OPS applies and adapts its specialist core technologies to a growing variety of niche applications where there is a fundamental requirement to clean particulate matter and process the resulting wash water, either for discharge or re-use in the washing process. In most cases the primary driver for these applications is the constant need to reduce the volume of material being disposed to landfill – either because of an outright ban on landfill of oily contaminated materials, or, in the case of inert materials, increasing landfill taxes which are making recycling schemes for industrial waste streams economically viable.

OPS invites discussions with clients considering recycling processes and sets out here and in the accompanying case studies examples of successful projects and proposed solutions to problematic waste streams.

Roadside Gully Waste Recycling

Waste material from gully sucking trucks no longer needs to be disposed of to landfill. Once initial materials such as plastics and leaves have been screened off, the resulting material is approximately 50% sand and 50% oily water. Both of these streams can be re-used after treatment by appropriate OPS processes.

Interceptor Waste Recycling

Similar to gully waste, oily interceptor waste can be considerably reduced in volume for disposal if proven recycling techniques are employed to separate sand, oil and water. Such processes can be very cost effective for large waste generators who can substantially reduce waste collection and disposal charges.

Hazardous soil washing

Contaminated soil from former industrial waste sites such as gas works, timber processing plants and chemical works can now be treated by OPS processes like the AEV system. Toxic contaminants such as heavy metals and arsenic can either be removed from the aqueous phase by media systems or concentrated in the filtered silt from wash water, such that the total volume of waste to go to landfill can be reduced by 90% or more.

Typical hazardous soil treatment plant showing various stages of separation and classification.

Contaminated Rail Ballast

Thousands of tonnes of dirty rail ballast is deemed to be so badly contaminated each year that it is not permitted to be re-used in track laying operations – but neither can it be landfilled economically. Trials with OPS AEV technology have shown that this material can be washed to less than 0.1% hydrocarbons by weight – sufficient to permit re-use of such ballast as still meets the requisite size criteria.

Oily Millscale

Oily millscale is produced in steel rolling mills where oil is used as a quenching medium. Most of the particles are of sufficient size that they can be put back into the furnace and re-used. The fine particles, however, because of their greater surface area have more oil associated with them and could potentially cause an explosion in the furnace if returned untreated. In small-scale trials, the OPS AEV technology has been shown to reduce the oil content to acceptable levels whilst the oil can also be separated and returned for future use.

Please contact us for further details as to how OPS’s evolving technology might be applied to your waste recycling problem.