Removal of bulk solids from waste / wastewater drum

[BmaninMN]

Hi. I have an application where we have 55-gal drums of wet scrap. The waste consists of roughly 75% liquid by volume. The liquid is a latex that we can coagulate and discharge the supernatant to the sanitary sewer. Currently the waste is disposed in an incinerator which is very costly.

Our biggest obstacle separating the liquid from the solids. The solids consist of chunks of hardened polymer, polypropylene fibers, cloth materials, and misc debris from the process. The solids cannot be administratively removed from the waste stream, i.e., we cannot get operators to separate the solids from the liquids due to the nature of the waste steam and operations.

Does anybody know of a good mechanism to remove the solids from the waste drum. If you visualize a waste drum of this, then poke holes in the bottom and use a hydraulic plunger to press the liquid out, you'll see what could work in theory. In reality, we don't want to destroy each drum, but hopefully you can visualize the concept.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[rbcoulter]

I have seen this problem solved by having the entire
full drum put into a machine a ground into "chunky" like
slurry. You would then send this through a strainer.
The solids would then be landfilled. The water coagulated with the clarified material posssibly permitted for sewer discharge. The solids filter pressed for landfill.

 

[smile1]

We designed a plant that specifically handles waste material such as yours. The drums are singulated, punctured, the contents extruded, stabilized in a process, and the result is suitable for landfill. Our customers have determined that this is the most cost effective solution for them. The process is totally automated with no operator contact with the material in the drums. So, yes, what you are proposing can be done.

 

[kenvlach]

The answer depends in part on the volume & characteristics of the waste, what possible savings to justify some equipment & operator expense.
1) What is the volume created?
2) Why aren’t you screening out the larger solids?
3) Do the PP fibers float on top?
3) Is the mixture pumpable by diaphragm pump?
3) Why are you drumming it up in the first place?
4) Would the latex clog up filter plates (10 micron PP cloth) in a filter press?
5) Are your solids non-hazardous when separated?

I would consider putting 2 rectangular, open top tanks side by side. Above one tank, place a fine SS screen with box on 3 sides, & a foot higher place a coarse SS screen, also with box on 3 sides. Use some kind of open grid to support each screen. Pump the stuff onto the top screen, let the liquid flow through to the tank. Have somebody use a large squeegee to clean solids off the screen from the free side into the adjacent tank. Put the liquid into a circular tank for treatment to coagulate solids, then a settling tank, preferably an elevated, conical bottom tank. Siphon off clear water, pump sediment into a filter press. If your solids are all non-hazardous, put into dumpster or if not permissible, accumulate in supersacks.
I don’t know how well latex solids settle out or whether non-hazardous. Maybe you can add to your screened solids and add some absorbent like bentonite to ensure no free water for landfill. If so, you can skip the filterpress which is the only expensive item in this setup.

 

[BmaninMN]

This is to answer the questions kenvlach put up there:

1) What is the volume created?
35000 gal/yr

2) Why aren’t you screening out the larger solids?
The gloves and rags could easily be screened. however, glumps of fiber are not easily screened.


3) Do the PP fibers float on top?
no

3) Is the mixture pumpable by diaphragm pump?
Not over any period of time due to clogging

3) Why are you drumming it up in the first place?
Manual latex changeovers, removal of fibers from the process

4) Would the latex clog up filter plates (10 micron PP cloth) in a filter press?
Yes

5) Are your solids non-hazardous when separated?
Yes, non-hazardous