&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/540/MR-94/525
October 1994
SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION
Demonstration Bulletin
SFC Oleofiltration System
InPlant Systems, Inc.
Technology Description: The InPlant Systems, Inc. SFC
Oleofiltration System (SFC System) is a hydrocarbon recovery
technology that utilizes an amine-coated ceramic granule to sepa-
rate suspended and mechanically emulsified hydrocarbons from
aqueous solutions. The granules reportedly also separate some
chemical emulsions and reduce concentrations of dissolved hy-
drocarbons.
The SFC System combines a conventional oil/water separator, a
coalescing unit, and an innovative ceramic granule filtration sys-
tem (i.e., the Oleofitter) into one unit, reportedly capable of
treating virtually any oil/water mixture. Units are available in sizes
capable of treating 2.2 to 50 gallons per minute (gpm); other
systems utilizing stand-alone components are capable of treating
up to 600 gpm. All units operate at atmospheric pressure.
Figure 1 presents a stylized cross-sectional view of the liquid flow
through the SFC System. The oil/water mixture feeds into the top
of the unit through Port A, where free floating oil is removed by
the oil/water separator. Emulsified oil then flows downward inside
the outer shell and upward past the coalescing plates. The
gravity-separated, coalesced oil and the oil captured by the oil/
water separator are discharged from the system through Port B.
Final cleansing occurs as the remaining material flows upward
through the center of the unit and then drains through the bed of
oleophilic amine-coated ceramic granules. The treated water then
exits the system through Port C.
When the Oleofilter becomes saturated with hydrocarbons and
suspended solids (the developer states that 15 to 20 liters (L) of
hydrocarbons can be retained by 100 L of oleophilic granules),
the filtering bed regenerates itself by automatically backflushing.
Backflushing is activated when the system reaches a set pres-
sure drop through the bed. The pressure drop that initiates
backflushing can be adjusted to optimize filtration time, while
preventing filter breakthrough. Water for backflushing is pumped
into the bottom of the system through Port C. The resulting oil/
water mixture then drains from Port D near the top of the unit.
The coalesced hydrocarbons in the mixture can be treated by
gravity separation or recycled into the SFC System.
The oleophilic granules are produced by "grafting" a hydrophobia
amine to a ceramic substrate through a series of substitution
reactions. Each granule is 0.6 to 1 mm in diameter (similar in size
to sand grains) and has a large surface area due to the high
porosity of the ceramic substrate. The amine's hydrophobic prop-
erties attract hydrocarbons present in an emulsion in water. The
hydrocarbons remain attached to the amine by weakcharges
Concentrated
OtOuOet __
(PortB)
Coalesced Oil
Treated Water
OutieVBackflush
Water Inlet «•— P
(PortC) U
Coalescing
Plates
Oil/Water
Inlet
(Port A)
Oleophilic
Product
Water for
Oleophilic
Filtration
Note: The backfiush water outlet
(Port D) is not shown In this view.
Source: Adapted from SFC 0.5x
Operating Manual. 1992.
Figure 1. SFC 0.5 Oleofiltration System Configuration.
while the treated water exits the system. The SFC System is
designed to reduce hydrocarbon concentrations in water streams
to levels consistent with other secondary treatment systems.
When used as a component of a treatment train, the technology
can significantly reduce hydrocarbon loading to other downstream
treatment equipment, such as air strippers and carbon filtration
units.
Waste Applicability: According to the developer, the amine-
coated granules have proven effective on a wide variety of
hydrocarbons including gasoline, crude oil, diesel fuel, BTEX,
and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. The unit reportedly also
Printed on Recycled Paper
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removes chlorinated hydrocarbons such as pentachiorophenol,
PCBs, and trichloroethane as well as vegetable and animal oils.
The stated advantage of this system over conventional oil/Water
separators is its ability to remove oil emulsified in water to con-
centrations less than 15 milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Field Demonstration Results: The U.S. EPA's Superfund Inno-
vative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program conducted a dem-
onstration of the SFC 0.5 Oleofiltration System at the Petroleum
Products Corporation (PPC) Site near Ft. Lauderdale, FL during
June 1994. The site is a former oil recycling facility where the
groundwater has been contaminated with a variety of organic and
inorganic constituents. Accidental releases during the operation of
the facility resulted in the deposition of approximately 29,000 gal
of free product (used oil) on the groundwater surface.
The feed oil for the demonstration was recovered from the site
and thinned with lighter petroleum products. The feed stream to
the SFC System was generated by emulsifying the feed oil and
groundwater using an air-powered inline blender. Five separate
evaluation periods (runs) were initiated. Each run used the same
feed oil, except Run 4. The oil for Run 4 was a 3:1 mixture of oil to
kerosene. The average total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbon
(TRPH) concentrations for the feed streams ranged from 422 to
2,267 mg/L.
A primary goal of the demonstration was to evaluate whether the
SFC System could remove at least 90% of the TRPH from the
emulsified oil/water feed stream. Preliminary data indicate that the
SFC System met this goal.
Another demonstration goal was to determine whether the SFC
System could reduce TRPH concentrations in the treated water
effluent to 15 mg/L or less. For the runs where the system
operated within normal design parameters, this goal was met.
A third goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of the oleophilic
granules by comparing the TRPH concentration in the water
before and after passing through the granules. The oleophilic
granules achieved a 95% reduction in TRPH concentration for
the runs with similar feed oil.
EPA will publish a Technology Capsule and an Innovative Tech-
nology Evaluation Report in the Spring of 1995. These reports
will address all demonstration test results in detail, including
analysis of process inputs, intermediates, and outputs; effective-
ness of the SFC System and the innovative granules; system
reliability; and estimated costs.
For Further Information Contact:
EPA SITE Project Manager
Laurel Staley
U.S. EPA
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
(513) 569-7863
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/540/MR-94/525
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