The Abanaki Model 8 Oil Grabber is a dependable and effective means of removing oil from water and water-base solutions. Often, belt oil skimmers alone will reduce oil to an acceptable level of water purity. Depending on the characteristics of the liquid, it is possible for the Model 8 alone to reduce oil content to less than five parts per million in water. The unit can be used as a pretreatment before filtration, and in conjunction with coalescing systems.
The Model 8 belt oil skimmer utilizes a continuous belt and wiper to remove up to 40 gallons of oil per hour from the fluid surface. The belt, operating on a motor and pulley system, runs through contaminated liquid to pick up oil from the surface. After traveling over the head pulley, the belt passes through tandem wiper blades where oil is scraped off both sides of the belt and discharged. The tail pulley has flanges which allow it to roll freely on the inside of the belt without becoming dislodged. It requires no bearings and does not need to be fastened to the tank. If turbulent conditions exist, an optional tether and cage assembly prevents the tail pulley from being dislodged.
Oil skimming makes use of the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water. These physical characteristics allow the belt skimmer to attract oil and other hydrocarbon liquids from the surface of the fluid. The Model 8 can be used in tanks with depths as shallow as one foot, or as deep as 100 feet.