| abstract |
A PROCESS FOR REMOVING METAL-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS FROM CRUDE OIL WHICH COMPOUNDS ADVERSELY AFFECT SUBSEQUENT PROCESSES IN A REFINERY. WATER IS DISPERSED INTO THE CRUDE OIL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXYALKYLEATED AMINE-DERIVED SURFACTANT. THE RESULTANT MIXTURE IS RESOLVED ELECTRICALLY INT A PURIFIED CRUDE OIL PHASE AND AWATER PHASE CONTAINING THE REMOVED METAL-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS. WATER, IN AMOUNTS UP TO ABOUT 10 VOLUME PERCENT, IS PREFERABLY ADMIXED WITH THE CRUDE OIL AFTER THE ADDITION OF THE SURFACTANT. THE SURFACTANT HAS HYDROPHILIC-HYDROPHOBIC PROPERTIES FOR REMOVING METAL-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS FROM THE CRUDE OIL DURING ELECTRICAL RESOLUTION OF DISPERSED WATER. PREFERABLY, THE SURFACTANT IS AN OXYALKYLATED POLYALKYLENE POLYAMINE, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE BASE-CATALYZED, REACTION PRODUCT OF TETRAETHYLENE PENTAMINE WHICH HAS BEEN OXYALKYLATED WITH PROPYLENE OXIDE AND ETHYLENE OXIDE. THE PRESENT PROCESS IS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN REMOVING IRON COMPOUNDS FROM CRUDE OIL. |