Abstract:
The present invention relates to the application based on alkyl acrylate homopolymers, such as antifoaming agents in crude oils with densities of 10 to 40° API. Evaluation tests in “live” crude oil, under similar gas-liquid separation equipment conditions, showed that these polymers based on alkyl acrylate are effective foaming inhibitors in heavy and super-heavy crude oils, reducing the foam between 15 and 50% faster compared to crude oil without an antifoaming agent. Some acrylics show better performance than commercial silicon-based polymers, which suppress foam 20-25% faster than the blank. The antifoaming agents of this invention, based on alkyl acrylate and totally free of silicon, is an advantageous option, to replace the silicone-based foam inhibitors currently on the market.
Abstract:
This invention is directed to a method for defoaming crude oil by the addition of copolymers based on silicone free alkyl acrylics defoamers for crude oils with densities between 10 and 40° API. The alkyl acrylic copolymers at conditions similar to those of gas-liquid separators are efficient foam formation inhibitors in heavy and super-heavy crude oils to reduce foam levels between 15 and 50% faster than non-dosed crude oil. Some acrylic copolymers exhibited a greater efficiency as defoamers than commercial silicones, which promote the defoaming only 20 or 25 vol % faster than the natural foam collapse. Silicones as defoamers present serious problems as the formation of deposits and the deactivation of catalysts in the refining processes. These problems have originated a series of interdictions to use silicon based defoamers and new chemical compounds completely silicon free are required to control the foam levels in the gas/petroleum separation tanks.
Abstract:
The present invention is related to the use of ethylene alkanoate-alkyl acrylate bipolymers with a high randomness monomers distribution, which are synthesized by semicontinuous emulsion polymerization process, characterized because it is carried out using slow addition rate of the pre-emulsion feeding ({dot over (q)}≤0.009 kg·L−1·min−1), stabilized this last one by alkyl glycol ether type surfactants, at temperatures higher than 75° C. and with solids contents above 25 wt %, which avoids the formation of large sequences (blocks) of a same monomer. This structural characteristic gives the ethylene alkanoate-alkyl acrylate bipolymers a high efficiency as chemical agents for removal of complex water/crude oil emulsions of crude oil blends.
Abstract:
A chemical synthesis process is provided for the functionalization of monodispersed triblock copolymer (POEw-POPy-POEw) with secondary or tertiary amines at a semi-industrial level in glass reactors having a capacity between 1 L and 100 L. The process includes two stages where the first stage uses an alkylsulfonyl or arylsulfonyl chloride to obtain better leaving groups, and the second stage is the nucleophilic substitution with secondary or tertiary amines, to obtain the bifunctionalized triblock copolymers. The main advantage for this process is to reduce the quantity of unitary process done in each stage, the optimization of reaction times, and the stoichiometric relationships.
Abstract:
A problem the oil industry faces is the presence of great water and salt amounts in crude oil streams, which cannot be easily removed by conventional dehydrating polymers. Moreover, the acid stimulation of wells evokes the chemical degradation of the polyethers and phenolic resins used as demulsifiers, drastically reducing their water and salt removal efficiency. Disclosed herein are new terpolymers which are combinations of three derivative monomers from alkyl acrylate, aminoalkyl acrylate, and carboxyalkyl acrylate, synthesized via emulsion polymerization by semi-continuous process under starving feed conditions, in order to ensure both the homogeneity of the polymer chains and the randomness of the monomers. The dissolutions of the random terpolymers have displayed a comparable, and even superior, water removal efficiency when dosed in light or heavy crude oils. The random alkylacrylic-aminoalkylacrylic-carboxyalkylacrylic terpolymers present an outstanding performance as emulsion breakers, water droplets coalescers, and aqueous phase clarifiers.
Abstract:
Disclosed are chemical products useful for crude oil conditioning, particularly to demulsifying basic compounds. Disclosed are PEOw-PPOy-PEOw triblock bipolymers, with amphoteric groups, β-amino acid derivatives, at the chain ends, which destabilize water-in-crude oil (W/O) emulsions, thereby removing emulsified water and salts dissolved salts in the aforementioned phase.
Abstract:
The present invention is related to formulations consisting of block copolymers α,ω-di-aryl or alkyl sulfonates of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w of bis-ammonium and block copolymers α,ω-di-amine of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w, that are effective in the dewatering and desalting crude whose specific gravities are within the range of 14 to 23°API.
Abstract:
Compositions consisting of block copolymers α,ω-di-aryl or alkyl sulfonates of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w of bis-ammonium and block copolymers α,ω-di-amine of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w, are provided that are effective in the dewatering and desalting crude oils whose specific gravities are within the range of 14 to 20° API. A method of dewatering and desalting heavy crude oil adds a mixture of the copolymer bifunctionalized with an aliphatic or aromatic secondary amine and a copolymer bifunctionalized with an aliphatic or aromatic tertiary amine.
Abstract:
The present invention is related to formulations consisting by block copolymers α,ω-di-aryl or alkyl sulfonates of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w of bis-ammonium and block copolymers α,ω-di-amine of poly(ethylene oxide)w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)w, that are effective in the dewatering and desalting crude whose specific gravities are within the range of 14 to 23° API.
Abstract:
Nowadays, one of the major problems of the oil industry is the presence of large amounts of water and salts, which can not be efficiently removed by conventional dehydrating polymers. In addition, the acid stimulation operations of petroleum wells cause the chemical degradation of demulsifiers such as polyethers and phenolic resins, reducing drastically their efficiency as water and salt removers. Based on aforementioned, a series of new copolymers has been developed; these copolymers are combinations of an alkyl acrylate and a carboxyalkyl acrylate. These copolymers are synthesized by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization (under starved feed conditions), which ensures both the homogeneity of the different chains as well as the randomness of the monomers distribution. The solutions of one of these random copolymers have shown an efficiency similar or superior to combinations of two or three block copolymers (formulations), when they are applied in light or heavy crude oils. The acrylic-carboxyacrylic copolymers show good performance as water/oil emulsion breaker initiators, water droplet coalescers and clarifiers of the remaining aqueous phase. In addition, it is important to remark that these novel acrylic-carboxyacrylic copolymers show a higher clarification capacity in comparison with acrylic copolymers [19], vinyl acrylics [12] and polyethers. Dehydrating capacity of acrylic-carboxyacrylic copolymers is higher than polyethers and resins available in the market. Besides, unlike the commercial polyethers or resins, the chemical structure of the acrylic-carboxyacrylic copolymers are resistant to chemical degradation induced by abrupt changes in pH, when acid stimulation is carried out in wells.