Oily sour water

Petroleum distillation units generate considerable wastewater. The process water used in distillation often comes in direct contact with oil and can be highly contaminated. Both atmospheric distillation and vacuum distillation produce an oily, sour wastewater (condensed steam containing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia) from side-stripping fractionators and reflux drums. 

Colorless deliquescent crystals or oily liquid sour odor density 1.493 g/cm melts at 26.5°C hoils at 130°C very soluble in water, alcohol and ether density of a 50% aqueous solution is 1.13 g/mL. 

The term aqueous phase separation is often more simply described as oil-in-water microencapsulation. The two encapsulation processes described above are examples of this oil-in-water encapsulation. In this process the core material is the oil and it should be immisible in the continuous phase, namely water. A commercial example of aqueous phase separation would be the microencapsulation of an oily flavor such as sour cream with a gelatin wall. These microcapsules would then be dispersed in a dry cake mix. The mechanism of release would be during the moist baking cycle of the cake, moist-heat causing the capsule walls to first swell and then rupture. 

Properties Colorless, oily liquid or deliquescent crystals sour odor. D 1.439, mp 26.5C. Soluble in water. A strong monobasic acid and reducing agent, sold in solution. 

Process water is sometimes separated from oily water and includes sour condensates and desalter blowdown. 

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