Synthesis and Preliminary Demulsification Efficiency Evaluation of New Demulsifiers Based on Fatty Oils

Abstract

Three raw fatty oils were used as precursors for demulsifiers. The hydrolyzed form of each oil was adducted with maleic anhydride then modified by esterification with polyethylene glycols or ethyleneoxide-propyleneoxide block copolymers. The demulsfication efficiency, coalescence rate, some surface active, thermodynamic properties, and partition coefficient of a selected demulsifier were investigated. The best demulsifier shows 100% demulsification after 19 minutes at 300 ppm. A correlation between demulsification efficiency and rheological properties of the investigated demulsifier was investigated. Also, emulsification kinetics were followed by microscopic photography. A mechanism following coalescence and flocculation of water droplets is proposed.

Keywords:

• Demulsification mechanism
• photomicroscopy
• rheological properties

Notes

^a Separation time: days.