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 HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS; SAID HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS BEING THE ACIDIC FRACTIONAL ESTERS DERIVED BY REACTION BETWEEN (A) A POLYCARBOXY ACID AND (B) HIGH MOLAL OXYPROPYLATION DERIVATIVES OF POLYGLYCEROLS AND ETHERS OF POLYGLYCEROLS, WITH THE PROVISO THAT (A) THE INITIAL POLYHYDRIC REACTANT HAVE AT LEAST 4 HYDROXYL RADICALS; (B) THE INITIAL POLYDRIC REACTANT BE FREE FROM ANY RADICAL HAVING AT LEAST 8 UNINTERRUPTED CARBON ATOMS; (C) THE INITIAL POLYHYDRIC REACTANT BE WATER-SOLUBLE; (D) THE OXYPROPYLATION END PRODUCT BE WATER-INSOLUBLE; (E) THE OXYPROPYLATION END PRODUCT BE WITHIN THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT RANGE OF 2,000 TO 25,000 ON AN AVERAGE STATISTICAL BASIS; (F) THE SOLUBILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OXYPROPYLATION END PRODUCT IN RESPECT TO WATER AND ORGANIC SOLVENTS BE SUBSTANTIALLY THE RESULT OF THE OXYPROPYLATION STEP; (G) THE RATIO OF PROPYLENE OXIDE PER HYDROXYL IN THE ORIGINAL POLYHYDRIC REACTANT BE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 7 TO 80; (H) THE INITIAL POLYGLYCEROL REACTANT REPRESENT NOT MORE THAN 12 1/2% BY WEIGHT OF THE OXYPROPYLATION END PRODUCT ON A STATISTICAL BASIC; AND (I) THE PRECEDING PROVISOS BEING BASED ON COMPLETE REACTION INVOLVING THE PROPYLENE OXIDE AND THE INITIAL POLYHYDRIC REACTANT; AND (C) WITH THE FINAL PROVISO THAT THE REACTION RATIO OF (A) TO (B) TO ONE MOLE OF (A) FOR EACH HYDROXYL RADICAL PRESENT IN (B).