Method and device for treating oil sludge and oil-containing waste water

• US 5,059,332 A
• Filed: 10/03/1990
• Issued: 10/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yukimasa Satoh
• Original Assignee: Yukimasa Satoh
• Inventors: Satoh, Yukimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIFSNYDER, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US07/592,274
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 210/257.1, 210/770, 210/771, 210/180, 210/188, 210/787, 210/806, 210/137, 210/785, 209/149, 209/211, 208/13, 208/187, 204/186, 204/188, 204/190, 204/98, 134/26, 134/27, 134/28
• US Class Current: 210/771
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/02 Separation of non-miscible liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0217 by centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/06 Separation of liquids from each other by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 33/00 Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils by distillation C10G7/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

A mixture of an oil sludge and an oil-contained waste water is first separated into a first oil-contained water and an oily dust containing metal-contained dust, fine metal powder and small fragments. Secondly, the oily dust is washed and separated into a harmless oil-free dust and a second oil-contained water containing the metal. Finally, both the first and second oil-contained water are separated into oil, harmless water and metal hydroxide by electrolysis. Thus, the mixture of the oil sludge and the oil-contained waste water is separated into components, which are in turn recovered, recycled, or converted into new materials, and the purification of the waste water can be realized.

Claims

1. A method of treating an oil sludge and an oil-containing waste water, comprising the steps of heating a mixture of said oil sludge and said oil-containing waste water to give a fluidity thereto;

feeding said mixture to a flashing vessel having an inner pressure maintained less than atmospheric pressure to vaporize off a part of the water and a light oil and to obtain a sludge containing an oil-containing dust, a heavy oil component and residual water;

cooling a vapor of said part of water and said light oil to condense said vapor and separate said part of water from said light oil and recovering said part of water and said light oil;

separating said sludge into said oil-containing dust and a primary oil-containing water comprised of said heavy oil component and said residual water by means of a first centrifugal separator;

separating said primary oil-containing water into said heavy oil component and said residual water as a secondary oil-containing water by means of a second centrifugal separator and recovering said heavy oil component;

washing said oil-containing dust separated by said first centrifugal separator with a washing liquid to elute oil attached to said oil-containing dust into said washing water and thereby obtain an oil-free dust and an emulsion;

separating said oil-free dust from said emulsion by means of a third centrifugal separator;

washing said oil-free dust with an acidic water, then washing said oil-free dust with an alkaline water, and finally washing said oil-free dust with a neutral water to obtain a waste washing water containing said oil-free dust;

separating said dust from said waste washing water by means of a fourth centrifugal separator to recover said dust;

adding a pH adjusting liquid to a mixture of said secondary oil-containing water, said emulsion and said waste washing water to adjust a pH value of said mixture;

electrolyzing said mixture after adjustment of the pH value in an electrolytic cell to separate the same into a scum containing said emulsion generated at an upper portion of said electrolytic cell, a sedimented substance containing a metal hydroxide collected at a lower portion of said electrolytic cell, and a residual liquid generated at an intermediate portion of said electrolytic cell;

returning said scum to said second centrifugal separator to treat the same;

recovering said metal hydroxide; and

discharging said residual liquid.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of separating off a part of said oil-containing dust by means of a vibrating screen before feeding said mixture of said oil sludge and said oil-containing waste water to said flashing vessel.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner pressure of said flushing vessel is maintained in the range of 300-500 mmHg.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating step is carried out by means of steam.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said first centrifugal separator is rotated at a low speed of 3,000-5,000 RPM.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said second centrifugal separator is rotated at a high speed of 15,000-36,000 RPM.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said washing liquid contains a solvent having a hydrophilic group and a lipophilic group.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said oil-free dust washed by using said acidic water is dehydrated by said fourth centrifugal separator.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said oil-free dust washed by using said alkaline water is dehydrated by said fourth centrifugal separator.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said oil-free dust washed by using said neutral water is dehydrated by said fourth centrifugal separator.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said scum returned to said second centrifugal separator is separated into oil and water.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of dehydrating said sedimented substance containing said metal hydroxide by means of a dehydrator before said recovering step of said metal hydroxide.