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Compressor Condensate Oil Water Separation
Phase Separation & Oil Water

Compressor Condensate Oil Water Separation

Treating oil contaminated condensate from compressed air systems using compact oil water separation and activated carbon polishing to meet municipal sewer discharge.

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The Challenge
Every oil lubricated compressor generates condensate that carries 50 to 500 ppm of compressor lubricant. At the typical condensate generation rate this becomes a significant oily wastewater stream that fails the municipal sewer consent and contaminates the receiving water body if discharged directly.
Quick Answer

Compressor condensate oil water separation treats the water condensate that drains from compressed air receivers, dryers, and filter housings. The condensate carries 50 to 500 ppm of lubricating oil from the compressor; a compact separator plus activated carbon polishing delivers outlet below the typical municipal sewer consent of 30 mg/L petroleum hydrocarbons.

Compressor Condensate Oil Water Separation

Every Oil Lubricated Compressor Generates Oily Condensate

Compressed air systems condense moisture from the atmospheric air as the air is compressed and cooled. The condensate drains from the after cooler, the air receiver, the refrigerated dryer, and the line filter housings. Because the air carries entrained lubricant from the oil lubricated compressor, the condensate is oily at concentrations of 50 to 500 ppm. The wastewater stream is small in volume but significant in oil concentration; direct discharge fails the municipal sewer consent.

Compact Separator Plus Polishing Cartridge

The SorbiTech compressor condensate separator is a compact two stage unit: a gravity separator for the bulk free oil (which floats to the surface and is decanted) followed by an oleophilic polishing cartridge with an activated carbon polishing layer for the dispersed and dissolved oil. The unit fits in the compressor room with no civil work and ties in to the existing condensate drain piping.

Compressor Condensate Oil Water Separation process equipment

Sizing by Compressed Air Flow

Condensate generation scales with the compressed air flow and the inlet humidity. At typical industrial conditions (7 barg, 30 °C, 60 percent RH inlet) a 1,000 Nm³/h compressor generates 15 to 30 litres of condensate per hour. SorbiTech sizes the separator and the cartridge for the operator compressed air capacity with a margin for peak humidity conditions.

Cartridge Replacement Service

The polishing cartridge is replaced every 6 to 12 months depending on the condensate oil load. The spent cartridge is classified as oily waste and is collected for licensed off site disposal under the SorbiTech service contract. Sector coverage is industrial gas and industrial water treatment.

Selection Guidance

Compact gravity separator with replaceable polishing cartridge (oleophilic filter plus activated carbon). Sized for the compressor condensate generation rate (typically 1 to 5 L/h per 100 Nm³/h compressed air).

How SorbiTech Solves It

A Specified, Verified Solution

Define the duty

We capture your process conditions: flow, composition, pressure, temperature, and the target outlet specification.

Select media & configuration

Our engineers recommend the adsorbent grade and system type that meet the duty with margin.

Size & engineer

Bed sizing, vessel design, and cycle parameters are engineered to your case and documented for approval.

Commission & verify

We support loading, start up, and performance verification against the guarantee.

Recommended Products & Systems

Media

Adsorbents & Media

  1. 01 Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Adsorbent Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Coal based granular activated carbon for dechlorination, taste and odour, and dissolved organics in water. Form 12 × 40 US mesh (0.42–1.70 mm)
Equipment

Engineered Systems

  1. 01 SorbiTech Vehicle Wash Water Recycling Skid CPI Multimedia GAC Fleet Wash Recycling Equipment Vehicle Wash Water Recycling Skid Compact wash water recycling skid for car, truck, bus, and heavy equipment wash bays with staged CPI separation, coalescing polishing, and activated carbon adsorption. Capacity 0.5–50 m³/h
  2. 02 SorbiTech Coalescing Filtration Skid Oil Water Coalescer Filter Package Equipment Coalescing Filtration Skid Two stage coalescer and separator skid that removes fine dispersed hydrocarbons and solids from water down to single digit ppm. It is the polishing… Capacity 2–200 m³/h
  3. 03 CPI Oil Water Separator 1 Equipment CPI Oil Water Separator Corrugated plate interceptor that separates free oil and settleable solids from produced and industrial water to below 10 ppm. Compact, with no moving parts. Capacity 5–500 m³/h
Industries

Industries Using This Application

  1. 01 SorbiTech Industrial Water Treatment Pulp Paper Mill Water Block Daf GAC Sector Industrial Water Treatment Process water polishing, cooling tower blowdown, boiler feedwater, and groundwater remediation served by SorbiTech adsorbent media and engineered treatment skids.
  2. 02 SorbiTech Industrial Gas Air Separation ASU Cryogenic Distillation Cold Box Sector Industrial Gas & Air Separation Molecular sieves and carbon molecular sieve plus PSA/TSA systems for nitrogen and oxygen generation and cryogenic air separation pre purification.

Specify a Solution for This Application

Provide your process conditions and our team will recommend the grade, configuration, and sizing.

contact@sorbitech.com