Steam stripping

Steam stripping is a process used in petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants to remove volatile contaminants, such as hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), from wastewater.[1][2] It typically consists of passing a stream of superheated steam through the wastewater.

Diagram of how to economically clean up plant wastewater streams. Steam is use as a stripping gas to remove hydrocarbons from the waste water.

This method is effective when the volatile compounds have lower boiling points than water or have limited solubility in water.

References

1. Beychok, M.R., The Design of Sour Water Strippers, Individual Paper 61, Proceedings of Seventh World Petroleum Congress, Mexico City, April 1967
2. Kister, Henry Z. (1992). Distillation Design (1st ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-034909-6.