Coalescing discontinuous dispersion phase - using appts. comprising layer of fibres, partic. for sec. hydrocarbon emulsions

摘要

Coalescence of the discontinuous phase of a dispersion is effected with an appts. comprising a layer of fibres, statistically orientated and connected together, supported on a porous substrate, with communicating pores. Typically, the dispersion is a liq-liq. one and te discontinuous phase is a hydrocarbon, the droplet size being 5-100 mu. The fibres are inorganic, e.g. an aluminosilicte, and are joined by welding or fritting, or by means of a dried residue of a colloidal oxide hydrosol. The substrate is a perforated or expanded metal sheet, knitted metal, or sintered metal, glass or ceramic. The appts. offers less resistance to flow, the layer has less tendency to channelling and can be thinner than, appts. in use in industry. It is partic. applicable to sec. dispersions, formed e.g. in a pump or when a vessel which has contained raw petroleum is cleaned with a high pressure jet of water, which are difficult to coalesce.