Emulsions of Heavy Crude Oils. II. Viscous Responses and Their Influence on Emulsion Stability Measurements

The stability of 30 heavy crude oil emulsions was studied in a parallel-plate laboratory coalescer (DC field). Particularly, viscous responses and their influence on the emulsion stability measurements were investigated. In addition to highlighting previous results from the same experimental setup and discussing these based on recent experience, new results at different temperatures and volume fractions of water were presented. A new semi-empirical model for the characteristic time of the destabilization process was presented. The electrical forces were modelled with a point-dipole approximation and the hydrodynamic resistance to droplet transport was modelled with an empirical term including the logarithmic viscosity of the oil phase. The new model clearly performed much better than the previous model, particularly for very viscous crude oils. Studies of the performance of industrial electrocoalescers have showed that simple electrostatic theory can potentially explain complex separation phenomena when the resistance to the coalescence step is reduced by an efficient demulsifier. The ultimate goal is to build a model for both the laboratory setup and the industrial coalescer so that laboratory experiments can be used to predict the behavior of the industrial process.     

Impact of Various Parameters Over the Stability of Water-in-Vegetable Oil Emulsion

Theory regarding emulsification, its coalescence and impact of emulsifier over its stability has been updated. For the verification of the proposed theory, water-in-oil emulsion was prepared by mixing water and soybean oil in the presence and absence of emulsifier, monoglyceride. The effect of different parameters like emulsification time, contents of water, and concentration of emulsifier has been investigated on the emulsification and coalescence process of the emulsion. It was noted that the emulsion quality was highest if the mixture was homogenized for about 15 minutes and the water contents were 40% v/v. The addition of monoglyceride up to 0.5% w/v gave the most stable emulsion having higher quality than other composition. The results obtained were compared with the proposed theory and found to have good compositions.      

Janus Emulsion Drops: Equilibrium Calculations

Experimental results indicated the contact angles in the drops of Janus emulsions formed in a one-step mixing process to be invariant within a significant range the oil volume ratios, similar to the results from microfluidics emulsification. Since this result points to a connection between the kinetically formed emulsions and the local equilibrium topology of emulsion drops, the effect of interfacial tensions on the morphology of Janus emulsions was estimated from the equilibrium interfacial tensions at the line of contact. Realistic values of the tensions revealed the limited range of these to obtain Janus drops and also offered correlation between the equilibrium entities and the curvature of the interface between the two oils.     

Relationship Between the Polymer Structures and Destabilization of Polymer‐Containing Water‐in‐Oil Emulsions

The viscous properties, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and water/oil interfacial tension (IFT) of partially hydrolyzed polyacryamide (HPAM) and hydrophobically associating hydrolyzed polyacryamides modified with N‐dodecylacrylamide were studied with the objective of investigating the influence on destabilization of emulsions. As expected, the copolymers exhibit significant viscosity enhancing capacity and three‐dimensional network structures due to intermolecular hydrophobic associations, and also present high interfacial activities as the IFT decrease with increasing polymer concentration. As a result, the existences of copolymers increased both the viscosity of emulsions and the intensity of interfacial film, in which case slow down the diffusion of demulsifier molecules and enhance the stability of emulsions, finally, the separation of water from oil becomes more difficult.     

Core/Shell Structured PCM Nanocapsules Obtained by Resin Fortified Emulsion Process

Phase change material (PCM, octadecane) nanocapsules were successfully prepared by resin fortified emulsion (RFE) polymerization using the alkali soluble resin (ASR) of poly(ethylene‐co‐acrylic acid) (EAA) and poly(styrene‐co‐acrylic acid) (SAA). Stable PCM nanocapsules were obtained by resin fortified emulsion polymerization, which could be attributed to the prevention of Ostwald ripening due to PCM being hydrophobic. Analysis of online FTIR measurements throughout the reaction confirmed that the nanocapsules contained octadecane as a PCM. TEM imaging of the PCM nanocapsules showed spherical and core/shell morphology. The characteristics of PCM nanocapsules can be controlled by process parameters. As a result, the particle size and particle size distribution (i.e., polydispersity index (Dw/Dn)) of the PCM nanocapsules were created by adjusting manufacturing conditions. The PCM nanocapsules exhibited thermal energy storage (～49.8 J/g) and release (～47.9 J/g) behavior.     

ADSORPTION OF SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENTS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION: HYDROPHOBIC SUBSTRATES∗

Isotherms for the adsorption of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, sodium POE (4) nonyl phenol sulfate, and POE (25) nonyl phenol, on the hydrophobic crystalline herbicides atrazine and cyanazine were determined. Anionic surfactants were measured at 5°, 25°, and 50° C; the nonionic surfactant at 25° C only. Low degrees of surface coverage were observed; in only one case (atra-zine/NaDBS) was monolayer coverage approached. On the other hand, adsorption was accompanied by a significant increase in negative zeta potential. Although DLVO calculations suggest that this adsorption should lead to stable aggregates, these are of such size that gravitational effects overpower the DLVO terms.     

Microwave-Assisted Chemical Demulsification of Water-in-Crude-Oil Emulsions

Two case studies are presented that shows the effects of chemical demulsifiers used under conventional heating and in combination with microwave radiation on efficiency of demulsification and light transmittance of the water separated from the emulsions. The data shows that the chemical demulsifiers coupling with microwave radiation does a better job at demulsifying the water-in-crude-oil emulsions than when the chemical demulsifiers are used under conventional heating. The demulsification efficiency of AE-121 could reach 100% under microwave irradiation (300 W) for 50 seconds.     

Stability of Water/Crude Oil Systems Correlated to the Physicochemical Properties of the Oil Phase

A characterization of 30 crude oils has been performed to determine the relative level of influence that individual parameters have over the overall stability of w/o emulsions. The crude oils have been analyzed with respect to bulk and interfacial properties and the characteristics of their w/o emulsions. The parameters include compositional properties, acidity, spectroscopic signatures in the infrared and near‐infrared region, density, viscosity, molecular weight, interfacial tension, dilational relaxation, droplet size distribution, and stability to gravitationally and electrically induced separation. As expected, a strong covariance between several physicochemical properties was found. Near‐infrared spectroscopy proved to be an effective tool for crude oil analysis. In particular, we have showed the importance of the hydrodynamic resistance to electrically‐induced separation (static) in heavy crude oil‐water emulsions. A rough estimate of the drag forces and dielectrophoretic forces seemed to capture the difference between the 30 crude oils. Given enough time, water‐in‐heavy oil emulsions could be destabilized even at very low electric field magnitude (d.c.). When droplets approach each other in an inhomogeneous electric field, strong dielectrophoretic forces disintegrate the films and result in coalescence. The relative contribution from film stability to the overall emulsion stability may therefore be very different in a gravitational field compared to that in an electrical field.     

A book of: “Hollow Fibers. Manufacture and Applications,” Jeanette Scott,editor, Noyes Data Corporation,flew Jersey, 1981, $54.00

ABSTRACT

Silicone-in-fluorocarbon-in-water double emulsions were prepared by controlling carefully the characteristics of the emulsions composed of silicone, perfluoropoly-ethoxymethoxy difluorohydroxyethyl ether (PFPE–OH) and fluorosurfactant. In the emulsion formulation, PFPE–OH incorporated had a great influence on the droplet morphology and the stability of double emulsions. Moreover, it was observed that among the fluorocarbons, the silicone-in-fluorocarbon-in-water double emulsions could be formed effectively in the presence of a fluorosurfactant. The double emulsions prepared in this study maintained their initial emulsion stability for a long time at high temperature, meaning great usefulness in the cosmetic industry.     

Dispersion production by semi-continuous radical vinyl acetate emulsion polymerization with silane co-monomer and characterization of final products

Vinyl acetate radical emulsion polymerization in water with GF51 silane co-monomer was performed by semi continuous way. The GF51 impacts on dispersion rheology as well on films and bonding strength properties were determined. It should be stated that even low quantities of GF51 (up to 6% from VAc) determined high viscosity of dispersions. The GF51 modified films have low water absorption and high affinity to glass. Molecular mass and thermal properties of GF51 modified polymers were determined accordingly.