High molar mass polyethers as defoamers of heavy crude oil. (1st June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cevada, E.; Roos, K.; Alvarez, F.; Carlotti, S.; Vázquez, F.
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 221(2018)
• Page Start: 447
• Page End: 454
• Publication Date: 2018-06-01
• Subjects: Crude oil -- Defoamer agent -- High molar mass polyethers; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2018.02.136
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Abstract: The presence of foam in the petroleum industry causes many problems in gas-liquid separators and its complete elimination, by employing a silicon-free defoamer agent, poses a significant challenge. In this research, a series of high molar masses polyethers was synthesized using different epoxide monomers (1, 2-propylene oxide PO, 1, 2-butylene oxide BO, 1, 2-hexylene oxide HO and 1, 2-dodecylene oxide DDO), varying their molar masses from 10, 000 to 120, 000 g/mol. The synthesis was performed by anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) using as initiation system an ammonium salt and triisobutylaluminum as complexing agent and monomer activator. All polymers were characterized by 1 H NMR, SEC and TGA, experimentally evaluated as defoamer agents of gasified heavy crude oil (13.08 °API) and compared to a silicon based defoamer. Results revealed that PBO and PHO with molar masses above 80, 000 g/mol show high activity as foam suppressors, similar to that of commercial silicon based defoamer agents.