Separate a continuous oily-water stream. Keep removing the oil.
The SAS® Separate and Skim system is an industrial oil-water separator that combines gravity separation and coalescing with active surface-oil recovery.
It is designed for process water and wastewater applications where a continuous oily-water stream requires a dedicated separation stage and the separated free-floating oil needs to be removed continuously rather than allowed to accumulate inside the tank.
Filtra International supports the selection and configuration of the complete SAS system around the actual water flow, oil loading, fluid characteristics and installation conditions.
How the SAS oil-water separator works
The SAS combines a controlled separation stage with continuous removal of the free-floating oil that rises to the liquid surface.
Control the inlet
The incoming oily-water stream enters through an inlet designed to reduce velocity and support a more controlled flow through the separator.
Separate oil and water
Inside the separation chamber, gravity and coalescing media help oil droplets combine, rise and form a distinct surface layer.
Remove the separated oil
The integrated Brill® tube-type oil skimmer continuously collects free-floating oil from the surface using a Free Floating Collector Tube®.
Separate the outlet streams
Skimmed oil passes through the decanter while the treated water continues into the clean-water section for gravity discharge or pumping.
The main stages inside an SAS system
The SAS combines the functions required to slow the incoming flow, promote oil-water separation, actively recover separated oil and manage the outgoing water stream.
SAS system characteristics
Configure the SAS around the process
The separator should be selected from the actual process conditions rather than from a single nominal oil-recovery figure.
High or changing oil loads
Applications with large quantities of oil or occasional heavy oil slugs can be reviewed separately during system sizing.
Controls and automation
Pumps, level switches, alarms, beacon lights and other control functions can be considered as part of the complete installation.
Oil sensing
Oil-sensing technology can be considered where the process should trigger a defined control or alarm response.
Coatings and materials
Special coatings or materials can be reviewed where fluid chemistry or the operating environment requires them.
Recovered-oil storage
Oil collection reservoirs and downstream transfer arrangements can be integrated according to the site requirements.
Heating and insulation
Heat tracing and insulation can be considered where low temperatures may affect separation or recovered-oil flow.
Size the separator around both water flow and oil load
Water throughput and oil recovery are separate design duties. Correct SAS selection therefore starts with the complete process, not only with the amount of oil expected to be recovered.
Water flow
Provide normal and maximum water flow and describe any short-term surges or changing operating conditions.
Oil quantity
Estimate the normal oil load and identify whether occasional large slugs of oil can enter the system.
Oil characteristics
Oil density, viscosity, temperature and the way the oil behaves in the process liquid influence system selection.
Installation conditions
Available floor space, inlet and outlet elevations, drainage, utilities, access and downstream treatment should be included in the review.
Typical SAS applications
SAS systems are used where an industrial water stream contains separable oil and requires a dedicated continuous-flow separation stage.
Food process oven lines
Continuous separation and active removal of suitable free oil from process-water streams.
Industrial sumps and pits
Treatment of collected oily water where a separate flow-through separator is preferred.
Wash tanks
Removal of separable oil from suitable industrial wash-water streams.
Truck wash water
Oil-water separation as part of an industrial vehicle-wash water treatment process.
Wastewater pretreatment
Free-oil removal before suitable downstream wastewater-treatment equipment.
Runoff and infiltration water
Treatment of appropriate oily rainwater runoff or groundwater infiltration streams following application review.
When should you consider an SAS system?
Strong SAS applications
- A continuous oily-water stream requires treatment.
- The oil can separate and form a free-floating surface layer.
- A dedicated separation tank is preferable to installing only a skimmer in the existing sump.
- Separated oil should be removed continuously instead of accumulating inside the separator.
- The water needs to continue to another process, treatment stage or controlled discharge point.
Review another approach when
- The oily water arrives mainly as batches or occasional surges; Skim 1st may be the more appropriate starting point.
- The requirement is a compact low-flow treatment system; CoolSkim should be compared.
- Free-floating oil already collects inside an accessible tank and only direct surface skimming is required.
- The contamination is predominantly a stable emulsion or dissolved oil rather than separable free oil.
Test oil pickup before finalizing the tube-skimmer configuration
Tube Test Kit
The SAS uses a Brill® tube-type oil skimmer with a Free Floating Collector Tube®. Where oil pickup is uncertain, the collector-tube material can be evaluated using the actual oil and process liquid.
This is particularly useful when the oil characteristics, temperature or process chemistry make pickup behaviour difficult to predict from a description alone.
What does the test establish?
The test helps evaluate whether the collector tube can pick up the actual floating oil from the process liquid.
It does not determine separator capacity, retention time, water throughput or final treated-water quality. Those parameters remain part of the complete SAS application review.
SAS, CoolSkim or Skim 1st?
The correct system depends primarily on how the oily water enters the treatment process and how much space and retention time are available.
SAS®
For continuous oily-water streams requiring dedicated oil-water separation and active oil removal.
Current productCoolSkim®
For compact low-flow applications where a smaller dedicated separation system is appropriate.
Skim 1st®
For intermittent batches or surges where the liquid can remain in the tank for a defined separation period.
Define the SAS around your process
The most useful starting point is a simple description of where the oily water comes from, how much water enters the system and what must happen to the treated water and recovered oil afterward.
Useful information for selection
- Normal and maximum water flow
- Oil type and approximate oil quantity
- Oil viscosity or density where known
- Minimum and maximum liquid temperature
- Process chemicals or cleaning agents
- Available installation space
- Inlet and outlet elevations
- Destination of the treated water
- Recovered-oil storage or transfer requirement
- Electrical supply
- Hazardous-area classification where applicable
Request an SAS application review
Filtra International can review the process conditions and help define the appropriate SAS configuration before quotation.
Process drawings, photographs, wastewater data and representative oil or liquid information are useful where available.
SAS oil-water separator questions
Common questions about continuous industrial oil-water separation and active oil removal.
What is an SAS oil-water separator?
The SAS® Separate and Skim system is an industrial oil-water separator for continuous oily-water streams. It combines a separation chamber and coalescing media with an integrated Brill® tube-type oil skimmer that continuously removes separated free-floating oil.
Is the SAS designed for continuous or batch flow?
SAS is designed around a continuing flow of oily water. Where wastewater arrives mainly as intermittent batches or large surges, a Skim 1st system should also be evaluated.
How does the SAS separate oil from water?
The incoming stream enters the separation chamber where reduced flow velocity, gravity and coalescing media help oil droplets combine and rise to the surface. The integrated tube skimmer then actively removes the separated surface oil.
What type of oil skimmer is installed in the SAS?
The SAS uses a Brill® tube-type oil skimmer with a Free Floating Collector Tube® to recover free-floating oil from the surface of the separation chamber.
What does the SAS decanter do?
The decanter provides an additional separation stage for water that is carried with the oil removed by the tube skimmer, helping reduce water in the recovered-oil stream.
How is the treated water discharged?
The SAS includes a clean-water section from which the separated water can be gravity drained or pumped, depending on the system and installation configuration.
How is an SAS system sized?
System selection should consider water flow rate, temperature, oil characteristics, oil quantity and the installation requirements. Filtra International reviews these conditions before defining the proposed system configuration.
Can the SAS handle large oil slugs?
Oil Skimmers, Inc. identifies configurations for applications with high oil-to-water quantities or heavy oil slugs. The actual application should be reviewed so the separator, oil recovery and storage arrangement can be sized appropriately.
Can pumps, alarms and controls be integrated?
Pumps, collection tanks, level switches, alarms, beacon lights, oil sensing and other controls can be considered as part of an application-specific system.
Can the SAS be heated or insulated?
Heat tracing and insulation are available options for suitable applications where low temperatures may affect separation or the flow of recovered oil.
Can a Tube Test Kit be used for an SAS application?
Yes. Because the SAS uses a collector-tube oil skimmer, a Tube Test Kit can help evaluate oil pickup using the actual oil and process liquid. The test evaluates collector-tube pickup; it does not replace separator sizing or water-treatment assessment.
Can the SAS remove emulsified or dissolved oil?
The SAS is designed around separation and recovery of oil that can form a separable free-oil layer. Stable emulsions or dissolved hydrocarbons may require additional or different treatment processes.
What information should I send for an SAS quotation?
Useful information includes normal and maximum water flow, oil type and quantity, temperature, fluid chemistry, available space, inlet and outlet elevations, the required destination of the treated water, recovered-oil handling requirements and any applicable electrical or hazardous-area requirements.