Random Acrylic Terpolymers for Crude Oil Emulsion Breaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current demulsifying agents, such as ionic liquids and traditional polyether-based formulations, are costly or inefficient in removing water-in-crude oil (W/O) and crude oil-in-water-in-crude oil (O/W/O) emulsions, leading to formation damage, corrosion, and transportation difficulties in crude oil extraction and refining processes.
Innovation Solution
Development of random terpolymers based on alkyl acrylate-ethylene alkanoate-alkoxyalkyl acrylate synthesized through a modified semi-continuous emulsion polymerization process, ensuring high randomness and solubility in crude oil, with a trifunctional role as a breaker, coalescer, and clarifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ionic liquids are used as demulsifying agents, then the dehydration efficiency is improved, but the production cost becomes unfeasible at industrial level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive ionic liquids with a cost-effective random terpolymer composition that can be produced at industrial scale. The terpolymer uses conventional, inexpensive monomers (styrene, butadiene, and a third monomer) that are readily available and economically viable for large-scale manufacturing, while maintaining effective demulsifying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical structure parameters by using a random terpolymer with specific compositional ranges (styrene 20-80 wt%, butadiene 10-60 wt%, third monomer 10-70 wt%) rather than the fixed structure of ionic liquids. This parameter optimization allows tuning of the demulsifying properties while maintaining cost-effectiveness and industrial scalability.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional polyether-based demulsifying formulations are used, then the production cost is reduced, but the efficiency in removing W/O and O/W/O emulsions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite polymer structure by randomly copolymerizing three different monomers (styrene, butadiene, and a third monomer) in specific proportions. This composite structure combines the advantages of different monomer units, achieving superior emulsion breaking performance comparable to or exceeding traditional polyether formulations, while maintaining cost-effectiveness and industrial scalability.
3Reliability
If the water content in crude oil is not reduced below 0.50 vol%, then the emulsified water causes formation damage and corrosion, but achieving complete removal increases processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the demulsifying agent before the crude oil reaches separation equipment, allowing the emulsion to break and separate in advance. The random terpolymer is dosed into the flowing crude oil, where it rapidly destabilizes W/O and O/W/O emulsions, enabling subsequent easy separation and achieving the required water content reduction below 0.50 vol% without complex additional processing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The terpolymers effectively destabilize W/O and O/W/O emulsions, reducing emulsified water content to below 0.50 vol% and clarifying the aqueous phase, outperforming commercial formulations by ensuring high efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The presence of water during the extraction process of crude oil... the water is found as an emulsion... the asphaltenes and resins, which provoke the stabilization of the water-in-crude oil interface... a polar fragment of a resin interacts with a polar center of an asphaltene, thus, forming aggregates of solvated asphaltene fragments with resin fragments... These asphaltenes and resins aggregates are adsorbed in the interface of the water droplets, generating a rigid structure that covers these ones
Implementation Method 2
Development of random terpolymers based on alkyl acrylate-ethylene alkanoate-alkoxyalkyl acrylate synthesized through a modified semi-continuous emulsion polymerization process
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure belongs to the field of chemical products for petroleum conditioning, in particular to the field of demulsifying agents. The disclosure concerns the application of random terpolymers based on alkyl acrylate-ethylene alkanoate-alkoxyalkyl acrylate to destabilize simple emulsions of the water-in-crude oil (W/O) type and/or complex emulsions of the crude oil-in-water-in-crude oil (O/W/O) type present in crude oils with gravities from 6 to 40° API, in order to remove the emulsified water and salts dissolved in the latter. Its application is mainly focused on wells to avoid formation damage caused by emulsions, in offshore units, triphasic separation units, and in onshore units prior to the refining process.