Free Oil Separation

Removing oil before it reaches the membranes extends their lifespan.

Coalescing Small Drops into Large Drops. In order to reduce foulants in membrane feed systems to a minimum, it is often advisable to remove free oil prior to introducing the fluid to the system. The most common type of system is a coalescing oil / water separator, an enhanced gravity separation device.

An oleophilic media in the oil / water separator vessel attracts very small oil droplets in the feed stream, and retains them until a layer of oil on the media shears off in much larger drops. These drops then float to the surface of the vessel much faster than smaller droplets. The floating oil is then skimmed from the surface and removed from the vessel.