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PRO-VAC Handles Difficult Distillation Problem

A manufacturer of small parts has about 25 screw machines that produce a waste stream of 500 gallons of oil and mineral spirits per week. Their old separation process generated oil that contained water from a steam injection process and mineral spirits that contained a significant amount of oil. Since they could only reuse the mineral spirits and had to dispose of the oil at significant cost, they wanted a system that would allow them to reclaim both components.

PRI’s research and experience has shown that simple "pot" stills will not separate mineral spirits and oil because they are so similar in nature. After evaluating their requirements for purity and quantity of material to be processed, PRI proposed a steam heated PRO-VAC 200 unit. This distillation unit has a uniquely designed separation chamber and a special process loop to give the same separation effect as a large scale, multi-stage tower. By using a special vacuum system to reduce the pressure in the distillation chamber, the boiling point of the waste stream is reduced to insure no "sulfur" odors from the oil were emitted into the work place.

To convince them that the PRO-VAC was the proper unit for their application, PRI performed tests on their mixture and showed them the purity of oil and mineral spirits they could expect. They were impressed that the mineral spirits showed no trace of oil and that the oil was pure enough that it could be used again for machine lubrication. Designing the steam system with a recirculation loop allowed them to reduce the size and the cost of operation of their steam boiler.

By recycling both components of the waste stream they have reduced the amount of hazardous waste that has to be shipped out for disposal. Not only have they saved money, they are also meeting the corporate goal of reducing their impact on the environment.

Separating mineral spirits and oil is just one of the many difficult applications that PRI has successfully addressed to answer the needs of their customer. A creative engineering staff and custom manufacturing capability gives PRI the ability to present the customer with the best solution to their problem and not just "make do" with off-the-shelf pot stills.