alt=steam-distillation-diagram-koch|thumb|Diagram of how to economically clean up plant wastewater streams. Steam is use as a stripping gas to remove hydrocarbons from the waste water. '''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.<ref name=beych1967>Beychok, M.R., ''The Design of Sour Water Strippers'', Individual Paper 61, Proceedings of Seventh World Petroleum Congress, Mexico City, April 1967</ref><ref name=Kister>{{cite book|author=Kister, Henry Z.|title= Distillation Design|edition=1st |publisher=McGraw-Hill|year=1992|isbn=0-07-034909-6}}</ref> It typically consists of passing a stream of superheated steam through the wastewater.
This method is effective when the volatile compounds have lower boiling points than water or have limited solubility in water.
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Petroleum engineering Category:Petrochemical industry Category:Industrial emissions control
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