Dehydration of heavy crude oil emulsions using novel imidazolium-based poly ionic liquids

Sea water/ heavy crude oil emulsions are highly stable and cause serious industrial problems. Amphiphilic poly ionic liquids (ILs) as environmentally safe chemicals can be used as highly efficient demulsifiers to for W/O emulsions. In the present work, two imidazolium-based poly ionic liquids (IMPIL-1 and IMPIL-2) were prepared via one pot modified Debus-Radziszewski reaction by the interaction of triethylenetetramine or diethylenetriamine with glyoxal and formaldhyde in aqeous acetic acid solution. The prepared PILs were after that reacted with glycidyl 4-nonylphenyl ether through the epoxy ring opening to produce two amphiphilic PILs. (HNMR)-H-1, DLS and drop shape analyzer were utilized to verify their chemical structures and surface properties of the prepared PILs. The surface properties of AIMPIL-1 and AIMPIL-2 and their ability to reduce the IFT of sea water/crude oil interface recommended their application as demulsfiers for W/O emulsions. Factors affecting the demulsification properties like relative solubility index, Demulsifier dose and separation time were investigated. The results confirmed the high efficiency of AIMPIL-1 and AIMPIL-2 to act as demulsifiers for W/O emulsions with a priority to the less aminated AIMPIL-1 that reached 100% for emulsion compositions (30/70 and 10/90 vol%). (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Two imidazolium-based poly ionic liquids were successfully synthesized and tested as efficient demulsifiers for W/O emulsions, demonstrating their ability to reduce interfacial tension at the sea water/crude oil interface.