Feasibility of separation processes in liquid‐liquid solid systems: Free energy and stability analysis

Abstract

Abstract The feasibility of new solid/liquid separation processes, such as solids removal from oil and certain tertiary oil recovery techniques, can be evaluated by a thermodynamic stability analysis of possible liquid‐liquid‐particle configurations. The thermodynamic stability and hence feasibility of two possible liquid‐liquid‐particle separation process is predicted by use of a free energy analysis. Stability is shown to depend primarily on droplet/particle size ratio ( n ) and three phase contact angle (θ). Stability criteria are presented which can be applied to many particle and liquid separation processes.