Emulsion separation through fibrous media is a popular and complex process, and certain factors significantly affect the separation performance. This research investigates the influence of inlet droplet size distribution and redispersion on quantitative separation efficiency. The gravity settling method was developed to analyze the water droplet size distribution, and a novel grade efficiency curve was used to demonstrate the impact of redispersion. In addition, other critical factors, including specific surface area, bed permeability, degree of saturation, superficial velocity and bed depth were investigated. The results are useful for elucidating emulsion transport in fibrous media and identifying the optimum media and operating conditions. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.