Effective removal of paraffin deposits using oil-in-water microemulsion systems

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of using oil-in-water microemulsions, formulated with nonionic surfactant, for the removal of paraffin deposits. Experiments were conducted in a cylindrical steel cell, where a thin layer of paraffin was applied to the walls and exposed to various microemulsion systems. The microemulsions systems were formulated with kerosene (MESK), xylene (MESX), and diesel (MESD), and the removal efficiency was compared to that of pure solvents. Our results demonstrate that the efficiency of paraffin deposit removal using microemulsion systems is influenced by the concentration of both the active matter and oil component. Specifically, microemulsions containing kerosene in the oil phase exhibited the highest removal performance, with a removal efficiency of 66.78%, compared to 48.74% for pure kerosene solvent. Furthermore, our findings suggest that high removal efficiency can be achieved with low concentrations of oil phase (2–6 wt%), making microemulsions a more environmentally friendly and safer alternative to the use of pure solvents. We observe that increasing the liquid volume in the tubular can lead to a reduction in removal efficiency due to the reduced fluid shear. Overall, our study provides important insights into the potential applications of microemulsion systems for paraffin removal, with implications for various industrial processes and environmental remediation efforts. The results highlight the importance of optimizing microemulsion composition to achieve optimal removal efficiency and promote the use of more environmentally friendly solvents in paraffin removal operations.