Apparatus and method for separating wax from an entrainer gas

Abstract

Disclosed is a wax condenser for separating wax from an entrainer gas (or sweep gas) which is introduced into a sintering furnace and then pumped out in order to remove the wax from the furnace. The condenser includes a hot chamber and a cold chamber. Wax is removed by the condenser in three ways. After the entrainer gas enters the hot chamber of the condenser from the sintering furnace, it will pass through a heated filter. The heated filter will capture a large percentage of the wax present in the entrainer gas. The entrainer gas passes from the heated filter through a flow-restricting aperture which is located in a barrier separating the hot chamber from the cold chamber. This flow restricting aperture causes a pressure drop across the barrier. When the entrainer gas passes through the aperture, an expansion of the entrainer gas takes place due to the drop in pressure associated with the passing of the entrainer gas through the flow restricting aperture. This expansion causes a cooling of the entrainer gas and wax which in turn results in the formation of solid wax particles. The entrainer gas carriers these solid wax particles to a centrifugal separator which provides further separation of the wax from the entrainer gas. Finally, the wax particles are further removed from the entrainer gas by a flow-line interrupter before the entrainer gas reaches the pump.