INFLUENCE OF PARAFIN CONCENTRATION ON THE SEDIMENTATION OF DISPERSED PARTICLES IN THE PETROLEUM MEDIA

Abstract

The sedimentation of solid phase in continuous media depends on the media's viscosity, physical properties, forms, surface roughness, concentration of particles [1]. Besides, surface tension also has effect to the sedimentation. To include all these factors in the Stockes' equation, experiments on the sedimentation of sand particles in paraffin dissolved petroleum have been done. Viscosity has been adjusted to required values by changing temperature. Paraffin amount, which changes the surface tension of the media, was included as an adjustment in Richardson & Zaki's correlation [2]. Calculated results have been shown to be quite appropriate with the experiments.