Apparatus and process for electrically resolving emulsions
AssigneePetrolite Corporation
InventorsWeldon D. Mayse, Frederick D. Watson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric treater and process for electrically resolving emulsions into organic and aqueous phases. The treater includes a horizontally positioned, planar, permeable electrode which is the only electrode means positioned in the treater. The interface between the bodies of organic and aqueous material which collect in the treater is kept at a position intermediate the electrode and a distributor means for introducing emulsion into the treater. The emulsion is resolved at the water surface, which serves as a grounded electrode.
Claims15
Apparatus for electrically resolving an emulsion having immiscible aqueous and organic liquid phases, the aqueous phase being internal, comprising:
- (a) a metallic vessel having an emulsion inlet, an aqueous material outlet and organic material outlet means, said aqueous material outlet being at the bottom portion of said vessel and said organic material outlet means being in the upper portion of said vessel;
- (b) distributor means positioned in the lower portion of said vessel above said aqueous material outlet and connected by conduit means to said emulsion inlet;
- (c) planar, permeable electrode means adapted to be energized, horizontally positioned in said vessel spaced apart from the vessel walls and intermediate said distributor means and said organic material outlet means, said electrode means being the only electrode means positioned in said vessel;
- (d) conductive means adapted to connect said electrode means with an electrical power source outside of said vessel;
- (e) insulating means for maintaining said conductive means electrically isolated from said vessel;
- and
- (f) means for controlling the level of aqueous material which collects in the bottom portion of said vessel, said means adapted to maintain the level of said aqueous material at a position intermediate said distributor means and said electrode means.
A process for electrically resolving an emulsion having immiscible aqueous and organic liquid phases, the aqueous phase being internal, comprising:
- (a) maintaining a body of aqueous material in a treating vessel, said aqueous material serving as an electrical ground;
- (b) establishing an electric field between an energized horizontal planar permeable electrode and the surface of said body of aqueous material, said electrode being positioned above said aqueous material surface;
- (c) introducing the emulsion into said body of aqueous material;
- (d) allowing said emulsion to rise to the surface of said body of aqueous material;
- (e) supplying sufficient potential to said energized electrode to provide an emulsion treating gradient in the electric field of sufficient magnitude so that the aqueous phase content of said emulsion coalesces instantaneously at said aqueous material surface, thus resolving the emulsion, and the coalesced drops become part of the aqueous material surface with no settling required;
- said potential being insufficient to ionize substances in the emulsion whereby small increases in the applied potential produce disproportionately larger increases in current flows through the emulsion;
- (f) allowing the organic liquid phase to rise;
- and
- (g) withdrawing said organic liquid from the upper part of said treating vessel and said aqueous material from the lower part of said treating vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.