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Synthesis and properties of novel branched polyether as demulsifiers for polymer flooding

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Abstract

A novel branched polyether is prepared with 1,1,2,2-tetrakis (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane as a core, amino groups as backbone, and polypropylene oxide (PPO)–polyethylene oxide (PEO) chains as branches based on phenol-amine resin, propylene oxide (PO), and ethylene oxide (EO). The surface activity is investigated by surface tension measurement at different temperature. The increase in PO/EO ratio or PPO chain lengths improve the surface activity and decrease the critical micelle concentration (cmc) as well as increase the temperature. The addition of inorganic salts causes a slight increase in cmc. The demulsification of water-in-crude-oil (W/O) emulsions, whether from polymer flooding or not, shows that the branched polyether is a good demulsifier to break the W/O emulsions. The stability of W/O emulsion in the presence of polyether shows that the highest water dehydration is not necessarily the highest stability index of W/O emulsion due to the turbidity of separated water. The demulsification process is also observed by microscope. Distribution of the polyether after demulsification is evaluated by partition coefficient at various concentrations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Major Research of Science and Technology, China (grant no. 2016ZX05025-003-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China

    Zhongwei Li, Shuo Yin, Shile Zhao, Zhengyang Shi & Yebang Tan

  2. Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan, 250100, China

    Zhongwei Li, Shuo Yin, Shile Zhao, Zhengyang Shi & Yebang Tan

  3. School of Material Science and Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, 250353, China

    Zhongwei Li

  4. Technology Research and Department Center of CNOOC Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing, 100027, China

    Guorong Tan, Bo Jing & Lei Zhai

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  1. Zhongwei Li
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Li, Z., Yin, S., Tan, G. et al. Synthesis and properties of novel branched polyether as demulsifiers for polymer flooding. Colloid Polym Sci 294, 1943–1958 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-016-3956-x

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