Drop/drop and drop/interface coalescence in primary liquid/liquid dispersion separators

Abstract
A detailed literature review to predict drop/drop and drop/interface rest‐times is presented. The difficulties encountered in usefully employing these data in design is demonstrated and a new method of approach where the relative contributions of the two coalescence modes are utilized, is described. The validity of this approach is illustrated by considering coalescence occurring in a laboratory single‐stage settler unit.