Dehydration of oil waste emulsions by means of flocculants
Oil waste emulsions are formed in the course of pumping petroleum crudes and products and are collected from the surfaces of equipment in recirculating water systems and wastewater disposal facilities (oil separators, sand traps, oil traps, holding pits for accidental spills, settlers, ponds, sludge accumulators, and so on). Emulsions are also obtained in the course of cleaning equipment in crude oil desalting and dehydration units. Such emulsions are stable, structurized systems that are very resistant to dewatering by heating and settling in separator tanks. In order to break stabilized emulsions, i.e., in order to ensure complete coalescence of drops when they collide, it is not sufficient to increase the forces of mutual attraction of drops at the moment of collision; in addition, the protective shell must be either destroyed or weakened. Demulsifying agents, or surfactants, will displace the stabilizers. This report is concerned with demulsifier efficiency.
- OSTI ID:
- 191816
- Journal Information:
- Chemistry and Technology of Fuels and Oils, Vol. 30, Issue 9-10; Other Information: PBD: May 1995; TN: Translated from Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel; Nos. 9-10, 8-9(Sep-Oct 1994)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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