A new technique for the mechanical demulsification of O/W emulsions.

The development of a demulsification technique seems to be the key step for the industrial practice of hydrocarbon separation by liquid membrane permeation. This paper describes an experimental study of a new mechanical demulsification technique, in which strong agitation of an O/W emulsion with a coexisting oil phase caused instantaneous and efficient demulsification. The yields in the demulsification were as high as 80 % in batch runs. Continuous demulsification was also achieved successfully.