Can the oil purifier separate oil and water?

One of the core functions of an oil purifier is to separate water from oil.

This is a very important and common application in industry. Whether it's lubricating oil, insulating oil (transformer oil), hydraulic oil, or fuel oil, water is a major threat to its performance and lifespan.

How does an oil purifier separate oil and water?

Oil purifiers primarily use the following two mainstream technologies to achieve oil-water separation:

1. Vacuum Dehydration - Primarily targeting "dissolved water" and "emulsified water"

Principle: The oil is atomized in a vacuum tank, significantly lowering the boiling point of water. At this low temperature, the water quickly evaporates into water vapor, which is then extracted by a vacuum pump and condensed and collected, separating it from the oil.

Advantages:

High processing precision, capable of reducing water content to extremely low levels (e.g., below 10-50 ppm).

High processing speed and efficiency.

Relatively low heating temperature effectively protects oil quality and prevents oil aging. Application: This is currently the most mainstream and efficient dehydration method, particularly suitable for demanding applications such as transformer oil and turbine oil.

2. Coalescence Separation - Primarily targets "free water"

Principle: Utilizes two specialized filter elements.

Coalescing Filter: The oil-water mixture is passed through, where tiny water droplets aggregate (coalesce) into larger droplets.

Separation Filter: Larger water droplets are then separated from the oil due to their gravity difference and settle into the sump, while the dried oil flows upward.

Advantages: Relatively simple structure, effectively removes large amounts of free water.

Application: Commonly used for dehydrating fuel oil and diesel, typically as a pretreatment or for applications with high water content.

A highly efficient oil purifier often combines vacuum and coalescence technology to achieve optimal purification results.

Water Forms in Oil and Separation Difficulty:

The separation efficiency of an oil purifier also depends on the form of water in the oil:

Free water settles to the bottom of the tank, forming a separate layer. This is the easiest form to separate and can usually be effectively removed by sedimentation or coalescence separation.

Emulsified water forms an emulsion-like mixture with oil, resulting in a turbid appearance and greater difficulty in separation. Vacuum separation is the most effective treatment method for this, although coalescence separation can also be used under certain conditions.

Dissolved water, which is invisible to the naked eye, dissolves in the oil in molecular form and is the most difficult form to separate. Vacuum separation is the only effective method for dissolving dissolved water.

Summary:

Yes, an oil purifier can effectively separate water from oil. It is a key piece of equipment for oil maintenance, equipment life extension, and production safety in industries such as power, petrochemicals, manufacturing, and shipbuilding.

If you need to treat trace amounts of water or emulsified water (such as transformer oil or turbine oil), a vacuum oil purifier is the preferred choice.

If you need to treat large amounts of free water (such as fuel oil or diesel), a coalescing oil purifier is a more cost-effective option.

When selecting equipment, please be sure to inform the supplier of your oil type and water inflow conditions so they can recommend the most suitable model. If you have any such needs, please contact me.