Thursday 2nd February 2023
If you work in the oil and gas industries, then you’re probably familiar with a coalescer filter. This type of filtration works by filtering impurities such as water, vapour, and carbon dioxide from industrial fluids and products.
Generally, there are two types - electrostatic coalescers and mechanical coalescers. Electrostatic coalescers are deployed in the oil and gas industries and petrochemical plants.
To obtain the best results, a coalescer filter is required for effective industrial filtration. Essentially, the process of coalescing filtration requires liquids and gases to be separated. These can include variations like gas-oil, water-gas or fuel-gas. The coalescer is the crucial component in conducting this process. Our blog will cover all the details of this process and the benefits it provides.
A coalescing filter is a tool used to separate oil, liquids, soluble particles, vapours and other substances from fluids. Used predominantly in oil and gas processing or in petrochemical industries, a coalescer is used to - yes, you guessed it - perform a process called coalescence.
What is a coalescing filter?
This describes the process of liquid aerosols bonding together, creating larger droplets which are then filtered. The coalescer can be used individually or as a smaller component within a larger separation unit. Depending on your filtration needs will determine the type of coalescing filter required.
There are oil, gas and fuel coalescers, all of which perform the function of filtering fuel, oil or gas from varying mixtures. The filter is made up of numerous successive layers, each of which serves a specific purpose, such as removing liquid molecules from a gas flow or separating solid particles from it.
The semi-permeable membranes and borosilicate microfibers are two materials frequently used as coalescing filters. To increase product purity, a coalescing filter for natural gas removes water vapour and other particles.
What type of coalescers are there?
Commonly used in offshore production platforms, helping water-hydrocarbon emulsions. By making the molecules larger and causing them to sink to the bottom of the tank, the electrostatic charges contribute to the destabilisation of the emulsion.
Mechanical coalescers extract water/hydrocarbon condensate from emulsions and coalesce it into bigger molecules. Water separation from liquid hydrocarbons or natural gas is a common application.
Essentially, coalescing filters are used to separate gas or liquid in oil and gas refining systems as they purify the final product.
Why are they used?
Used in many applications, coalescing filters also have numerous functions. They provide effective protection for oil and gas refinery equipment from water vapour, which can cause major issues like corrosion.
Though commonly used, coalescer filters aren’t just used in the oil and gas industries. Other applications include the filtration of fuel, mainly in automotive vehicles, or industrial air compression applications, that help eradicate the adverse effects of humidity and harmful particles. Let’s take a closer look at some use cases.
Liquid-gas coalescers can be found in the downstream sector, helping to separate water vapour and liquid hydrocarbons. Purity is critical, therefore protecting gas streams from any potential harmful contaminants is the objective coalescers achieve.
Use cases
Gas-oil coalescers help purify natural gas, by removing several natural liquids and condensate. Prevention of corrosion is critical, and coalescing filters help prevent compressors and turbines from the adverse impacts of this.
In the petrochemical industry, liquid-liquid coalescers help remove water vapour and sulphur from petrochemical feedstock prior to its storage. Basically, in any filtration system that requires the removal of liquid droplets or aerosols, you can find a coalescer filter.
We provide industrial coalescer filters designed for all purposes, and we have some of the best products available for you to choose from.
Our range of coalescer filters
Aside from coalescers, we have a range of products for all your filtration needs, including air, coolant, and HVAC filters. Contact us today for further assistance and discover all there is to know about our fabulous filtration needs.
