1554
Energy & Fuels 2003, 17, 1554-1559
Effect of Demulsifier Properties on Destabilization of Water-in-Oil Emulsion J. Wu, Y. Xu,* T. Dabros, and H. Hamza CANMET Energy Technology Centre - Devon, 1 Oil Patch Drive, Suite A202, Devon, Alberta T9G 1A8, Canada Received May 6, 2003. Revised Manuscript Received August 6, 2003
Demulsification of water-in-bitumen emulsion was studied using 52 nonionic surfactants of different chemical families. Relative solubility number (RSN) and molecular weight were determined for these demulsifiers. Their dewatering performance was evaluated by determining the rate of water separation during gravitational settling and centrifugation. The results indicated that there is no overall correlation between demulsification performance and RSN value. However, within a given surfactant family, such as polymerized polyols, oxyalkylated alkylphenol formadehyde resins, and oxyalkylated alkyl resins, the degree of demulsification was found to correlate with the RSN value. A maximum of dewatering performance was observed in a specific RSN range for two surfactant families. Molecular weight also showed a significant effect on demulsification performance. Surfactants with low molecular weight (
