Fine Particle Separations from Nonaqueous Liquids

Many industrially important processes utilize or generate fine particles. These particles, which range from submicron to 100 μm in size, can have substantial impact on operations even at low concentrations. They contribute to fouling, coking, erosion, foaming, emulsion, and entrainment problems, and can cause potential environmental problems when released in the atmosphere. Furthermore, their existence presents a major barrier to the successful development of new, synthetic fuels processes. Hence, technology is needed to provide efficient separations methods. This paper briefly reviews currently available technology for fine particle separations from liquids and introduces some future directions for this technology. The focus of the paper is on clarification of nonaqueous liquid systems with emphasis on particles smaller than 25 μm. Five promising approaches are discussed: evaporative concentration, size augmentation, viscosity reduction, interphase transfer, and field-or mechanically aided separations.