O. Urdahl et al., WATER-IN-CRUDE OIL-EMULSIONS FROM THE NORWEGIAN CONTINENTAL-SHELF .8.SURFACTANT AND MACROMOLECULAR DESTABILIZATION, Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 74(2-3), 1993, pp. 293-302
Water-in-crude oil emulsions based on different crude oils from the No
rwegian Continental Shelf have been prepared, characterized and destab
ilized. The destabilization was undertaken with ionic and non-ionic su
rfactants (Aerosol OT and Triton N-42), fluorinated surfactants and di
fferent polymers like polyethylene glycols and polyacrylates of varyin
g molecular masses. The surfactants investigated seem to destabilize a
ccording to an interfacial replacement of the indigenous membrane. Thi
s is also revealed by interfacial tension measurements. The flocculati
on ability of the polymers was characterized by means of UV absorbance
measurements on Al2O3 suspensions in decane. There is not a single co
rrelation between flocculation efficiency and destabilization of the e
mulsion systems. Model water-in-oil emulsions stabilized by either int
erfacially active crude oil fractions or by tetraoxyethylene nonylphen
ol ether were investigated in parallel.