With highly pure liquid-liquid systems, the phase separation process of temporary emulsion is studied. The process could be summarized in a separation diagram composed of settling, accumulation and coalescence curves.
The agitator speed to form emulsion has little effect on the phase separation of the emulsion because of quick drop to drop coalescence at the beginning of separation. Larger volume fraction of the dispersed phase allows more rapid coalescence and the separation time for a given height of emulsion is nearly constant as the phase ratio varies.