Demulsification performance and the relative solubility number (RSN) of modified poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-dodecene) on naturally asphaltenic crude oil emulsion

The performance of modified poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-dodecene) with polyethylene glycol (PEG 1000) and polypropylene glycol (PPG 1000) as emulsion breakers was investigated. The de-emulsifiers were characterized by their chemical structures, relative solubility numbers (RSN), EO content, PO content, and partition coefficient (Kp). All the prepared copolymers were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopic techniques and their molecular weights were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The surface and interfacial properties for the prepared polymeric surfactants were studied. The results obtained showed that the molecular structure of the prepared de-emulsifiers have direct effect on de-emulsification process. De-emulsifiers with more EO−PO content had higher de-emulsification efficiency.