Bioflotation treatment of oil-containing waste water

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING OIL-REFINERY WASTE WATER CONTAINING OIL IN DISPERSED FORM WHICH COMPRISES ADJUSTING ITS ACIDITY TO A LEVEL IN THE PH RANGE OF ABOUT 61/2 TO 81/2, PASSING SAID OIL REFINERY WASTE WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 40 TO 100*F. IN SERIES THROUGH A PLURALITY OF AEROBIC ZONES WITH HOLDING TIMES IN EACH ZONE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT .3 TO 3 HOURS, TRITURATING AIR INTO THE WATER AT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WATER IN A HORIZONTAL AREA EXTENDING ACROSS THE UPPER INLET END OF EACH OF SAID ZONES TO FORM, DISPERSE AND IMPEL DOWNWARDLY THEREIN A MYRIAD OF FINE AIR BUBBLES, RESTRICTING ANY INCREASED SURFACE FLOW RATE AND TURBULENCE CAUSED BY THE BEATING STEP TO THE INLET END OF EACH ZONE WHEREBY THE WATER DOWNSTREAM THEREFROM RELATIVELY QUIESCENT SO THAT GROWTH OF BACTERIAL SLIME IS PROMOTED, OIL AND ORGANIC MATTER COALESCE THEREON AND OIL-SLIME PARTICLES ARE BUOYED TO THE SURFACE BY RESIDUAL COMPONENTS OF ENTRAPPED AIR BUBBLES, SKIMMING FLOATING ACCUMULATED OILY SLIME FROM THE UPPER PART OF EACH ZONE SO THAT SUNSTANTIALLY SCUM-FREE WATER IS DISCHARGED THEREFROM AND EMPLOYING AN AVERAGE FLOW RATE THROUGH SAID ZONES IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT .1 TO 10 FEET PER MINUTE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING OIL-REFINERY WASTE WATER CONTAINING OIL IN DISPERSED FORM WHICH COMPRISES ADJUSTING ITS ACIDITY TO A LEVEL IN THE PH RANGE OF ABOUT 61/2 TO 81/2, PASSING SAID OIL REFINERY WASTE WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 40 TO 100*F. IN SERIES THROUGH A PLURALITY OF AEROBIC ZONES WITH HOLDING TIMES IN EACH ZONE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT .3 TO 3 HOURS, TRITURATING AIR INTO THE WATER AT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WATER IN A HORIZONTAL AREA EXTENDING ACROSS THE UPPER INLET END OF EACH OF SAID ZONES TO FORM, DISPERSE AND IMPEL DOWNWARDLY THEREIN A MYRIAD OF FINE AIR BUBBLES, RESTRICTING ANY INCREASED SURFACE FLOW RATE AND TURBULENCE CAUSED BY THE BEATING STEP TO THE INLET END OF EACH ZONE WHEREBY THE WATER DOWNSTREAM THEREFROM RELATIVELY QUIESCENT SO THAT GROWTH OF BACTERIAL SLIME IS PROMOTED, OIL AND ORGANIC MATTER COALESCE THEREON AND OIL-SLIME PARTICLES ARE BUOYED TO THE SURFACE BY RESIDUAL COMPONENTS OF ENTRAPPED AIR BUBBLES, SKIMMING FLOATING ACCUMULATED OILY SLIME FROM THE UPPER PART OF EACH ZONE SO THAT SUNSTANTIALLY SCUM-FREE WATER IS DISCHARGED THEREFROM AND EMPLOYING AN AVERAGE FLOW RATE THROUGH SAID ZONES IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT .1 TO 10 FEET PER MINUTE.