Process for breaking petroleum emulsions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR BREAKING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS OF THE WATER-IN-OIL TYPE CHARACTERIZED BY SUBJECTING THE EMULSION TO THE ACTION OF A DEMULSIFIER INCLUDING THE HYDROPHILE RESULTANT OF THE ESTERIFICATION REACTION INVOLVING ON THE ONE HAND AN ACIDIC ESTER CONTAINING: (A) A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL RADICAL; (B) A POLYBASIC CARBOXYLIC ACID RADICAL; AND (C) AN ACYLOXY RADICAL CONTAINING 8 TO 32 CARBON ATOMS DERIVED FROM A DETERGENTFORMING MONOCARBOXY ACID HAVING 8 TO 32 CARBON ATOMS, AT LEAST ONE POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL RADICAL BEING ESTER-LINKED WITH A GROUP CONTAINING SAID ACYLOXY RADICAL AND THE NUMBER OF SAID GROUPS ESTER-LINKED WITH A GROUP CONTAINING SAID RADICAL BEING LESS THAN THE VALENCY OF SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL RADICAL; AND ON THE OTHER HAND HYDRIC ALCOHOL RADICAL; AND ON THE OTHER HAND DROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS BEING OXYALKYLATION PRODUCTS OF (A) AN ALPHA-BETA ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVING NOT MORE THAN 4 CARBON ATOMS AND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE, GLYCIDE AND METHYLGLYCIDE, AND (B) AN OXYALKYLATION SUSCEPTIBLE, FUSIBLE, ORGANIC SOLVENT-SOLUBLE, WATER-INSOLUBLE PHENOL-ALDEHYDE RESIN; SAID RESIN BEING DERIVED BY REACTION BETWEEN A DIFUNCTIONAL MONOHYDRIC PHENOL AND AN ALDEHYDE HAVING NOT OVER 8 CARBON ATOMS AND REACTIVE TOWARD SAID PHENOL; SAID RESIN BEING FORMED IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF TRIFUNCTIONAL PHENOLS; SAID PHENOL BEING OF THE FORMULA