Liquid-liquid dispersions with drop sizes less than 100 μm cannot be separated using gravity settlers, but need more effective separation tools. In this situation fibre beds represent a relatively simple and low-cost form of pre-separation equipment to enlarge the droplets by drop coalescence as a first step in gravity settling. The paper reports on the state-of-the-art and on new experiments investigating the performance of fibre-bed settlers in relation to the relevant significant parameters, continuing and extending work reported in an earlier paper by Rebelen and Blass.

Separation of liquid-liquid dispersion by flow through fibre beds

Oilfield produced water treatment by liquid-liquid extraction: A review

Extraction separation in mixer–settlers based on phase inversion

The aim of this work is to improve the separation efficiency in the case of liquid−liquid dispersions using a new type of mixer-settler design called MSPI (mixer-settler based on phase inversion) a...

Mixer-Settler Based on Phase Inversion: Design of the Mixing Zone

The present study concerns the separation of fine liquid-liquid dispersions having mean droplet diameters between 20 and 100 μm by phase inversion. A theoretical model based on gravity separation is proposed. Two modes of operation of the settling device are studied: without and with bed formation. The results are compared with the theoretical predictions. As can be seen, good operating conditions always lead to high separation efficiencies and all droplets having diameters above 40 μm can be practically removed. It is shown that the bed formation allows one to increase throughput and efficiency considerably and that in this mode of operation the difference between predicted and obtained separation efficiencies is negligible. Relationships are given which allows the determination of optimal operating conditions, leading to high efficiencies.

D. Hadjiev

Papers

A separator for liquid-liquid dispersions