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Difficult Pumping Applications from
Blackhawk Environmental Company
In most instances, thick, viscous coal tar is a stinking
mess to recover from groundwater. This is not the case for
a major Midwest tar manufacturer. At the company’s Ohio
manufacturing facility, Blackhawk Pumps® have assisted
in removing the major clog in the works that coal tar poses
to groundwater remediation efforts.
Since 1995, August Mack Environmental Consultants, Columbus,
Ohio, has handled the corrective actions for the remediation
project at this Ohio facility, from conceptual design to implementation
to maintenance. August Mack provides a full range of environmental
and health and safety services to clients nationwide. Their
highly qualified and trained staff works with clients, from
inception to completion of a project, to assure that environmental
concerns have been fully addressed.
“As we began recovering groundwater from a perched
aquifer, coal tar appeared in our recovery wells. In order
for remediation efforts to be successful, we had to get rid
of the coal tar. The positive displacement diaphragm pumps
could not handle the viscous material we encountered and electric
pumps were not an option in this situation,” said Bill
Glaze, environmental scientist for August Mack.
“We knew we had to find pumps that could pump sticky,
viscous material. The tar refining company was familiar with
Blackhawk Environmental Co. and their pneumatic top head jack
pumps, and suggested we contact them. Based on their previous
success in providing solutions for recovering coal tar, the
folks at Blackhawk understood the problem and were confident
they had the pumps that could handle the situation,”
Glaze continued.
“August Mack installed two of Blackhawk’s Pneumatic
Pumps® on-site nearly a year ago; the pumps have worked
great pumping tar pitch and proved to be relatively maintenance
free ever since. They sure are easy to install and take care
of. Our custom-designed control panel lets us control the
cycle of pumping. The pumps are cycled every 30 minutes -
25 on, five off, for eight hours every week,” said Glaze.
“Any questions we have, Blackhawk responds promptly.”
The Blackhawk Pneumatic Pumps® are pneumatically driven
piston pumps with the pump inlet at the bottom of the pump,
so that the pump acts like a syringe extracting product from
the bottom of the well with every stroke. Liquid is pulled
into the pump intake; the pump works consistently and reliably
whether the pumping action is clean or dirty. The positive
displacement action resists slowdown or stoppage in the most
sticky ? like coal tar, or oily situations. The pump drive
mechanism, located on top of the wellhead, makes it easy to
see the pump working.
This company is one of the world’s leading producers
of specialty and pyridine chemicals, is headquartered in the
Midwest, with operations throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.
The company has been producing health, agriculture and performance
chemicals for more than 100 years.
August Mack Environmental Consultants specializes in environmental
consulting, process engineering, construction management and
health and safety services with a full range of services and
capabilities.
Blackhawk Environmental Co. specializes in manufacturing
quality pumps and controls for demanding applications. For
more than a decade, Blackhawk pumps have been custom manufactured
and successfully operated in a wide range of pumping operations.
The company is headquartered in Glen Ellyn, Ill.
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