Chemical Demulsification of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsions

Abdurahman,; Nour, Hassan; Yunus, Rosli Mohd; Jemaat, Zulkifly

doi:10.3923/jas.2007.196.201

Cited by 52 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Emulsified water droplets often carry elevated concentrations of salts, leading to fouling and corrosion in refinery units. − Furthermore, organic-laden produced waters can cause environmental hazards to air quality, aquatic lives, and crop production . Separation technologies are usually complex, , energy-intensive, , time-consuming, and costly. , Consequently, successful demulsification requires a structural identification of the interfacial species and a fundamental understanding of their stabilization mechanism. ,, …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the Interfacial Material in Asphaltenes Responsible for Oil/Water Emulsion Stability

2020

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This study aimed at a better understanding of the structure and properties of the most interfacially active asphaltenes responsible for the stability of oil/water emulsions. Interfacial material (IM) was extracted from three different crude oils using a modified solvent washing procedure. Structural parameters of IM were analyzed and compared to those of a parent asphaltene. High-resolution microscopy imaging was performed to correlate IM microstructure to their interfacial properties. Although IM and asphaltene fractions had comparable molecular weights, IM species had a smaller aromatic core than asphaltenes with at least one linear fatty acid chain containing a sulfinic or carboxylic group. This subtle difference conferred them with an amphiphilic character that promoted their self-assembly into 2–6 nm thick worm-like aggregates in solution instead of spherical clusters. IM molecules interacted with water through their fatty acid chains while simultaneously π–π stacking with adjacent molecules. These two types of interactions favored their multilayer growth and the formation of stable interfacial films around water droplets that significantly lowered the oil/water interfacial tension. High-resolution microscopy imaging of the interfacial films revealed the presence of flexible nanosheets that are 10–50 nm thick. The nanosheets provided a large surface area on which asphaltene clusters (smaller than 20 nm) and fine clay particles (100–200 nm) adsorbed. Even though multiple washings were performed to extract IM, there were still traces of asphaltenes present in this fraction as well as 10–30 wt % of clays, depending on the type of crude oil. The latter induced some artifacts when analyzing the properties of the most interfacially active asphaltenes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the Interfacial Material in Asphaltenes Responsible for Oil/Water Emulsion Stability

2020

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“…Such components are referred to as natural stabilizers of crude oil emulsions since they adsorb spontaneously at the water-oil interface and form adsorption layer preventing coalescence of water droplets. Asphaltenes and resins are high molecular components of oil which form a strong structural-mechanical barrier at the oil-water interface due to their interfacial activity [8,9]. The content of asphaltenes and resins is equal to 1-2 wt% and 16.6-20 wt%, respectively in the West Kazakhstan oil fields [10].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonionic surfactants based on polyoxyalkylated copolymers used as demulsifying agents

Adilbekova

Omarova

Karakulova

et al. 2015

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspect

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“…Gel dissolution (dissolution mechanism): A hydrophobic film‐forming material, such as asphalt resin or high‐molecular wax, enables oil‐soluble substances to form resin dispersion in crude oil while improving the interfacial tension between oil and water. This promotes the formation of oil droplets, which gradually break the emulsion 60,61 Flocculation‐cohesion mechanism (aggregation mechanism): Under thermal and mechanical energy, a dispersed demulsifier of a certain molecular weight causes fine droplets to flocculate.…”

Section: Research Status and Development Trend Of Demulsification Metmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research status and analysis of stabilization mechanisms and demulsification methods of heavy oil emulsions

Zhao

Zhexi

et al. 2020

Energy Science & Engineering

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Oil plays an indispensable role in the ever-increasing global energy economy. Over the past 20 years, oil demand has steadily increased from 60 to 84 million barrels per day. 1 With the explosive expansion of consumption and industry in emerging countries like China and India in the early years of the 21st century, the global average annual growth rate of demand for crude oil has grown to 3.4%. 2 The reduction in conventional oil and gas resources has led to the promotion, development, and utilization of unconventional resources, particularly heavy oil and oil sands. Heavy oil accounts for half of the world's crude oil reserves, and Canada has the world's largest heavy oil and bituminous production, with approximately 1 trillion and 700 billion barrels of heavy oil and asphalt, respectively. 3,4 Crude oil from reservoirs usually consists of a series of hydrocarbons, such as olefins, naphthenic hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, phenols, carboxylic acids, and some impurities (such as water, sediments, and a small amount of

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Chemical Demulsification of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsions

Cited by 52 publications

References 10 publications

Characterization of the Interfacial Material in Asphaltenes Responsible for Oil/Water Emulsion Stability

Characterization of the Interfacial Material in Asphaltenes Responsible for Oil/Water Emulsion Stability

Nonionic surfactants based on polyoxyalkylated copolymers used as demulsifying agents

Research status and analysis of stabilization mechanisms and demulsification methods of heavy oil emulsions

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