Claims
- 1. A method for aiding the separation of the components of a liquid dispersion, the method comprising passing said dispersion along a flow path, and applying by means of at least one pair of electrodes, a unidirectional electrostatic field which has a field strength below 1100 V/cm and is pulsed at a predetermined frequency up to 60 Hz across at least a portion of the flow path, wherein the electrode of each pair of electrodes to which the high voltage is applied is separated along its entire length from the dispersion by a layer of electrically insulating material.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the dispersion is one of at least one electrically conducting liquid in one or more liquids of relatively lower electrical conductivity.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the voltage across the electrodes pulses at a frequency of from 1.5 to 20 Hz, a field strength below 500 V/cm.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said voltage across the electrodes pulses at a frequency between 1 Hz and 30 Hz.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said electrical field strength across the flow path is below 500 V/cm.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 also comprising settling the components of the dispersion into discrete phases in a settling tank.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined frequency is at least 0.5 Hz.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined frequency is between 1 and 30 Hz and the field strength is below 500 volts/cm.
- 9. A method for aiding the separation of components of a liquid dispersion, comprising passing a liquid dispersion whose components have different electrical conductivities along a flow path through a vessel, and applying a pulsed electrostatic field below 500 volts/cm at a predetermined frequency of from 1.5 to 20 Hz across at least a portion of the flow path, wherein the electrode of each pair of electrodes to which the high voltage is applied is separated along its entire length from the dispersion by a layer of electrically insulating material having a thickness of from 3 to 10 mm, and settling the components of the dispersion into their different phases at a location downstream of the vessel.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8035196 |
Nov 1980 |
GBX |
|
8123653 |
Aug 1981 |
GBX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 316,567 filed Oct. 30, 1981, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
13465 |
Jan 1914 |
GBX |
1582040 |
Dec 1980 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
316567 |
Oct 1981 |
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