The presence of these contaminants may result in fouled equipment, foaming, and poor dehydration. The contaminated glycol may be sent to a reclaimer for recovery, which results in a smaller volume of glycol waste and a reusable product. The liquid stream from the inlet separator may also present a waste problem, depending on its composition. If the inlet liquids consist of carryover from an amine unit at a gas processing facility, the amine will typically be recovered and reused or reclaimed. Spent Filters Filtration is used to remove suspended and dissolved contaminants from the solution and to maintain solution quality.
Many units also use carbon filters to remove heavy hydrocarbons and surfactants from solution.
These filters must be replaced regularly. Although the carbon may be sent to a regenerator, the sock filters may constitute a significant solid waste stream requiring disposal.