Industry News: Why Demulsifiers Are Essential in Cosmetics Wastewater Treatment

Category
Industry News / Wastewater Treatment

Focus
Demulsifier → PAC → PAM | Oil–Water Separation

Use Case
Cosmetics & Personal Care Manufacturing Effluent

Overview

Cosmetics production effluent contains oils, surfactants, fragrances, and fine solids that form a stable emulsion.
Without breaking this emulsion first, even strong coagulants cannot deliver clear water or consistent compliance.
Below we explain the role of a demulsifier and how PAC and PAM complete an efficient three-stage process.

Challenge: Stable Emulsions in Cosmetics Effluent

Surfactant-rich matrices keep droplets dispersed and block aggregation, which prevents gravity separation and increases COD/FOG and turbidity.

• Persistent haze and poor skimming/DAF capture

• Colloidal stability reduces coagulant efficiency

• Higher chemical demand and sludge volumes when the emulsion persists

Key First Step: Demulsifier

A demulsifier disrupts interfacial films and neutralizes repulsive charges to break the stable emulsion and enable oil–water separation.
Once separated, the water responds efficiently to PAC and PAM.

Benefits

• Rapid phase separation and improved DAF/sedimentation

• Lower PAC/PAM consumption for the same clarity

• Better removal of hydrophobic compounds; lower color/turbidity

Three-Step Treatment Framework

1) Demulsifier

Breaks the emulsion; droplets coalesce; oil–water separation begins.

2) PAC (Coagulation)

Polyaluminum chloride destabilizes fine particles and colloids for effective capture.

3) PAM (Flocculation)

Polyacrylamide forms strong, settleable flocs that clarify water and improve dewatering.

(Image: treatment steps illustration)

Field Tip: Run jar tests to select the right demulsifier and optimize PAC/PAM dosage; tune pH and mixing speed for each stage.

Why It Matters

Using a demulsifier first simplifies operations, reduces total chemical consumption, and helps maintain stable compliance in the cosmetics sector — turning stubborn emulsions into consistently clear effluent.

© 2025 Bluwat Chemicals. Guidance is general; confirm with site-specific testing.

Watch the Detailed Treatment Process

For a step-by-step demonstration — demulsifier → PAC → PAM — view our YouTube Shorts video.
See how we break the stable emulsion, separate oil and water, then coagulate and flocculate for fast clarification.

YouTube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHN8udFB0Z0