With the rapid growth of petroleum refining, petrochemical, and mechanical processing industries, the treatment of oily wastewater has become a critical environmental challenge. Such wastewater typically contains high concentrations of emulsified oil and suspended solids, forming stable oil‑water emulsions that are difficult to separate by conventional sedimentation or filtration. Polyacrylamide (PAM), as a high‑performance flocculant, plays an indispensable role in oily wastewater treatment due to its excellent oil‑water separation capability.

Mechanism of Action

PAM promotes flocculation through its long molecular chains, which act as “adsorption bridges” to bind tiny oil droplets into larger aggregates, accelerating their settlement. Cationic PAM additionally neutralizes the negative charges on oil droplets and suspended particles, destabilising the oil‑water interface and allowing coalescence. The hydrophobic groups on the PAM chain further enhance adsorption of oil, leading to rapid phase separation.

Key Advantages

Strong demulsification ability – Cationic PAM efficiently breaks emulsified systems, achieving oil removal rates above 99%, with effluent oil content as low as 16–34 mg/L in practical applications.

Dense and fast‑settling flocs – The flocs formed are compact and stable, significantly reducing settling time and improving treatment efficiency.

Wide applicability – Depending on wastewater characteristics, anionic, cationic, or non‑ionic PAM can be selected to precisely match different water qualities.

Synergy with PAC – When combined with polyaluminum chloride (PAC), PAC first acts as a coagulant to neutralise charges, while PAM subsequently bridges the destabilised particles. This synergistic treatment boosts removal rates for oil, COD, and turbidity to 84.5%, 57%, and 96.1%, respectively.

Typical Applications

Oilfield produced water – Effectively separates emulsified oil and suspended solids, improving effluent quality.

Refinery oily wastewater – Rapidly breaks emulsions, reducing oil content to meet discharge or reuse standards.

High‑viscosity heavy oil wastewater – Special cationic PAM performs excellently, with oil removal rates consistently above 99.8%.

About Henan Secco

Henan Secco Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., located in the Gongyi Water Treatment Material Industrial Park, is a high‑tech enterprise integrating R&D, production, and sales. With an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of polyacrylamide, the company offers a full range of products including cationic, anionic, and non‑ionic PAM, as well as polyaluminium chloride and other water treatment chemicals. Holding over 100 patents, Henan Secco provides end‑to‑end services from product selection to on‑site technical support, and has delivered efficient, cost‑effective solutions for many industrial clients.

We remain committed to high‑quality products and professional services, supporting our customers in achieving green production and full environmental compliance.