Polysalt compositions and the use thereof for treating an oil and water system

A method for treating a waste system that includes an oil phase dispersed in a water phase comprising:

• introducing to said waste system an effective amount of a composition comprising a polysalt complex consisting essentially of (a) an anionic polymer component based on polymerization of a water soluble anionic monomer which consists essentially of from about 5 to 50%, by weight, of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and from about 50 to 95%, by weight, of acrylamide or methacrylamide, and (b) a water soluble cationic polymer component selected from the group consisting of (i) a polyamine represented by formula (I) ##STR3## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different radicals selected from the group consisting of straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, substituted straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl and hydrogen, wherein R is a radical selected from the group consisting of straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl and substituted straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, and wherein n ranges from about 2 to 50,000, and (ii) C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 dialkyl diallyl ammonium polymers, wherein the weight ratio of said anionic polymer component (a):
• said cationic polymer component (b) ranges from about 5:95 to 40:60, on an active basis, and wherein X is a halogen selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, fluorine and iodine, wherein said treatment provides an improvement in the separation of said oil phase and said water phase of said waste system.