Biodiesel Separation (Oil Water Separator) 1

[chigss]

I would like to know:

- Biodiesel (B20, B10, B5) Surfactants could limit
Separator's (Oil and Water Separator)effectiveness?

- If yes then could you please tell me more about the
solution?

 

[orenda1168]

The answer to your question is yes. A solution may be to contact Baker-Hughes, Nalco, GE Betz, to name a few and get their input about selected demulsifiers to allow a reasonable oil/water separation in the separator.

Orenda

 

[chigss]

Can you please tell me more detail about the problems?

 

[ash9144]

You are the originator. This is your problem. You need to provide the details not expect someone else to investigate for you.

 

[bimr]

Surfactants cause an oil-water emulsions to form. You have to break this emulsion before it is possible to remove oil with a gravity type oil-water separator, Gravity oil-water separators will not remove emulsified oil.

Methods that are used to break emulsions include lowering the pH, chemical additions, and heat. Some of these methods are more costly to operate than others. However, it is a common practice to lower the pH to around 5.3 units in order to break an emulsion.

You will need to conduct some bench top scale lab experiments in order to determine the best emulsion breaking technique.

 

[Topumps]

Yes, it's true. Since the liquid viscousity is one of the important factors to calculate the separation efficiency. The surfactant might change the surface friction (viscousity) of the droplets.

Hope this give you soem clue.

Regards

David (Watson Process Systems)