Demulsification of a Nigerian crude emulsion using ethoxylated-resoles and their xylene modified blends

Demulsification is a method used to reduce or disrupt the water - crude oil emulsion system without uttering initial composition of oil. This process done by introduction chemicals called demulsifiers, which break into aqueous and organic phases. In this study, demulsifier formulated was base-catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde resin known as resoles, with ratios phenol formaldehyde, varied between 1.0:1.2 1.0:2.0. The different samples resoles where then ethoxylated make them more hydrophilic using weights (10, 15 & 20 g) polyethylene glycol (PEG). Screening demulsifiers established bottle test procedure, at 70 °C, concentration 50 ppm, minutes residence separation time, in order select most effective demulsifier, based on amount removed from emulsion. best chemical-demulsifier produced resole, blended xylene varying percentages (0, 20, 40, 50, 80 % weight/weight) further screened, method. From analysis, it obtained that ethoxylate-xylene blend sample DR3, made formaldehyde ratio 1.8:1, g PEG 400 xylene. gave efficiency 85.7 %, compared commercial yielded 72.7 %. result indicates practical significance solvent modified for separating emulsions petroleum industries.