A METHOD OF BREAKING EMULSIONS COMPRISING HYDROCARBON AND A COMPOSITION PREPARED THEREFROM

摘要

This invention relates to compounds and methods for making and breaking emulsions of water and hydrocarbons with asphaltenes. The solutes of this invention include chaotropes and kosmotropes, which decrease or increase the order of water molecules respectively. Aggregated asphaltenes form a coalescing barrier at the oil-water interface to result in a stable emulsion and keep water droplets from uniting. Conversely, dispersed asphaltenes allow a coalescing interface at the oil-water interface to resolve the emulsion and allow water droplets to unite. Some applications of this invention include crude oil processing, refinery applications and water treatment methods.