SEA OIL SEPARATORS

Abstract

Mixtures of oil and water are found both in nature and as a consequence of man’s activities. Very often such
mixtures are used to advantage for example, as machine tool lubricants and in liquid/liquid extraction processes. But in
the context of oil pollution, oily water mixtures are undesirable. Oil and water have very low mutual solubility and in
most cases, oil has lower density than water. Yet the separation of oil and water can present very great difficulties. The
extent of this problems is determined not only by the physical properties of the oil, its density, interfacial tension and
viscosity, but equally by the physical properties of water, the presence of substance or micro-organisms at the oil, water
interface, and the hydrodynamic condition experienced by the oil and water. Already the diversity of the problem can be
appreciated.