Gravity-type liquid-liquid separators are not effective in removing chemically emulsified oil and petroleum product from water.

For emulsion treatment, IWR couples our standard oil/water separators with either a single or two stage chemical pretreatment system. Emulsion breaking polymers and/or acid treatment is utilized to break the emulsion chemically, allowing the oil/water separator to coalesce and remove the oil from the water.

Specific applications of the coupled chemical pretreatment and gravity separation are treatment of diesel fuel/water emulsion created by a high vacuum MPVE recovery system or by centrifugal pump.