Low-density differential oil-water separation
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As stated in the title: the mass ratio of oil to water is 1:1. The oil has a complex composition, with densities ranging from 0.85 to 0.98; there is also an occurrence of oil and water encapsulating each other.
A phase separator is used, and the phase separator is filled with coalescing packing
I tried it out earlier; the coalescer tends to get clogged with tar
It is not clear what kind of equipment is used to generate a 1:1 mixture; however, when it comes to separating oil from water, especially in mixtures with such similar densities, improving the separation efficiency requires taking into account the following factors. First is the choice of demulsifier; second is the setting of the operating temperature – increasing the temperature significantly reduces viscosity and increases the density difference between the oil and water phases. Third is the selection of the separation method – it is uncertain whether centrifugal separation is appropriate given the high load on the phases. Personally, I suggest using devices based on gravity separation for the initial separation of most of the oil phase, and of course, sedimentation tests should be conducted to determine the appropriate retention time. After this initial separation, methods such as centrifugal separation, dual-media filters, air flotation, or walnut shell filtration can be considered to further improve the efficiency of removing oil from the water phase.
Tar has a high viscosity; first, demulsify it to separate out some of the water, and then heat it via flash evaporation to remove the water