The Zimpro® wet air oxidation (WAO) process is the oxidation of soluble or suspended components in an aqueous environment using oxygen as the oxidizing agent and can be used to treat highly contaminated water.
The Zimpro WAO technology can be commercially applied in industries such as:
- Spent caustic solutions from ethylene production
- Spent caustic solutions from refineries
- Propylene oxide and styrene monomer production
- Municipal sludge
Having engineered and constructed more than 200 commercial WAO systems in a broad range of both industrial and municipal applications, we can custom design a solution based on your specific application and objectives. We are also equipped with bench and pilot-scale equipment at our research facility in Pasadena, Texas, allowing for development and de-risking of new or unique applications.
The use of Zimpro WAO processes includes a wide range of temperatures and pressures; the use of air, oxygen or simply hydrolysis in the absence of oxygen; a multitude of reactor designs and flow configurations, including the use of catalyst. It is a robust treatment system with operating references that has been performing for more than 50 years.
Applications
- Treats difficult wastewaters such as spent caustic, waste from chemical and petrochemical production, military waste, halogenated organics and more
- Treats waste that is not biodegradable and/or causes toxicity issues
- Replaces less environmentally friendly technology such as incineration or deep well injection for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Uses in salty wastewater and high TDS, unmet discharge requirements and footprint constraints
Benefits
- Provides an environmentally friendly option for replacing incineration treatment with a smaller carbon footprint and reduced operational expense
- Eliminates SOx or NOx formation
- Removes odor and toxicity issues through complete removal of sulfide and mercaptans below detection
- Delivers reliable treatment services, requiring only routine maintenance and low operator attention
Zimpro WAO Typical Process Flow
