Investigation of the Characteristics and Mechanism of Action of Demulsifiers in the Separation of Emulsions in Industrial Processes: A Comprehensive Study

Oil-in-water emulsions represent a fundamental challenge within the oil and gas sector, where their separation remains intricate and costly due to their inherent stability and the presence of surfactants. This paper explores diverse separation techniques for petroleum emulsions, encompassing mechanical, thermal, electrochemical methods, and the deployment of chemical demulsifiers. Demulsifiers, regarded as one of the most efficient approaches, expedite the separation by lowering interfacial tension and disrupting stabilizing layers. Additionally, the integration of nanoparticles alongside demulsifiers enhances separation efficiency by expanding interfacial contact and leveraging catalytic effects. Environmental factors such as temperature, pressure, pH, and viscosity are assessed regarding their impact on demulsifier performance, accompanied by an evaluation of operational and ecological challenges linked to their application. Lastly, advancements in hybrid, biodegradable, and intelligent demulsifiers designed via nanotechnology and artificial intelligence modeling are introduced. The results demonstrate that combining innovative techniques with optimized operational conditions can substantially elevate demulsification efficiency while mitigating environmental repercussions.

Keywords:

Oil-in-water emulsion , demulsifier , nanoparticles , emulsion separation , emulsion stability , nanotechnology , mechanical methods , thermal methods , environmental challenges