Choosing The Right Oil Skimmer For Economical Fluid Management

By Tom Hobson

Oil skimmers are simple, dependable and effective tools for removing oil, grease and other hydrocarbons from water. Although designs vary, all oil skimmers rely on the fluid properties of specific gravity and surface tension. Most use a moving medium to remove floating oil from the fluid's surface. (The exception is a floating suction skimmer). Floating oil and grease cling to skimming media more readily than water, and water has little affinity for the media. This allows skimming media in the shape of a belt, disk, drum, etc. to pass through a fluid surface to pick up floating oil and grease with very little water. This oily material is subsequently removed from the media with wiper blades or pinch rollers.

Grease skimming involves higher viscosity hydrocarbons. These skimmers must be operated at temperatures that keep the grease fluid. For example, the patented Abanaki Grease Grabber is equipped with heating elements that keep the grease in a liquid state for easy discharge from the skimmer. However, if floating grease has formed into solid clumps or mats in the tank holding the skimmer, a spray bar, aerator or other mechanical apparatus can be used to break up grease and facilitate skimming.