Refinery Acid Sludge Atomizer

 The Problem 

A by-product of petroleum refinery operations is acid sludge, a black mixture of asphaltic hydrocarbons, sulfuric acid and water. This material is highly corrosive and would cause disastrous contamination in any disposal area.

 Our Solution 

Long before “being green” became a national concern, Preferred developed equipment for a process designed to recycle this waste. Not only does this process eliminate a critical disposal problem, it pays important dividends in the form of fresh, white, 99% sulfuric acid. The heart of this regeneration process is the Preferred acid sludge atomizer which was designed specifically for this application. Built of acid-resistant materials, it has a range of sizes to handle from 100 to 7,000 gallons of sludge per hour. This unique atomizer utilizes centrifugal force combined with a blast of compressed air to break the sludge into a mist of minute droplets which is blown into a refractory lined furnace. This atomized waste is burned in suspension. In most instances supplementary fuel is used to augment the hydrocarbons in the sludge to maintain the required 2200° F furnace temperature. When the waste has an adequate hydrocarbon content the firing of the supplementary fuel is discontinued and the combustion of the sludge becomes self-supporting. The hot gas is drawn from the furnace through a series of stills, scrubbers, heat exchangers and other apparatus which reclaims the sulfur and otherwise cleans and cools the gas before it is released to atmosphere.

This atomized waste is burned in suspension. In most instances, supplementary fuel is used to augment the hydrocarbons in the sludge to maintain the required 2200° F furnace temperature. When the waste has adequate hydrocarbon content the firing of the supplementary fuel is discontinued and the combustion of the sludge becomes self-supporting. The hot gas is drawn from the furnace through a series of stills, scrubbers, heat exchangers and other apparatus which reclaims the sulfur and otherwise cleans and cools the gas before it is released to atmosphere.