Our current understanding of water-in-crude oil emulsions.

Effect of the structure of commercial poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide) demulsifier bases on the demulsification of water-in-crude oil emulsions: elucidation of the demulsification mechanism

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Due to the complex composition of crude oils, it is common to characterize each crude oil in terms the four SARA-fractions: saturates (S); aromatics (A); resins (R); asphaltenes (A). 7 The asphaltenes are defined as the crude oil fraction insoluble in high apolar light n-alkanes, such as n-pentane or n-heptane, and soluble in low polar solvents, such as benzene and toluene.…”

Rheological properties of highly concentrated dense packed layer emulsions (w/o) stabilized by asphaltene

“…Several literature studies report emulsion stabilization properties of asphaltenes. 4,27,28 The studies successfully correlate chemical and physical properties of with the emulsion stability of the respective crude oil.…”

“…The increase in emulsion stability with time is related to the build-up and rearrangement of complex layers at the water-oil interface. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] In the petroleum industry, flow assurance and produced fluid quality are central concerns in promoting efficient separation processes of water from crude oils. The overall separation process may comprise several sub-processes, such as sedimentation, flocculation, coalescence, and creaming.…”

“…As such, indigenous crude components are separated on the basis of polarity, aromaticity, and solubility. 4,26 Asphaltenes are the most polar and heaviest fraction of crude oils within the SARA classification. Resin-stabilized asphaltene aggregates exhibit interfacial activity.…”

“…The aggregate size depends on temperature, pressure, and nature of the solvent. 4,27,28 Despite frequent formation of stable DPLs during separation processes, there is an absence of fundamental knowledge concerning DPL rheological characteristics. Knowledge of rheological properties of these systems may lead to improved predictions of DPL deformation and break up processes.…”