Abstract
Removal of oil droplets from an oil-in-water mixture was studied, using the method of coalescence through a packed bed. The coalescence behavior of oil droplets in the bed was observed photographically. It was shown that the separation efficiency was low until a layer of oil phase was formed in the bed, but after the oil layer was formed high separation efficiency was achieved. At steady state the relation between pressure drop and oil holdup in the bed was examined, and a method of estimating the amount of oil holdup in the bed from the measured pressure drop was developed. The effects of packing diameter, length of bed and liquid velocity on separation efficiency were examined experimentally, and the separation efficiency was correlated with these variables.
