Paint sludge separator tank using froth floatation

A system for paint sludge separation comprising:

• a series of tanks having at least a first tank and a second tank, each tank defining a vertical axis and having an open upper end for moving paint sludge out of the respective tank;
• a fluid conduit connecting an outlet of the first tank to an inlet of the second tank, the first tank receiving a mixture of paint and liquid from a painting operation;
• a collecting pan having first and second openings receiving the first and second tanks therethrough, the collecting pan sloped relative to the vertical axes of the first and second tanks an configured to collect paint sludge flow out of the open upper ends of the first and second tanks;
• each tank including a sparger comprising a gas inlet tube fluidically connected to an enclosure hood, the inlet tube projecting downwardly into the tank to a tube outlet, the enclosure hood having a closed upper end that radially encloses the tube outlet, the enclosure hood extending downwardly to an open lower end to define an interior volume between the upper and lower ends, the lower end defining a peripheral rim with a diameter greater than a diameter of the enclosure hood at the closed upper end, the enclosure hood being located in a middle or upper half of each tank;
• and
• a gas supply feeding the gas inlet tube of each sparger, the gas supply having a pressure that forms a gas pocket within the interior volume of the enclosure hood that extends from the tube outlet to the peripheral rim such that portions of the gas pocket pass over the peripheral rim and form gas bubbles which rise through the mixture towards the open upper end of the tank.