Abstract: A fluid treatment device, especially for reducing or removing the effects of hard water, has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a cavity extending between the inlet and the outlet. A dielectric channel separator (preferably of plastics material, more preferably PTFE) is located in the cavity between the inlet and the outlet and extends at least part way along the cavity. The dielectric channel separator divides thecavity into a plurality of elongate channels which are mutually coextensive for at least part of their length in the direction of fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet and are at least partially bounded by dielectric material. A metallic channel separator, preferably of zinc, can also be provided to provide a degree of protection against corrosion. The channel separators are preferably configured to encourage turbulence in the fluid flowing through the device.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing metal contained in a solution through chelation which includes a means for adding a surface active agent containing a hydrophobic group, a hydrophilic group and a chelating group to a metal containing solution held within a metal solution accommodating means. An electric field applying means is adapted to apply an electric field to the solution containing means and further means is provided for separating an aggregate from the metal contained solution.

Abstract: An electrostatic filter utilizes two separate filter cartridges in a parallel flow configuration with respect to incoming dielectric fluid containing particulates. Each cartridge is connected to opposite sides of a high voltage power supply, resulting in the electrodes contained in one of the cartridges having an opposite polarity than the electrodes contained in the other cartridge. This, in turn, results in having the fluid borne particulates exiting one cartridge being charged oppositely to those exiting the other. The fluid streams exiting the two cartridges are joined together, allowing the particulates to flocculate. These larger groupings of particulates may then be mechanically filtered in a third cartridge. The parallel flow configuration results in an electrostatic filter that is relatively insensitive to water contained in the dielectric fluid.

Abstract: A transverse flow, self-heating electrically conductive sorption system for separating species of different adsorption characteristics in a fluid includes a containment vessel, an electrically conductive permeable sorbent bed having a multiplicity of adsorption sites in said vessel; a porting structure for supplying contaminated fluid in a first direction at one surface of the bed and for receiving the contaminated fluid at another surface of the bed; and a pair of spaced electrodes for applying current through the bed in a second direction transverse to the first direction to self-heat the electrically conductive sorbent bed.

Abstract: The present invention is a liquid-liquid contactor which employs an electrostatic field to mix an organic phase with an aqueous phase and to coalesce the aqueous phase in order to accomplish extraction of a component present in the aqueous phase. The electrostatic field is formed between a rod electrode located within a gaseous phase adjacent the top of the contactor and a plate electrode located within the aqueous phase adjacent the bottom of the contactor by applying a high voltage to the rod electrode. The extraction process consists of an extraction stage where the component is extracted out of the aqueous phase by the organic phase and a subsequent stripping stage where the component is stripped out of the organic phase by ion exchange with a second aqueous phase.

Abstract: The invention is an electrostatic coalescer testing apparatus for testing the ability of chemical additives to facilitate electrostatic coalescence of water in a water hydrocarbon-containing mixture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an oil-water separation apparatus which permits oil-water separation of heavily polluted oil-water mixed liquids or mixed liquids of high viscosity oil and water, etc., to be efficiently made.