Coalescer and Separation Filter Element for Natural Gas Filtration

Description

The inability to efficiently separate liquid/liquid emulsions can be a very costly problem in the oil, gas and chemical industries. Liquid contamination can cause final products to be off-specification, rapid deactivation of downstream catalysts, corrosion of downstream storage facilities, and increased costs for wastewater treatment.

Separating liquid/liquid dispersions can be difficult depending on the physical properties of the two liquid phases. The specific gravity, viscosity and interfacial tension (IFT) of the two liquid phases are important parameters in determining how easy two liquids can be separated. Conventional coalescers begin to lose efficiency when the IFT gets below 20 dyne/cm. In addition, efficient separation is a function of the compatibility of the liquids with the coalescer medium. A good coalescing medium is not necessarily compatible with the liquids and a compatible medium is not necessarily a good coalescing medium.