Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- SURFACTANT FUNDAMENTALS
- 1 Surfactants and Their Solutions: Basic Principles
- 2 Characterization of Demulsifiers
- 3 Emulsions and Foams in the Petroleum Industry
- SURFACTANTS IN POROUS MEDIA
- OILWELL, NEAR-WELL, AND SURFACE OPERATIONS
- ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY APPLICATIONS
- GLOSSARY AND INDEXES
- Author Index
- Affiliation Index
- Subject Index
2 - Characterization of Demulsifiers
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- SURFACTANT FUNDAMENTALS
- 1 Surfactants and Their Solutions: Basic Principles
- 2 Characterization of Demulsifiers
- 3 Emulsions and Foams in the Petroleum Industry
- SURFACTANTS IN POROUS MEDIA
- OILWELL, NEAR-WELL, AND SURFACE OPERATIONS
- ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY APPLICATIONS
- GLOSSARY AND INDEXES
- Author Index
- Affiliation Index
- Subject Index
Summary
Demulsifiers are a class of surfactants used to destabilize emulsions. This destabilization is achieved by reducing the interfacial tension at the emulsion interface, often by neutralizing the effect of other, naturally occurring surfactants which are stabilizing the emulsion. Demulsifier performance is routinely characterized using simple test procedures developed for use in the field. Because of the complexity of factors determining emulsion stability and, therefore, the effectiveness of any given demulsifier chemical, the wide variety of fundamental, mechanistic approaches to demulsifier selection often give way to empirical methods. A discussion of some of the common demulsifier performance characterization techniques is given along with some empirical methods for demulsifier selection.
Introduction
Several excellent reviews of demulsifier chemistry and properties can be found in the literature. For this chapter, the important factors in demulsifier selection and characterization will be discussed, accompanied with specific examples.
Chemical demulsification is commonly used to separate water from heavy oils in order to produce a fluid suitable for pipelining (typically less than 0.5% solids and water). A wide range of chemical demulsifiers are available in order to effect this separation. In order to develop the fundamental understanding necessary to optimize demulsifier selection for a particular emulsion, it should be sufficient, in principle, to obtain a complete chemical and physical characterization of both the emulsion to be separated and the demulsifier to be used.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- SurfactantsFundamentals and Applications in the Petroleum Industry, pp. 51 - 78Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2000
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