This document discusses the stabilization and destabilization of crude oil emulsions. It describes the types of emulsions as oil-in-water and water-in-oil. Stabilization is achieved through surfactants, polymers, particles, and liquid crystals that form interfacial films or provide steric stabilization on oil or water droplets. Destabilization breaks the interfacial films through processes like flocculation, coalescence, and sedimentation. Crude oil emulsions are stabilized by asphaltenes, resins and wax that form interfacial films or increase viscosity. Destabilization methods include heating, adding demulsifiers, and applying electric fields to break interfacial films and promote water drop

1. Stabilization and Destabilization of
Crude Oil Emulsion
Haris Ramzan
Mechanical Engineer
Nazeer Hussain University

2. Type of Emulsions
O/W W/O
Water
Oil

3. Stabilization of emulsions
Surfactant
•Decreasing interfacial
Tension
•Formation of interfacial
film
Oil
Water
Interfacial film stabilization

4. Polymer
•Adsorbing on oil
droplet surface
Oil
Water
Steric stabilization

5. Particles
•Adsorbing on oil or
water droplet surface
Steric stabilization

6. Oil
water
Liquid crystal
Formation on the interface
between oil and water

7. Oil
Water
Electric double layer stabilization
Ionic surfactant, polymer
and solid particles
•Adsorbing on
oil droplet surface

8. Breaking of emulsions
Flocculation
Coalescence
Emulsion
Sedimentation (creaming)
Oil
Water

9. Liquid
Interfacial film
Breaking of the interfacial film is
a key process of break of emulsions

10. Stabilization of crude
emulsions
Asphaltene
•Formation of interfacial film
•Particles adsorbed on the interface
•Increasing viscosity of crude oil

11. Resin
•Formation of interfacial film
•Increasing viscosity of crude oil
Wax
•Particles adsorbed on the interface
•Increasing viscosity of crude oil

12. Detabilization of crude
emulsions
Heating
•Decreasing viscosity of crude oil;
•Increasing density difference of
crude and water;

13. Addition of demulsifiers
•Breaking of interfacial film
Applying of electric field
•Breaking of interfacial film
•Promote of coalescence of
water droplets

14. Thanks