Liquid Desiccant-assisted Dehydration of Bio-based Oligomers
Keywords:
Coalescer, CPA, Dehydration, Emulsion breaking, SimulationAbstract
We evaluate liquid desiccant–assisted coalescence to
dehydrate bio-based oligomers and break water in oil
emulsions under mild conditions. An experimental packed
column contacted epoxidized oil with glycol in countercurrent at moderate temperature and ambient pressure;
moisture was measured by Karl Fischer; a thermodynamic
model using cubic plus association assessed desiccant flow
effects. The column operated under an apparent laminar
regime to maintain film stability and encourage coalescence
without disruptive turbulence. The system achieved
specification moisture, and model trends agreed with
experiments; laminar hydraulics promoted droplet growth
and rapid gravitational separation; compared with vacuum
drying, the approach delivered shorter drying duration and
lower energy demand. Dehydration accelerated because
glycol absorbs water, stabilizes film drainage, enlarges
droplets on packing, and minimizes back mixing when flow is
controlled. The approach enables continuous, economical
dehydration of palm-based oligomers with simple operation,
compatibility with downstream processes, and scalability for
industrial production and reliability.
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