Process Intensification in Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsion Separation by Simultaneous Application of Electric Field and Novel Demulsifier Adsorbers Based on Polyhipe Polymers

Abstract

A novel process intensification technique has been demonstrated in the demulsification (separation) of highly stable water-in-crude oil emulsions through the superimposition of an electro-static separation field with micro-porous demulsifier adsorbers which are prepared through a high internal phase emulsion polymerization route and subsequently sulphonated. These materials are also known as PolyHIPE Polymers (PHP). The hydrophilic version of PHPs is also an excellent ion exchanger and therefore during the demulsification process, they not only remove the surface active species from the crude oil, but they also remove ionic moieties thus acting as a combined demulsifier and adsorber. Although these materials can be used to demulsify stable emulsions very effectively, they are ineffective in highly stable emulsions. The same is also true for electro-static emulsion separators. The combination of these two techniques appears to create synergy which results in the intensification of the separation process. Experiments were carried out using a model emulsion with highly viscous crude oil and model seawater aqueous phase. An electro-static separator was used and the effects of emulsion flow rate and electric field strength were evaluated using 0.5 gram PHP demulsifier adsorber in 1 kg 50:50 water-in-oil emulsion. Complete demulsification was achieved at high flow rates or low electric field strengths when electro-static separation was not effective without the PHP demulsifier adsorber.