An automated produced water treatment system that injects ozone or an ozone-oxygen mixture upstream of produced water separators, with the dose rate changing dynamically as the produced water quality changes, as determined by continuous monitoring of the produced water quality by a plurality of sensors that detect water quality parameters in real time. The system may operate as a “slipstream” injection system, that draws a portion of produced water from the produced water pipeline and injects ozone or an ozone-oxygen mixture back into the pipeline with disrupting or slowing normal operations. Disinfectants or other additives may also be injected. The treatment system may be wholly or partially contained in mobile containers or trailers, for on-the-fly use in existing produced water treatment facilities.

A medium for fast, selective oil-water separation and/or oil absorption includes steel wool modified with a polymer a polymer or a polymer mixture. The polymer or the polymer mixture is adapted such that the medium is a superwetting material that is superhydrophobic and superoleophilic under water. The polymer or the polymer mixture includes polydimethylsiloxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylpyrrolidone, or a combination thereof. The solution immersion method used to synthesize the medium requires only a single, simple step and affordable materials and, as a result, is easy to scale up.

There is disclosed processes and systems for improving the efficiency of the separation of insoluble contaminants from a fluid in a floatation unit.

Provided is a system and method for extracting organic solutes from water with a filter media. The system and method allow for regenerating the filter media following treatment of a water supply containing one or more organic solutes to allow the media to be reused for subsequent water treatment operations. The system and method also allows for regeneration of the displacement fluid for reuse in the regeneration of the media with recovery of at least one or more organic solutes from the displacement fluid. Additionally, the system and method allows for substantially continuous treatment of a water supply and regeneration of a filter media.

Provided are nanonets comprising a) a surfactant aggregate having an average aggregate diameter; and b) a polymer having an average particle diameter which average particle diameter is the same or smaller than the average aggregate diameter, wherein the nanonet has a diameter larger than the average particle diameter. Also provided are kits therefor and methods for sequestering non-water moieties from aqueous solutions using nanonets.

A method and system is provided for reducing produced water disposal volumes utilizing waste heat generated by thermal oxidation. Waste heat generated by thermal oxidation can be used to vapourize excess water, and to treat and scrub the water vapour for final release into the atmosphere. The system can utilize excess heat remaining after thermal oxidation to produce water vapour.

A mixing aerator is disclosed that includes a housing defining a chamber having a bottom end and a top end, the housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; and a longitudinally extending diffuser disposed within the chamber and configured to deliver air bubbles into the chamber when the chamber is filled with liquid. The diffuser includes (a) a tubular elastomeric membrane having a plurality of perforations and, within the tubular elastomeric membrane, (b) an air pipe having a plurality of openings, the openings being larger and fewer than the perforations, and the tubular membrane having upper and lower ends that are sealed against an outer surface of the air pipe.

A composite material of polyurethane foam having a layer of reduced graphene oxide and polystyrene is described. This composite material may be made by contacting a polyurethane foam with a suspension of reduced graphene oxide, drying, and then irradiating in the presence of styrene vapor. The composite material has a hydrophobic surface that may be exploited for separating a nonpolar phase, such as oil, from an aqueous solution.

A system for recovering fat, oil and grease (FOG) from wastewater has multiple annular flotation zones in a concentric configuration surrounding a central column to create progressively increasing surface areas for FOG and solid particles flotation, and thereby enhance FOG recovery and removal. Each flotation zone is equipped with an independent pressurized micro air and ozone bubbles distribution system. A controlled amount of ozone can be injected into the wastewater along with recirculated effluent and micro-size air bubbles. Upon the release of pressurized air-ozone-water mixture, micro-size bubbles are generated and distributed in each flotation zone to effectively float up FOG and solid particles in the wastewater stream.

The invention relates to chemical-based methods and products for mitigating the impact of an oil spill, that act via mechanisms which include reducing adhesiveness, herding, thickening and gelling. N-fatty acid amino acid (FA-AA) conjugates display oil-herding behavior when formulated as a salt, or the free acid in water-miscible organic solvents. Various salts of FA-AA conjugates are water soluble and can herd oils and increase the thickness of the oil layer. Replacement of the acid group of fatty acid α-amino acid conjugates with other groups that act as hydrogen bond donors and acceptors results in potent phase selective organo gellants. The oil thickeners or gellants include can be prepared from biobased feedstocks, have low toxicity, high capacity for oil and reduction of the need to use an organic solvent to apply the thickener or gellant to an oil and water mixture in order to gel the oil phase. ##STR00001##