Ahlstrom Corporation

Christine M Stanfel

Farina Diani Pangestu

Frank Cousart

Farina Pangestu

A coalescence media for separation of water-hydrocarbon emulsions, the coalescence media comprising an emulsion-contacting sheet formed as a single dry layer from a wet-laid process using a homogenously distributed, wet-laid furnish of (a) a mixture of fibrous components of (a1) at least one type of a first group of cellulose and/or cellulose-based fibers, and (a2) at least one type of a second group of fibers selected from the group consisting of fibrillated fibers and glass microfibers, and (b) at least one non-fibrous component selected from the group consisting of (b1) a dry strength additive, and (b2) a wet strength additive. The fibrous components of the coalescence media constitute at least about 70% of the coalescence media, and includes a pore structure sufficient to coalesce water droplets having a droplet size of &#x3c;3.5 &#x3bc;m in biodiesel blends or in surfactant stabilized water-hydrocarbon emulsions.

Coalescence media for separation of water-hydrocarbon emulsions

A coalescence media for separation of water-hydrocarbon emulsions comprises an emulsion-contacting sheet formed of: (a) at least one component of the group consisting of natural fibers, cellulose fibers, natural-based fibers, and cellulose-based fibers, at least one component of the group consisting of high-surface-area fibrillated fibers, surface-area-enhancing synthetic material, glass microfibers, and nanoceramic functionalized fibers; and (c) at least one component of the group consisting of a dry strength additive, and a wet strength additive, wherein the fibrous components of the media constitute at least about 70% of the media. In preferred embodiments, the coalescence media comprises kraft fibers, fibrillated lyocell fibers, glass microfibers or nanoceramic functionalized fibers, a wet strength additive, and a dry strength additive. Preferably, the coalescence media is formed as a single, self-supporting layer from a wet-laid process using a homogenously distributed, wet-laid furnish. It may also be formed as a multi-layer structure.

Separation media, separation modules and methods are provided for separating water from a water and hydrocarbon emulsion and include a fibrous nonwoven coalescence layer for receiving the water and hydrocarbon emulsion and coalescing the water present therein as a discontinuous phase to achieve coalesced water droplets having a size of 1 mm or greater, and a fibrous nonwoven drop retention layer downstream of the coalescence layer having a high BET surface area of at least 90 m/g or greater sufficient to retain the size of the coalesced water droplets to allow separation thereof from the hydrocarbon.

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Owensboro, KY, United States of America

Christine M Stanfel