TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel petroleum demulsifiers based on acrylic random copolymers
AU - Cevada, Enrique
AU - Palacios, Norma
AU - Hernández, Edgar
AU - Castro, Laura
AU - López, Alfonso
AU - Flores, César
AU - Álvarez, Fernando
AU - Vázquez, Flavio
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2019/4/3
Y1 - 2019/4/3
N2 - Although normally the copolymers used to remove water from crude oil have a block structure, two series of random acrylic copolymers were evaluated as petroleum demulsifiers. These acrylic copolymers, with two different butyl acrylate (BuA) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) contents, were synthesized by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization. Their weight-average molar mass ((Formula presented.)) was varied by modifying the amount of chain transfer agent relative to the monomers from 0 to 8 wt%. FTIR and 13 C-NMR spectroscopies confirmed that the conversion of the monomers was complete. The synthesized acrylic copolymers were subsequently evaluated as demulsifier agents in a Mexican heavy crude oil (10.24°API). Copolymers with 70 wt% butyl acrylate monomer and a weight-average molar mass above of 11 000 g mol −1 presented the greatest ability to remove emulsified water from the system. The demulsifying capability of the copolymer was evidenced to be strongly dependent on their molecular mass. Highlights Synthesis of random acrylic copolymers (BuA-co-2-EHA) of different average molar mass ((Formula presented.)). Evaluation of random acrylic copolymers as demulsifiers of heavy crude oil. Weight-average molar mass ((Formula presented.)) and monomer composition play an important role on the performance of random acrylic copolymers as demulsifiers.
AB - Although normally the copolymers used to remove water from crude oil have a block structure, two series of random acrylic copolymers were evaluated as petroleum demulsifiers. These acrylic copolymers, with two different butyl acrylate (BuA) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) contents, were synthesized by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization. Their weight-average molar mass ((Formula presented.)) was varied by modifying the amount of chain transfer agent relative to the monomers from 0 to 8 wt%. FTIR and 13 C-NMR spectroscopies confirmed that the conversion of the monomers was complete. The synthesized acrylic copolymers were subsequently evaluated as demulsifier agents in a Mexican heavy crude oil (10.24°API). Copolymers with 70 wt% butyl acrylate monomer and a weight-average molar mass above of 11 000 g mol −1 presented the greatest ability to remove emulsified water from the system. The demulsifying capability of the copolymer was evidenced to be strongly dependent on their molecular mass. Highlights Synthesis of random acrylic copolymers (BuA-co-2-EHA) of different average molar mass ((Formula presented.)). Evaluation of random acrylic copolymers as demulsifiers of heavy crude oil. Weight-average molar mass ((Formula presented.)) and monomer composition play an important role on the performance of random acrylic copolymers as demulsifiers.
KW - Emulsion polymerization
KW - Random acrylic copolymers
KW - petroleum demulsifier
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054601297&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01932691.2018.1472009
DO - 10.1080/01932691.2018.1472009
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0193-2691
VL - 40
SP - 495
EP - 506
JO - Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology
JF - Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology
IS - 4
ER -