Enrichment of an emulsion

摘要

The method utilizes the effect of thermocapillary movement of fluid particles in a fluid medium. A vessel (10) is divided into two compartments by a porous wall (11) whose pores (15) have a diameter of less than 5 mu m. Heat is applied at right angles to the wall to create a temperature gradient across the emulsion. This causes a change in the surface tension of the particles and a movement towards the area of lower tension, namely from a region of low to a region of high temperature. Particles move from left to right through the pores in the wall.