HOME FAQs BOOKS JOBS: Help Wanted Suggestions you are here: Hotline/Forum => Letter 31032

Methanol removal from industrial wastewater

++++

In our wastewater treatment plant after we treat our effluent out to a FAC pond we still have residual methanol. We already use various biological means , but they do not seem to be able to handle the methanol. any suggestions ?

Chris Nicastro
industrial wastewater treatment - Model City, New York

++++

What if used some caustics and fatty acids to convert your ethanol into ester as it is done making the biodiesel.

Good luck

Cair Shishani
aircraft maintenance - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

++++

Funny, our municipal wastewater treatment plant would be pleased to get some free methanol. During the cold seasons in Finland, they have to dose methanol to keep the denitrification bacteria going strong. This is a wild guess, but is it possible that some of the microbes in your biological treatment system could produce more methanol...?

Arsi R Saukkola
- Espoo, Finland

October 19, 2009

The water content of the effluent makes a biodiesel conversion unworkable. Drying the oils would make it unfeasible.

Colin Caissie
machine design - Whitefield, Maine

ANSWER or FOLLOW UP POST an unrelated QUESTION HOT Topics

Disclaimer: It is not possible to diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information
presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The
internet is largely anonymous; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations may be deliberately harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: