Abstract: A column for separating a liquid from a gas by means of a horizontal liquid coalescer and a centrifugal liquid separator is improved by positioning the coalescer below the centrifugal separator and extending both these devices over the whole cross section of the column.

Abstract: An improved process and apparatus is described for separating a gas from an upwardly flowing gas-liquid mixture at the top of a vertical reactor or tube covered by a separator hood in which the upper or overflow edge of the upflow tube is extended and modified by a series of vertical partitions traversing the space directly above the upflow tube and extending outwardly therefrom to afford a series of adjacent, alternating riser and downcomer compartments, the riser compartments being bottomless in the space directly over the upflow tube and the downcomer compartments being bottomless in the space outside the top of the upflow tube, such that any liquid being separated from the gas-liquid mixture first passes through a riser compartment and over a partition into a downcomer compartment before it is collected for withdrawal.