MIXED HYDROPHILIC/HYDROPHOBIC FIBER MEDIA FOR LIQUID-LIQUID COALESCENCE
First Claim
1. A process for removing an immiscible lipophilic or a hydrophilic liquid respectively from a continuous hydrophilic or a lipophilic liquid phase, comprising the steps of:
- forming a filter containing hydrophobic fibers and hydrophilic fibers;
flowing said immiscible lipophilic liquid or hydrophilic liquid respectively in said continuous liquid phase hydrophilic liquid or lipophilic liquid through said filter andcapturing said immiscible liquid;
coalescing said captured immiscible liquid; and
removing said coalesced immiscible liquid from said filter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An immiscible lipophilic or hydrophilic liquid phase separated respectively from a continuous hydrophilic phase or a lipophilic phase liquid. Fibers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are formed into a filter. The separation mechanism involves capture of small droplets of the immiscible phase, coalescence of the small droplets into larger droplets as the immiscible liquid flows through the fiber filter, and release of the large immiscible droplets from the filter. Regarding separation of a hydrophilic immiscible fluid such as water in a lipophilic continuous fluid such as oil, the hydrophobic fibers cause small water droplets to migrate towards the hydrophilic fibers whereby large droplets form on hydrophilic surface. The large droplets stay on hydrophilic fiber surface for extended periods of time and continue to coalescence until they are so large that they can no longer be maintained by the hydrophilic fibers and are released and drained off of the filter.
25 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. A process for removing an immiscible lipophilic or a hydrophilic liquid respectively from a continuous hydrophilic or a lipophilic liquid phase, comprising the steps of:
-
forming a filter containing hydrophobic fibers and hydrophilic fibers; flowing said immiscible lipophilic liquid or hydrophilic liquid respectively in said continuous liquid phase hydrophilic liquid or lipophilic liquid through said filter and capturing said immiscible liquid; coalescing said captured immiscible liquid; and removing said coalesced immiscible liquid from said filter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification