Abstract: The invention relates to a water-soluble demulsifying and antifouling agent capable of separating possibly emulsified water/hydrocarbon mixtures, and particularly water/crude petroleum mixtures containing suspended matter.Said agent comprises from 10 to 60 percent by weight of a combination of the following compounds:at least one quaternary tetraalkylammonium halide; andat least one polyalkyloxylated alkylenediamine or its sulfate.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus which comprises a plurality of tubes made of a first material, which tubes are mounted inside a cylindrical body or shell made of a second material, which second material undergoes differential thermal expansion in relation to the first material of the tubes. The tubes are rigidly secured by their ends to two end members, at least one of which is a floating member due to the fact that it is connected to the shell by means of a flexible ring gasket. The flexible ring-type gasket has inner and outer edges which are clamped to the floating member and to the shell, respectively. The inventive apparatus is useful, for example, in the ultra filtration separation of fine catalyst particles which are in suspension in a hydrocarbon feedstock which feedstock comes from a catalytic cracking unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for promoting the separation and/or contact of two immiscible liquids, said apparatus comprising at least one pipe for feeding an emulsion of the two liquids to an assembly of tubes in each of which there is disposed, in the direction of its length and over at least a portion thereof, a bundle of fibers which are preferentially wettable by one of the two liquids, said assembly being connected to a decanter in which the two liquids separate, the decanter being provided with pipes for the discharge of each of the two liquids.The tubes are bounded by two walls, separated by a substantially constant distance, and by a corrugated element inserted between said walls and alternately in contact with each of them through its corrugations.

Abstract: The invention relates to anti-fouling agents capable of decreasing the fouling of equipment in contact with a hydrocarbon charge.These agents comprise at least one compound selected from the group consisting of substances having the formula: ##STR1## where R and R' are linear or branched alkyl radicals having between 4 and 12 carbon atoms and where M is a metal atom of Groups IA and IIA of the Periodic Table, withn=1, when the metal M is a metal of Group 1A, andn=2, when the metal M is a metal of Group IIA.An example of such an agent is sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate.