Fact:
Oil skimming makes use of the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water. These physical characteristics allow the belt to attract grease, oil, and other hydrocarbon liquids from the far side of the tank.
Oil Skimming Tip:
When selecting an oil skimmer, be sure to place the skimmer where oil is already gathering. This will ensure the quickest removal of the oil.
Fact:
Belt oil skimmers and oil skimming will collect all types of oil including all free-floating oils, LNAPLS, DNAPLS, and some emulsified oils. The various belt materials allow for any type of hydrocarbon removal.
Oil Skimming Tip:
There are several things to consider when choosing a belt for your oil skimmer. For example, some plastics won’t stand up to heat or strong chemicals, some metal belts won’t skim well from coolants due to rust inhibitors being present and certain plastic belts don’t last in heated applications. It is very important to choose a good oil skimmer vendor that offers a wide variety of belts to handle any situation. Equally important is to inform them of the details of your application so they can provide assistance in choosing the proper belt material at the start.
