sites, and continue to monitor discharges to POTWs and the environment.

Are there odors in your water? Odors result from the presence of volatile organic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which readily evaporate into the surrounding air. There are several industries where wastewater odor control is necessary, such as paper, refining, natural gas separation and purification, industrial wastewater treatment, and animal and food processing. These odors can be reduced or eliminated by using operational, mechanical, or chemical treatment technologies, but severe odors often require a combination of several technologies.

AIR STRIPPER TREATMENT

Air stripping is an affordable and reliable wastewater odor control solution where the contaminated water is exposed to a countercurrent flow of air in a packed tower. The air strips out the VOCs and is either discharged or treated. An important component of using air strippers for industrial odor control and pollution is pretreatment. For example, wastewaters with high ammonia levels often require a pH adjustment prior to stripping to optimize performance. Additionally, the presence of iron, manganese, and bacteria in a water source will lead to scale and fouling within the air stripper, reducing the effectiveness of the system and other equipment. In some systems, calcium carbonate scale can also be a problem. ChemTreat offers assistance in reducing or eliminating air stripper fouling through the use of specialty chemicals, including iron and manganese stabilizers, scale inhibitors, and biocides.

Air strippers are also critical for health and safety as they can be used to remove hazardous air pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.

Sometimes waters that emit odors can be chemically treated without the use of an air stripper. ChemTreat provides a complete line of odor neutralizers, including hydrogen sulfide scavengers and absorbents to reduce or eliminate noxious odors regardless of the source.

PUREFloc products can be utilized alone or in conjunction with traditional inorganic metal salts in industrial wastewater treatment programs.

These coagulants have been successfully applied in water clarification for the Food & Beverage, Primary Metals, Automotive, Mining, and Oil & Gas industries.

Benefits over synthetic coagulants and inorganic salts typically include:

• Typical coagulant usage rate reduction of 25% or more
• Overall reduction of chemical use cost
• Higher oil reduction rates
• Low handling hazard and corrosivity
• Reduced sludge volumes
• Lower chlorides and sulfates

Trust ChemTreat for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

ChemTreat is a trusted industrial water treatment company with over 50 years of service and expertise. Our advanced laboratory services and experienced field engineers allow us to provide customized industrial water treatment programs and services across a range of industries. Our team can help you improve the efficiency of your facility and decrease operational costs. Contact us online to get in touch with our experts and schedule a consultation for custom industrial wastewater treatment solutions.

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