Removal of Water Emulsified in Mineral Oil – An Alternative Approach

Mineral oil in metal containments with access of outside air may become contaminated with humidity present in the air because water starts to condense on cold metallic surfaces. An approach for the removal of this water moiety would be to remove it with polysaccharides that have the property of swelling up by water uptake. The polysaccharides can be fixed to carriers such as expanded clay particles. When oil containing water comes in contact with the polysaccharide coat, the water is taken up; the coated carriers containing water can be removed. A device is described that may allow application of this principle.