Sustainable nanodemulsifiers for enhanced demulsification of water and saline in crude oil emulsions: Synthesis and application

Abstract

Nanoparticles have been used as important materials for various applications in the oil industry. Among these applications, the use of nanoparticles as demulsifiers has gained considerable attention. In this study, sustainable nanodemulsifiers including cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanocrystals/PEG (CNC-PEG) composites derived from low-cost cotton, are synthesized. These demulsifiers were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The impact of various parameters, including demulsifier concentration, additives, salinity, demulsification time, temperature, and surfactant addition, on the performance of these demulsifiers was investigated. According to the results, the composite nanodemulsifier exhibited superior performance with a demulsification efficiency of 90%, outperforming CNC and PEG alone for both water and saline in crude oil emulsions. Also, the results indicated that by adding surfactant to these demulsifiers, the demulsification efficiency increased to 100%. These findings offer valuable insights into the development of sustainable and efficient demulsifiers for the oil industry.