Study of the influence of commercial emulsion breakers on the water/ oil interfacial properties. interfacial tension and viscoelastic properties of the interfacial film

Abstract

The aim of this research project is to study how commercial emulsion breakers affect the interfacial properties of water/ oil systems. For that, the studies will be focused on the properties of the interface such as interfacial tension, dilational and shear viscoelastic behavior. The characteristics of the interfacial film will be analyzed along with the results from kinetic studies of phase separation with emulsion breakers. The tension and rheological studies of the interface will be performed by using a Spinning drop Tensiometer (Dataphysics SVT-20N) and an interfacial rheology accessory for a rotational rheometer (Haake, Mars III). Each rheological system aims to getting different properties of the interface. The dilational technique provides information about the response of the system when the interfacial area is changed, i.e., the kinetics in which the system acts to bring the interface back to the equilibrium condition. On the other side, in the shear technique the interfacial area is kept constant and the mechanical properties of the interface are probed. Emulsion breakers can act by affecting the viscoelastic properties of the interfacial film built up of crude oil components with surface active properties, such as asphaltenes, resins and naphtenic acids. Thus, the focus of this research proposal is to investigate how emulsion breakers acts on the formation and establishment of the interfacial film and the relationship between the film physic-chemical properties and the efficiency of the emulsion breaker, looking for a microscopic understanding of the phase separation phenomenon of water/ oil emulsions induced by emulsion breakers. (AU)