How Are Coalescing Filters Used and What Are Their Importance?

When extracting crude oils or gases from a natural source, the resulting materials may not always be clean and ready to be commercially used. Through purification processes, liquids and gases can be separated and filtered in order to refine products. To achieve the separation of unneeded materials and refining of oils and gases, an equipment piece known as a coalescer is used.

A coalescer is an industrial equipment piece that is popularly used in the oil and gas processing industry and for petrochemical applications. As a unit that can either operate solely by itself or as a part of a larger separation unit, the coalescer causes liquid aerosols to collect into large droplets that can be separated from other materials through the use of gravity. Depending on the substance that is being processed and the materials that need to be separated from the mixture, a variety of coalescing filters and equipment pieces may be used.

Generally, coalescers are most often used for the refining process of liquids and gases, commonly serving downstream oil and gas operations. As an example of their use, coalescing filters and equipment may be implemented for the separation of water and liquid hydrocarbons when extracting natural gas. Through their placement at the downstream sector, coalescers can provide purified gas that can be commercially used. Beyond refining liquids and gases for commercialization, coalescers and coalescing filters can also protect industrial equipment from the corrosive properties of certain materials. Within the petrochemical industry, coalescing equipment is often implemented to remove water vapor from materials, ensuring that issues are avoided before the storage of the finalized product.

Depending on the industry and its particular needs, electrostatic and mechanical coalescers serve as the most widely used types. Electrostatic coalescers operate through the use of electric charges that are DC, AC, or a combination of the two. Through the induction of coalescence on the surface of a collection tank, molecules are increased in size so that they sink towards the bottom of the structure. With such an operation, electrostatic coalescers prove most popular for offshore production platforms. With mechanical coalescers, water is removed from emulsions through coalescence. As water molecules become larger, they can be removed from the mixture with ease. This method of coalescence is commonly used for the refining of natural gas and is often relied on by many oil, gas, and petrochemical companies.

For the coalescer to operate efficiently and refine liquids or gases, they require a coalescing filter in order to separate materials through coalescing effects. By increasing the weight of molecules by causing them to collect together, the filter can operate more efficiently and quickly refine materials. Generally, each coalescing filter has multiple layers, those of which provide certain functions for separating liquids, solids, and gases from a mixture. As coalescing filters are implemented in phases, they can remove materials in sections to further rid the mixture of unwanted liquids, solids, or gases. To ensure the proper operation of the filter, many are constructed with borosilicate microfibers and semi-permeable membranes. As filters increase the purity of the final product or mixture, they are widely used and highly important.

When you are in need of coalescing filters and other products for refining oils and gases, look no further than ASAP 3Sixty. As a leading online distributor of parts, we can provide you access to premium items that have been sourced from companies such as New Pig Corporation, Justrite Manufacturing Company LLC, and many others. If there are particular items from our inventory that you wish to procure, we invite you to begin the purchasing process today through the submission of an Instant RFQ form. Upon receiving your request, a dedicated account manager will reach out to you in 15 minutes or less with a personalized quote.

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1. craig lewis
2. Posted on February 11, 2021
aviation

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