Biosurfactant assisted recovery of the C-C hydrocarbon fraction from oily sludge using biosurfactant producing consortium culture of bacteria.

A biosurfactant producing culture of bacteria was isolated from an automobile engine oil dump site which was later used as an inoculum in batch and continuous flow oil recovery from oily sludge. Initially, an emulsion of oily sludge was prepared by mixing 5% m/v solids: 21% v/v bituminous sludge: 77% v/v water. The isolated cultures were added to vessels with stable emulsions to facilitate the separation of oil droplets from the sludge matrix.