Patent ID: 8721895

Claim:
A process for continuously separating a flow of an aqueous emulsion including an aqueous continuous phase and a non-aqueous disperse phase to provide a flow comprising a non-aqueous phase and a further flow comprising a recovered aqueous phase containing an acceptable level of non-aqueous phase, the process comprising: providing first and second compartments, the first compartment comprising a first enclosure occupying part of the space thereof and comprising a fixed upstream foraminous sidewall and an opposed fixed downstream foraminous sidewall, the second compartment comprising a second enclosure occupying part of the space thereof and comprising a fixed upstream foraminous sidewall and an opposed fixed downstream foraminous sidewall; packing the first enclosure with a first body of high surface area particulate polymeric foam material; packing the second enclosure with a second body of high surface area particulate polymeric foam material; feeding the flow of aqueous emulsion into the first enclosure via the fixed foraminous sidewall thereof; providing for a flow comprising a non-aqueous phase component and an aqueous phase component to flow through the opposed fixed downstream foraminous sidewall of the first enclosure into a first separation space within the first compartment for phase separation of the components; recovering from the first separation space a non-aqueous flow comprising the non-aqueous phase component; recovering from the first separation space a recovered aqueous flow comprising the aqueous phase component; feeding the recovered aqueous flow into the second enclosure via the fixed foraminous sidewall thereof; providing for a flow comprising a respective non-aqueous phase component and a respective aqueous phase component to flow through the opposed fixed downstream foraminous sidewall of the second enclosure into a second separation space within the first compartment for phase separation of the respective components; recovering from the second separation space a non-aqueous flow comprising the respective non-aqueous phase component; and recovering from the respective separation space a recovered aqueous flow comprising the respective aqueous phase component.