Controlling emulsion stability during fuel stock processing

Abstract

This invention relates to compounds and methods for making and breaking emulsions of water and hydrocarbons with asphaltenes. The solutes of this invention include chaotropes and kosmotropes, which decrease or increase the order of water molecules respectively. Aggregated asphaltenes form a coalescing barrier at the oil-water interface to result in a stable emulsion and keep water droplets from uniting. Conversely, dispersed asphaltenes allow a coalescing interface at the oil-water interface to resolve the emulsion and allow water droplets to unite. Some applications of this invention include crude oil processing, refinery applications and water treatment methods.

1 . A composition of matter comprising more than one liquid phase, the composition comprising:
 a hydrocarbon phase comprising asphaltenes; and   an aqueous phase comprising a solute, wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropic solutes, chaotropic solutes and combinations thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic molecules, ionic salts, Hofmeister salts, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a coalescing barrier of the asphaltenes. 
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a coalescing interface. 
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solute modifies properties of at least a portion of water in the aqueous phase. 
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solute does not comprise a surfactant or a detergent. 
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of solute comprises between about 0.1% by weight of an amount to form a saturated solution and an amount to form a saturated or a supersaturated solution. 
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solute comprises kosmotropic solutes. 
   
   
       9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solute comprises chaotropic solutes. 
   
   
       10 . A method of breaking or forming emulsions in hydrocarbon applications, the method comprising:
 combining a hydrocarbon phase comprising asphaltenes with an aqueous phase comprising a solute, wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropic solutes, chaotropic solutes, and combinations thereof.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase is selected from the group consisting of a water-in-oil emulsion, a oil-in-water emulsion, at least one hydrocarbon layer along with at least one aqueous layer, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising resolving an emulsion with a kosmotropic solute to form a continuous hydrocarbon layer and a continuous aqueous layer. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising stabilizing an emulsion with a chaotropic solute to form one or more liquid phases, wherein the one or more liquid phases is selected from the group consisting of a discontinuous oil phase, a continuous oil phase, a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous aqueous phase and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein an amount of solute comprises between about 0.1% by weight of an amount to form a saturated solution and an amount to form a saturated or a supersaturated solution. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising forming an emulsion with a crude oil and a wash water, wherein at least a portion of the crude oil forms the hydrocarbon phase and at least a portion of the wash water forms the aqueous phase. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising forming a coalescing barrier of the asphaltenes. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising removing a coalescing barrier of the asphaltenes. 
   
   
       18 . A method of breaking water-in-oil emulsions in hydrocarbon applications, the method comprising:
 combining a hydrocarbon stream with a water stream, the hydrocarbon stream comprising a water-in-oil emulsion and asphaltenes, the water stream comprising at least one solute modifying properties of at least a portion of the water, wherein the combining forms a continuous water phase and a continuous oil phase; and   separating the continuous water phase from the continuous oil phase.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropic solutes, chaotropic solutes, Hofmeister salts and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the solute comprises kosmotropic solutes. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the combining and the separating occur in a desalting unit and further comprises applying an electrostatic field to aid in breaking the emulsion. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the solute causes a coalescing interface without asphaltenes. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, sodium citrate and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the combining and the separating further comprise removing metals from the hydrocarbon phase. 
   
   
       25 . A method of removing at least a portion of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon stream, the method comprising:
 combining a hydrocarbon stream with a water stream, the hydrocarbon stream comprising asphaltenes, the water stream comprising at least one solute modifying a portion of the water, wherein the combining forms at least one emulsion, at least one aqueous layer, and at least one hydrocarbon layer, the emulsion comprises a water-in-oil emulsion or a oil-in-water emulsion;   separating the aqueous layer from the hydrocarbon layer and from the emulsion; and   separating the hydrocarbon layer from the aqueous layer and from the emulsion.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the separating occurs in a desalter unit. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the solute comprises chaotropic solutes. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 adding at least one emulsion breaking salt to the emulsion, wherein the emulsion breaking salt is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropic solutes, chaotropic solutes and combinations thereof.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the emulsion breaking salt comprises kosmotropic solutes. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the adding at least one emulsion breaking salt occurs outside a desalter unit. 
   
   
       31 . A method of accelerating analytical testing of emulsions, hydrocarbons, and aqueous solutions, the method comprising:
 combining a hydrocarbon phase comprising asphaltenes with an aqueous phase comprising a solute, wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropic solutes, chaotropic solutes and combinations thereof;   forming or resolving an emulsion to result in one or more layers; and   measuring one or more characteristics in the one or more layers.   
   
   
       32 . A method of forming an emulsion comprising:
 combining hydrocarbons and water; and   aggregating asphaltenes to form a coalescing barrier.   
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the aggregating comprises adding at least one solute, wherein the at least one solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropes, chaotropes and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the aggregating comprises adding chaotropes. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the aggregating comprises adding guanidine HCl. 
   
   
       36 . A method of breaking an emulsion comprising;
 unaggregating asphaltenes to at least partially remove a coalescing barrier; and   coalescing water droplets.   
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the unaggregating comprises adding at least one solute, wherein the at least one solute is selected from the group consisting of kosmotropes, chaotropes and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the unaggregating comprises adding kosmotropes. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the unaggregating comprises adding sodium citrate.