Issues regarding demulsifiers for crude oil desalination
Thread Content
Desalination and dewatering of crude oil require demulsifiers, which are divided into oil-soluble and water-soluble types. Which type provides a better effect for desalination and dewatering? How is the dosage of the demulsifier injected in your facility controlled?
I believe oil-soluble ones are superior to water-soluble ones: 1. Lower doses are required; 2. They do not remain in the aqueous phase, so they do not cause water pollution; 3. Since they stay in the oily phase, they actually improve the combustion properties of the product (although the effect is minimal due to the small dosage). However, oil-soluble demulsifiers are generally more expensive than water-soluble ones
Generally, oil-soluble demulsifiers are more effective. They can be injected directly, making them more convenient to use; water-soluble demulsifiers, on the other hand, need to be diluted before injection, which makes it harder to control the dosage accurately. Crude oil is selective regarding demulsifiers – a demulsifier that works well for crude oil type A may not be as effective for crude oil type B. It is necessary to choose a demulsifier based on the specific type of crude oil being used
We use water-soluble ones; the effect is just average