Abstract: A method for breaking a crude oil emulsion includes treating the emulsion at an elevated temperature with a demulsifier. The demulsifier contains at least 70 percent by weight of ethylene oxide, 3-hydroxypropylene oxide, or a mixture and has a cloud point temperature of at least about 100° C. A method for desalting the crude oil is also provided.

Abstract: A filter aid and a method of using the same are disclosed that effectively removes contaminants from water-based metal forming liquids used in aluminum forming, rolling and other metal working processes. The filter aid includes a cellulosic material and a cationic polymer flocculating agent that is mixed with contaminated metal working fluid for a predetermined amount of time. The contaminated metal working fluid is then filtered through the filter aid, thereby removing the substantially all of the contaminants therein and allowing purified metal working fluid to return to the process system without carrying contaminants that will harm the surfaces of the metal being worked and the device that forms them. An acid material may be optionally added to the metal forming liquid, the acid serving to maintain the pressure and flow rate at normal levels by controlling clogging in the filter.

Abstract: A filter aid and a method of using the same are disclosed that effectively removes contaminants from water-based metal forming liquids used in aluminum forming, rolling and other metal working processes. The filter aid includes a cellulosic material and a cationic polymer flocculating agent that is mixed with contaminated metal working fluid for a predetermined amount of time. The contaminated metal working fluid is then filtered through the filter aid, thereby removing the substantially all of the contaminants therein and allowing purified metal working fluid to return to the process system without carrying contaminants that will harm the surfaces of the metal being worked and the device that forms them. An acid material may be optionally added to the metal forming liquid, the acid serving to maintain the pressure and flow rate at normal levels by controlling clogging in the filter.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of inhibiting the formation of stable water in oil emulsions which are typically formed during the production of crude oil. The method involves the addition of one or more amphiphilic compounds which may comprise a hydrophilic backbone and hydrophobic groups attached thereto. The hydrophilic backbone may comprise polymerised units of one or more monomer compounds which may be selected from one or more of alkylene oxide, (meth)acrylic acid, acrylate, urethane, cellulose and vinyl alcohol. The hydrophobic groups may be attached to the hydrophilic backbone in one or more of the following positions: at one or more of the ends of the backbone, either regularly or randomly spaced along the length of the backbone, and as linking groups to link two or more portions of the hydrophilic backbone together.

Abstract: A process for treating waste water containing cutting oil is disclosed, which includes the steps of adding a cationic organic compound to waste water containing used cutting oil to coagulate water-insoluble matter in the water and to thereby form coagulated particles, adding an anionic organic polymer to cause those particles to grow into flocculated flocs, and separating the flocculated flocs. The process of the invention can treat waste water containing used cutting oil in an industrially beneficial way without producing a large amount of sludge.

Abstract: Concentrated and low viscosity aqueous dispersions, e.g., opaque emulsions, well suited as flocculants for water treatment, comprise the water-soluble polymerizate of at least one water-soluble hydrophilic monomer A, optionally, at least one amphiphilic comonomer B and/or, also optionally, at least one hydrophobic comonomer C, in the presence of at least one polymeric dispersant incompatible therewith, for example an imidized and salified styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer or poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

Abstract: A method for preventing or breaking oil and water mixtures comprising adding thereto a branched reaction product of A) at least one linking compound of formula I R1(X)3  (I) wherein each X group is a halogen atom or one X group is a halogen atom and two X groups with two adjacent carbon atoms in the R1 group and an oxygen atom from an epoxy group, and R1 is an alkanetriyl group containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms; B) at least one compound of formula II and/or formula III R2(OA)nOH  (II) wherein R2 is an aliphatic group containing from 3 to 36 carbon atoms, n is a number of from 0 to 200, and each OA group is independently an ethyleneoxy, 1,2-propyleneoxy, or 1,2-butyleneoxy group.

Abstract: A method of breaking oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions in crude oil processing systems in which copolymers incorporating a hydrophilic cationic monomer subunit and a lipophilic nonionic monomer subunit or dispersions or emulsions of cationic polymers and obverse demulsifiers are employed.