Dipoles poly(ionic liquids) based on 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate for demulsification of crude oil water emulsions

Abstract

New mechanism for demulsification of crude oil water emulsion was elucidated to apply poly(ionic liquids), PILs, as demulsifier. New PILs were prepared from quaternized ethoxylate octadecylamine acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate (AMPS-EOA) followed by radical copolymerization with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymers. The hydroxyl group of HEMA was esterified with bromoacetyl chloride followed by reaction with triphenyl phosphine to obtain polymerizable ionic liquid (HEMAP). AMPS-EOA was copolymerized with HEMAP to produce new dipoles PIL. The demulsification mechanism of petroleum crude oil water emulsions in the presence and absence of the prepared PILs was elucidated using single drop technique. The prepared PILs based on AMPS-EOA/HEMAP copolymer showed greater demulsification for petroleum emulsions. The data were confirmed by optical microscope and average particle size distribution for crude oil emulsions.