The Science
Oily-wastewater is composed of suspended oily lipid droplets in water, interspersed with solid particles and with dissolved compounds, each having different molecular weights, chemistries and electrical charges. These electrical charges can be measured as the 'zeta potential' and tend to keep oily lipid droplets, solid particles and dissolved compounds from interacting chemically. Electrical charges tend to form a semi-stable emulsion (similar to milk), which is difficult to separate. However, under suitable conditions of a controlled and carefully applied DC voltage and current, several unique electro-chemical effects result:
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Coalescing Super Coagulation - the unit neutralizes the charges surrounding the lipid droplets, allowing them to quickly coalesce and 'super-coagulate' out of an emulsion. This applies to both heavy and aromatic hydrocarbons, with specific results in coalescing and super-coagulating dependent on molecular compound weights and their concentration within the fluid stream.
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Chemical Oxidation- Neptune's device creates free hydroxyl (OH-) radicals in solution which rapidly and aggressively combine with oily lipids, particulates and dissolved compounds, depending on their individual chemistries.
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In particular, the processor has the potential to break down complex organic molecules, including high molecular weight compounds that may be resistant to other forms of treatment, (such as pesticides, herbicides, dyes and wet-process chemicals).
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Neptune's device works on many dissolved metals by forming stable metallic oxides which rapidly precipitate from solution as particles which allows a high level of removal and directly reduces chemical oxygen demand in some wastewater cases.
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Biological Inactivation- free hydroxyl (OH-) radicals rapidly and aggressively combine with and destroy bacteria, viruses, cysts, macrophages and other biological contaminants, similar in effect to using ozone, but at a level of magnitude better. Depending on water chemistry and its contact time, inactivation is achievable. This biological inactivation potential is being used by the US military as a pre-treatment with reverse-osmosis (RO) to prevent biological-warfare on potable water supplies.
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The Neptune Processor has achieved nearly unobtainable wastewater treatment efficiencies through distillation and thermal dissociation. Prior to this innovation, distillation and thermal dissociation processes were cost prohibitive. A major technology resulted in this newfound efficiency. In order to evaluate the applicability of the unit to particular wastewater process streams through and detailed water chemistry should be conducted along with a volume sampling for bench testing to confirm theoretical prediction of treatment efficiency.
Distillation has shown to be an effective process for wastewater contamination. Its shortcomings are metallic and salt plating of the heat exchangers and inability to produce a complete product of a full reduction of waste stream. Neptune's water remedation processor can be used upstream of standard filtration units to pre-oxidize and pre-sterilize raw water, removing BOD, COD, dissolved metals and biological contaminants. Pre-treated water can be subjected to the system bypassing sand filtration, ultra-filtration, GAC and CDI/ RO, as required for raw water conditioning. The system meets all necessary potable water standards.