Demulsifiers, or emulsion breakers, are a class of
specialty chemicals
Speciality chemicals (also called specialties or effect chemicals) are particular chemical products which provide a wide variety of effects on which many other industry sectors rely. Some of the categories of speciality chemicals are adhesives, ag ...
used to separate
emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Altho ...
s, for example, water in oil. They are commonly used in the processing of
crude oil, which is typically produced along with significant quantities of saline water. This water (and salt) must be removed from the crude oil prior to
refining. If the majority of the water and salt are not removed, significant
corrosion
Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engi ...
problems can occur in the refining process.
Demulsifiers are typically based on the following chemistry:
* Acid catalysed
phenol-formaldehyde resins
* Base catalysed phenol-formaldehyde resins
* Epoxy resins
*
Polyethyleneimines
*
Polyamines
* Di-
epoxide
In organic chemistry, an epoxide is a cyclic ether () with a three-atom ring. This ring approximates an equilateral triangle, which makes it strained, and hence highly reactive, more so than other ethers. They are produced on a large scale ...
s
*
Polyol
In organic chemistry, a polyol is an organic compound containing multiple hydroxyl groups (). The term "polyol" can have slightly different meanings depending on whether it is used in food science or polymer chemistry. Polyols containing two, thr ...
s
*
dendrimer
Dendrimers are highly ordered, branched polymeric molecules. Synonymous terms for dendrimer include arborols and cascade molecules. Typically, dendrimers are symmetric about the core, and often adopt a spherical three-dimensional morphology. The ...
The above are usually ethoxylated (and/or propoxylated) to provide the desired degree of water/oil solubility.
The addition of
ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless and flammable gas with a faintly sw ...
increases water solubility,
propylene oxide
Propylene oxide is an acutely toxic and carcinogenic organic compound with the molecular formula CH3CHCH2O. This colourless volatile liquid with an odour similar to ether, is produced on a large scale industrially. Its major application is its us ...
decreases it.
Commercially available demulsifier formulations are typically a mixture of two to four different chemistries, in carrier solvent(s) such as
xylene
In organic chemistry, xylene or xylol (; IUPAC name: dimethylbenzene) are any of three organic compounds with the formula . They are derived from the substitution of two hydrogen atoms with methyl groups in a benzene ring; which hydrogens are s ...
,
heavy aromatic naphtha (HAN),
Isopropanol,
methanol,
2-Ethylhexanol
2-Ethylhexanol (abbreviated 2-EH) is an organic compound with formula CHO. It is a branched, eight-carbon chiral alcohol. It is a colorless liquid that is poorly soluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents. It is produced on a large scal ...
or
diesel.
Demulsifiers are manufactured by chemical manufacturers including:
*
Arkema
*
Baker Hughes
*
BASF
BASF SE () is a German multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries ...
* ChampionX
*
Clariant
*
Dow Chemical Company
*
Lubrizol
The Lubrizol Corporation is an American provider of specialty chemicals for the transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These products include additives for engine oils and other transportation-related fluids, additives for industrial l ...
*
Nouryon
PureChem ServicesCES
* SI Group
* Solvay Solvay may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium
* Solvay Conference, founded by Ernest Solvay, deals with open questions in physics and chemistry
* Solvay Indupa, an Argen ...
* Stepan
* Starborn Chemical
References
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Chemical mixtures