Surfactant (UMP) for emulsification and stabilization of water-in-crude oil emulsions (W/O)

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to look into the formulation and evaluation of concentrated water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions stabilized by UMP NS-19-02 surfactant and their application for crude oil emulsion stabilization using gummy Malaysian crude oil. A two-petroleum oil from Malaysia oil refinery, i.e., Tapis petroleum oil and Tapis- Mesilla blend, were utilized to make water-in-oil emulsions. The various factors influencing emulsion characteristics and stability were evaluated. It was discovered that the stability of the water-in-oil emulsion improved by UMP NS-19-02 improved as the surfactant content rises, resulting in the decline of the crude oil-water interfacial tension (IFT). Nevertheless, the most optimum formulation of W/O emulsion was a 50:50 W/O ratio with 1.0% surfactant. Additionally, raising the oil content, salt concentration, duration and mixing speed, and pH of the emulsion resulted in higher emulsion stability. It also raised the temperature of the initial mixing, which significantly decreased the formulated emulsions' viscosity. The results showed that stable emulsions could be formed using the UMP NS-19-02 surfactant.