The effect of electrization on the properties of flowing water-oil emulsion

Abstract

The electrization of the water-oil mixture is a negative factor, the study of which has so far been neglected. Electrostatic charges generated in the pipelines during oil transportation, are accumulated in oil-water mixture. It essentially changes the corrosion activity of the aqueous phase and enables water-oil emulsion stabilization. The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of electrostatic charges that are generated during oil transportation through pipelines on the stabilization of water-oil emulsions. It is established that the accumulation of electrostatic charges in the oil phase leads to the stabilization of the water-oil emulsion, i.e. to the increase of “water-oil” interphacial tension. It is shown that demulsifiers increase the redistribution of electrostatic charges between aqueous and oil phases. The proposed method preventing the stabilization of emulsion is based on reduction of electrostatic charges redistribution in “water-oil” system by introducing antistatic surfactants.

Cathodic protection of main oil pipeline

“…As is known, the corrosion protection of an oil pipeline depends largely on the value of the polarization potential of its surface, which, in turn, determines the kinetics of electrode reactions in soil electrolytes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. The cathodic protection method ensures a drastic decrease in the corrosion rate of the pipeline metal due to turning the protected surface into a non-destructive cathode.…”