Modified Hydroxy-Succinimide Copolymers for Crude Oil Demulsification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crude oil emulsions formed during production are stable and interfere with refining operations, causing corrosion and reducing handling capacity, and existing demulsifiers like ethoxylated alkylphenol/formaldehyde resins are toxic.
Innovation Solution
Use of modified hydroxy-succinimide copolymers, such as ethoxylated and propoxylated α-olefin hydroxy-succinimide copolymers, to break emulsions by adding them to the oil or water phase, allowing separation into distinct layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ethoxylated alkylphenol/formaldehyde resins are used as demulsifiers, then emulsion breaking effectiveness is improved, but toxicity increases due to endocrine-hormone disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing toxic alkylphenol moieties with non-toxic hydroxy-succinimide copolymer structures, specifically using modified polymers that maintain demulsifier functionality while eliminating endocrine-disrupting properties
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite polymer structures combining hydroxy-succinimide groups with copolymer backbones, creating a multi-component material that achieves effective emulsion breaking without the toxic effects of traditional single-component demulsifiers
2Stability of the object's composition
If crude oil contains water, then natural emulsion formation occurs, but refining operations are interfered with and corrosion is induced
Solution Approach 1:
The demulsifier extracts and removes water from the crude oil emulsion by promoting phase separation, allowing water to be taken out as a distinct phase that can be removed from the refining process, thereby eliminating corrosion and operational interference
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 modified hydroxy-succinimide copolymers effectively separate water from oil, reducing emulsion stability and minimizing toxic compounds, thus enhancing refining efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The demulsifiers may slightly lower the interfacial surface tension between the aqueous phase and the hydrocarbon phase, remove natural stabilizers (e.g., natural surfactants, organic solids, and inorganic solids) from the interface, and allow the water droplets to coalesce.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to demulsifier compositions and methods of resolving emulsions using the compositions. The demulsifiers include modified hydroxy-succinimide copolymers. For example, the demulsifiers may include ethoxylated or propoxylated hydroxy-succinimide copolymers. The demulsifier compositions are useful for resolving oil-in-water, water-in-oil, and complex emulsions of water and oil.