METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEPARATING OIL FROM WATER

PURPOSE:To effectively separate oil ranging from emulsified light oil to high-concn. and/or high-viscosity oil from water containing oil by a compact equipment, by flowing said water through a specified coarsely granulated element combined with an oil extracting mechanism in the alternately changed flow direction of the water. CONSTITUTION:A water-insoluble and water-absorbing gel layer is formed in a porous material of several fibers etc., by impregnating e.g. an aqueous solution of acrylamide admixed with a condensation catalyst such as sodium persulfate thereinto, ad drying the inpregnated product to obtain a coarse granulated element 1. Oil-containing water is sent under press. to a coarsely granulating device 2 housing said element 1 by a pump 10 through a floating separator 11 and a switching valve 6. The coarsely granulated oil stays in the upper part of an extracting tank 5 after being brought into contact with the element 1 and is extracted by an extracting valve 7 of an oil extracting mechanism 3 by a driving device 4, and then is sent to the second floatong separator 12. The effectiveness and service durability of the device 2 are improved when it is formed into a multistage type provided respectively with the mechanisms 3. As the element 1 becomes clogged with foreign matters contained in said water, the element 1 is washed by switching the valve 6 to change the flow direction before the occurrence of clogging.