EP0141585A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Demulsifying process
Assignee: BP PLC
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Filing: 1984-10-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-10-18
Abstract
Abstract Emulsions of oil and water are broken by treating them with a demulsifier which is a polysiloxane polyalkylene oxide copolymer in which the polyalkylene oxide segment is composed of random ethylene oxide and propylene oxide units.The demulsifier is particularly useful in breaking emulsion of water in crude oil which are normally difficult to separate and in breaking emulsions at relatively low temperatures, e.g. 30° to 45°C.
Inventors
- 👤 David Eric Graham
- 👤 Werner August Lidy
- 👤 Patrick Charles Mcgrath
- 👤 David Graham Thompson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 03:02
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08G; C08G77/00; C08G77/42; C08G77/46; B; B01; B01D; B01D17/00; B01D17/02; B01D17/04; B01D17/047; C10; C10G; C10G33/00; C10G33/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for the resolution of an oil and water emulsion which method comprises treating the emulsion with an effective amount of a polysiloxane polyalkylene oxide block copolymer of general formula: wherein x and y are numbers in the range 1 to 200, and the total of X and y does not exceed 250, characterised by the fact that R is a random copolymer group of general formula: -R'0(EO)m(PO)nR" wherein R' is an alkylene group containing 3 to 10 carbon atoms, EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, R" is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group containing not more than 7 carbon atoms and m and n are numbers in the range 2 to 100 and 2 to 80 respectively, and the total of m and n does not exceed 100.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for the resolution of an oil and water emulsion which method comprises treating the emulsion with an effective amount of a polysiloxane polyalkylene oxide block copolymer of general formula: wherein x and y are numbers in the range 1 to 200, and the total of X and y does not exceed 250, characterised by the fact that R is a random copolymer group of general formula: -R'0(EO)m(PO)nR" wherein R' is an alkylene group containing 3 to 10 carbon atoms, EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, R" is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group containing not more than 7 carbon atoms and m and n are numbers in the range 2 to 100 and 2 to 80 respectively, and the total of m and n does not exceed 100.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that x and y are in the range 1 to 150; R' is a C 3 group, m and n are numbers in the ranges 3 to 50 and 3 to 40 respectively, and R" is methyl.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
20 words
A method according to either of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the polysiloxane groups are randomly interspersed.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
28 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the polyether group R has a molecular weight in the range 200 to 5,000.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
33 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the ethylene oxide and propylene oxide units are present in a ratio m:n in the range 1:10 to 10:1.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
21 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the emulsion is of the water-in-oil type.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 6 characterised by the fact that the oil is crude oil.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
25 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the demulsifier concentration is in the range 1 to 500 ppm.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
28 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the emulsion is treated at a temperature in the range ambient up to 150°C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 9 characterised by the fact that the emulsion is treated at a temperature in the range 30° to 45°C.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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