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Demulsifiers
Providing optimum performance
in production and refinery
processes with Kemelix TM
 Production and refinery demulsifiers Interfacial film
thinning
Emulsion breaking is one of the most complex and situational aspects Close approach
of oilfield chemistry. Stable emulsions encountered in oil production of droplets
are normally composed of varying levels of water or brine dispersed in
a continuous oil phase. These emulsions are stabilised by compounds
occurring naturally in the crude. Certain types of operations in refinery Interfacial film
practice can also produce stable emulsions. rupture

To facilitate the economical removal of water from crude, Croda offers Coalescence
a range of Kemelix™ and Synperonic™ demulsifiers that are drawn
Figure 2: Process of coalescence
from a wide range of chemistries, including resin alkoxylates, polyimine
derivatives and modified polyols. When formulated, these products
are capable of treating a wide range of emulsions under the most Treaters
demanding field conditions; short residence times, high turbulence, The primary function of these compounds is to flocculate
high solids loading and high water content. the large number of sub-micron water droplets dispersed
Treatment programmes featuring Croda’s demulsifiers offer the in the crude oil (Fig. 3). Water droplets are concentrated
following benefits: at the base of the oil column prior to coalescence and the crude
n Outstanding performance in heavy oil applications
oil is dehydrated above the settling level of the flocculated water
n Reduced treating costs & smoother operation
droplets. This is noticeable by a brightening of the top oil. Kemelix
n Excellent low temperature performance
and Synperonic treaters are typically based on high molecular
n Improved downstream operations
weight polymeric molecules with hydrophilic ‘tips’ which solvate
n Drier oil, cleaner water and sharper interface
into the water droplets and facilitate ‘gathering’.
n A superior environmental profile

Water Functional
Function guide droplet endgroup

The components of a demulsifier formulation can be characterised

according to their primary function; droppers or treaters. In addition,
some components may also function effectively in other aspects of
the performance requirements and certain compounds can provide a Sidearm
multi-purpose hybrid function in a particular crude oil (Fig. 1).
Backbone

Dropping

Figure 3: Structure of a Kemelix flocculator

Coalescence
Hybrids
These compounds incorporate a balance of molecular design
Treating
features such that both dropper and treater characteristics are
exhibited. For certain applications, hybrids may prove more
Flocculation effective than blends of droppers and treaters.
Figure 1: Demulsifier mechanisms
Refinery desalters
Droppers Crude oil desalting is one of the most critical steps in the refining
process. Typically, emulsions to be desalted have low amounts of
The primary function of these compounds is to coalesce water
water and are less stable due to some of the naturally occurring
droplets and release free water (Fig. 2). This class of demulsifiers
emulsion stabilisers having been removed at the original
also show excellent desalting properties. Croda’s range of Kemelix
demulsification stage. Croda’s unique range of Kemelix desalters
and Synperonic droppers are specifically designed to treat heavy
have proven through experience to achieve rapid water separation
crude oil with great efficiency and are selected based on experience
at low addition rates and have the versatility to cope with frequent
and performance for those crude types that are typically challenging
changes of crude of different origin.
to treat.

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Relative Solubility Number (RSN)
The RSN test method determines the hydrophile-lipophile Final demulsifier formulations contain several demulsifier
balance of the demulsifier under test by means of a water components and all Croda’s demulsifiers are suitable to be blended.
titration. The RSN is the volume of water (in millilitres) necessary Often final demulsifier formulations have an RSN between 8 and
to produce a persistent turbidity in the given solvent system. 15 and the synergistic effects of blends between different Croda
Croda has developed a novel method for determining the RSN demulsifiers chemistries offer performance benefits to using single
of a demulsifier. This method offers substantial reductions in the components.
risks to health, safety and the environment that was inherent
in historic tests. Historic tests typically involved hazardous Increasing time
solutions of benzene and 1,4-dioxane where the novel method
utilises a solution of dimethylisosorbide (75%), butyl diglycol
(20%) and xylene (5%). Results generated from the novel
method are directly comparable to those generated by the

Blank
historical method.
All values quoted are determined with a solvent stripped
demulsifier. In general, products with an RSN <13 are

With Kemelix 3627X

insoluble in water, products with an RSN 13-17 are water
dispersible and products with an RSN >17 are soluble
in water.

Figure 4: Crude oil with and without Kemelix 3627X demulsifier

New technology
New Kemelix demulsifiers
A new class of finishers
Providing quality to your separation
Croda has brought to the market a proprietary line of demulsifiers
specifically designed to be effective treaters. Application evaluation
has shown these highly active materials to give improved water
quality during demulsification.
n New technology, patent pending
n High performing finishers
n Low pour point temperature
n Solvent, BTEX & NPE free

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 Demulsifier guide tables
Croda has an extensive range of demulsifiers available to the production technologist and where possible all of the available products should
be tested and formulated accordingly. There will be circumstances, where for certain reasons (e.g. time constraints) it may not be possible to
screen every single active component. Therefore we have broken down our product list to suggest recommended demulsifiers for certain field
requirements. Whilst every set of conditions cannot be covered in this guide, the following tables give an indication of the first products to test
in each instance.

Formulation recommendations
Resin alkoxylates and polyimine derivatives should be individually evaluated and then the Formulation Guide
best performing of these products should be combined. Optimised performance can then be n 25-35% Resin alkoxylates
achieved by adding Croda’s modified polyols or other products from the range. n 5-10% Polyimine derivatives
Solubility details can be found in the demulsifer function guide at the end of this brochure for n 10-20% Modified polyols
use when formulating with solvents. n 50% Solvent

First choice demulsifiers

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3

Kemelix 3627X 80 10 3

Kemelix D311 80 17 3 3

Kemelix D501 100 20 3

Kemelix D510 100 12 3 3

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First choice demulsifiers for heavy oils (API<20)
Heavy oil regions are becoming increasingly attractive but present unique challenges in production, stimulation, transport and refining compared
to lighter crudes. To support our customers in these challenges, Croda has developed a specific range of demulsifiers optimised for their
performance with heavier crude oils.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3

Kemelix 3627X 80 10 3

Kemelix 3750X 80 23 3

Kemelix D310 88 17 3 3

Kemelix D322 80 16 3 3

Kemelix D511 100 17 3 3

First choice demulsifiers for light oils (API>30)

The changing properties of oil recovered from one location to the next provide a challenge to service companies all over the world. For areas
where the crude oil is lighter, Croda has developed a range of high performance demulsifiers which provide fast separation and a sharp interface.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3

Kemelix D309 80 21 3 3

Kemelix D310 88 17 3 3

Kemelix D311 80 17 3 3

Kemelix D400 80 7 3

Kemelix D501 100 20 3

Kemelix D510 100 12 3 3

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 First choice demulsifiers for low temperature (<30°C)
Croda is conscious of the challenges faced in the more extreme locations around the world and can provide a range of demulsifiers which remain
high performing at low temperatures.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3216X 88 9 3
Kemelix 3422X 100 7 3
Kemelix D104 100 14 3
Kemelix D317 80 9 3
Kemelix D400 80 7 3
Kemelix D513 100 7 3

First choice desalters

Crude oil desalting is one of the most critical steps in the refining process. Salt present in crude oil can cause significant problems such as
corrosion, catalyst poisoning and fouling. Croda’s range of Kemelix desalters provide excellent desalting performance in refinery operations.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3678X 86 19 3 3
Kemelix D309 80 21 3 3
Kemelix D311 80 17 3 3
Kemelix D510 100 12 3 3
Kemelix D511 100 17 3 3

First choice dehazers

Residual water in refined hydrocarbons can create a haze, which can go on to cause microbial activity or corrosion. To combat this, Croda
has developed a superior range of dehazers that can be added to oil to cause rapid coalescence of residual water, improving settling time and
allowing cleaner separations. The high performance dehazers will save time and money, preventing unnecessary filtering or reprocessing.

Primary Function
Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid

Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN

Kemelix D309 80 21 3 3
Kemelix D310 88 17 3 3
Kemelix D317 80 9 3
Kemelix D400 80 7 3
Kemelix D510 100 12 3 3

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First choice deoilers
To help customers remain compliant with permits and meet process requirements, Croda has developed a range of deoilers which can be used
to polish effluent and remove emulsified oil.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3216X 88 9 3
Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3
Kemelix D317 80 10 3
Kemelix D511 100 17 3 3

First choice for low water cut (<40%)

The water cut of crude oil can differ depending on various factors, and the demulsifier used is very much dependent on the condition of the crude
oil. Croda has a range of demulsifiers which work especially well in crude oil with a low water cut.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3627X 80 10 3
Kemelix 3678X 86 19 3 3
Kemelix D309 80 21 3 3
Kemelix D310 88 17 3 3
Kemelix D322 80 16 3 3
Kemelix D511 100 17 3 3

First choice for high water cut (>40%)

As oil reserves diminish and new techniques are used to recover the crude oil, the percentage of water within the crude oil is increasing. Croda has a
range of demulsifiers which are capable of demulsifying a crude oil emulsion which has a high overall water cut.

Primary Function
Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid

Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN

Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3
Kemelix 3627X 80 10 3
Kemelix D104 100 14 3
Kemelix D309 80 21 3 3
Kemelix D311 80 17 3 3
Kemelix D317 80 9 3
Kemelix D400 80 7 3
Kemelix D501 100 20 3

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 First choice for waste oil treatment
Waste oil streams are produced by several production and refinery operations, and it is often challenging to recover oil without disruption.
Understanding that maximising oil recovery whilst keeping costs low is important to our customers, Croda has engineered a broad range of waste
oil treatment chemicals that can be tailored to your particular conditions. Incorporating Croda chemistries into your formulations can provide a
highly efficient treatment, allowing you to produce clean oil for recovery and high quality effluent water in a cost-effective way.

Primary Function

Desalter
Dropper

Treater

Hybrid
Demulsifier Activity (%) RSN
Kemelix 3515X 100 10 3
Kemelix D317 80 9 3
Kemelix D400 80 7 3
Kemelix D501 100 20 3
Kemelix D503 100 20 3
Kemelix D511 100 17 3 3

Croda’s demulsifier test kit

To assist formulators with product selection, Croda has created a test kit which contains samples of each of the 34 demulsifiers in the
product range. The test kit can be used in field conditions to determine the right product for your production and refinery application. For
information on Croda’s first choice demulsifers for specific conditions (such as heavy oil, low temperatures and waste oil treatment) take a
look at the demulsifier guide tables on the following pages.
Please contact your local Croda sales office to discuss the details of your requirement.

Figure 5: Croda’s demulsifier test kit

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In-house capabilities
Croda has four dedicated research and development laboratories;
Delaware and a brand new facility in Houston in the USA,
Singapore and England. Croda’s technical team has many years
of expertise and with the use of these state of the art innovation
centres are able to help find solutions to specific demulsification
challenges.
Croda have developed a portfolio of best in class demulsifiers of a
high activity that are suitable for use in a wide range of conditions.
These demulsifiers have been developed using Croda’s in-house
expertise and the results of a fundamental structure versus
performance relationship determined through laboratory analysis of
these molecules.
If a demulsifier has been poorly selected then it will not perform
in field applications and typical problems associated with poor
selection include; poor water separation, emulsion build up at the
water/oil interface, high water cut in the treated oil or oily water as
well as increased costs. Figure 6: Croda’s Innovation Centre, Cowick Hall, UK

Demulsibility testing
Demulsification performance testing is carried out using the same principals as a bottle test on a range of crude oils with differing
parameters. Several parameters can be determined by observing transmission through the sample over time. These parameters are
the speed of demulsification, amount of water released in comparison to the crude oil’s BS&W, clarity of the produced water and
quality of the oil-water interface.

25 a. Time zero 100 b. After 60 minutes

20 80

60
Transmission (%)

Transmission (%)

15

10 40

5 20

0 0

0 50 0 50

Height of vial (mm) Height of vial (mm)

Figure 7: Test vials and graphical representation of demulsification

Interpreting the data

Figure 7 shows transmission against height of the cell containing the crude oil. At time zero (Fig 7a) there is no transmission through
the crude oil emulsion. Once demulsification has occurred, the bottom of the vial becomes transparent (Fig 7b) and transmission
occurs through the bottom of the vial. The percentage water out may be calculated from the position of the oil-water interface
relative to the top and bottom of the sample. The interface quality may be observed from the verticality and smoothness of the joining
line between no transmission (crude oil) and transmission (water). The water clarity may be observed from the transmission of the
produced water.

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 Demulsifier function guide

Solubility at 10% Primary Function Registrations
Primary Function Demulsifier Test Kit
Registration

Hydrochloric
Isopropanol

acid (15%)
Deionised

Kerosene

Aromatic

Desalter
Dropper

Canada
Solvent

Treater

Hybrid
Activity Pour Point Viscosity at BTEX

Water

USA
EU
Chemical Description Demulsifier Appearance (%) RSN (°C) 25°C (cP) Free
Resin alkoxylate Kemelix 3501X Amber liquid 80 16 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -24 1600 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix 3627X Dark brown / amber liquid 80 10 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble 12 >5000 3 3 3

Kemelix 3678X Dark brown liquid 86 19 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -24 2300 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix 3750X Dark brown / amber liquid 80 23 Soluble Soluble Insoluble Insoluble Dispersible -30 1000 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D309 Amber liquid 80 21 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -27 1400 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D310 Amber liquid 88 17 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Soluble -33 800 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D311 Yellow liquid 80 17 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Dispersible -39 400 3 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D322 Amber liquid 80 16 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -15 >5000 3 3 3 3 3

Polyimine derivative Kemelix 3216X Yellow liquid 88 9 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Soluble -33 1400 3 3 3 3

Kemelix 3422X Yellow liquid 100 7 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Soluble -27 3900 3 3 3 3

Kemelix 3515X Pale yellow liquid 100 10 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Soluble 0 4100 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix 3551X Pale yellow liquid 100 10 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Soluble 3 4400 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D510 Pale yellow liquid 100 12 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Soluble -3 1600 3 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D513 Yellow liquid 100 7 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Soluble -30 2800 3 3 3 3 3

Modified polyol Kemelix D104 Yellow liquid 100 14 Soluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -30 1800 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D317 Yellow liquid 80 9 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Insoluble -27 1900 3 3 3

Kemelix D400 Yellow liquid 80 7 Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Dispersible Insoluble -45 900 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D501 Colourless liquid 100 20 Soluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Soluble 0 800 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D503 Colourless liquid 100 20 Soluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Soluble 9 1100 3 3 3 3 3

Kemelix D511 Colourless liquid 100 17 Insoluble Dispersible Insoluble Soluble Soluble 3 1100 3 3 3 3 3 3

Synperonic PE/L64 Colourless liquid 100 21 Soluble Soluble Insoluble Soluble Dispersible 12 700 3 3 3 3 3

Synperonic PE/L121 Colourless liquid 100 11 Dispersible Soluble Insoluble Soluble Soluble -9 900 3 3 3 3 3

10 11
Further information
Croda sales and distribution are coordinated through an extensive worldwide network of associates and agents. If you would like product
samples, formulation advice, or technical assistance, please contact your nearest Croda regional office.

Europe, Middle East, Africa North America Latin America Asia Pacific
Croda Europe Ltd Croda Inc, USA Croda do Brazil Ltda Croda Singapore
Tel +44 (0)1405 860551 Tel +1 732 417 0800 Tel +55 (0)19 3765-3500 Tel +65 65519600
Fax +44 (0)1405 861767 Fax +1 732 417 0804 Fax +55 (0)19 3765-3536 Fax +65 65519550
email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

www.crodaoilandgas.com
Non-warranty
The information in this publication is believed to be accurate and is given in good faith, but no representation or warranty as to its completeness or accuracy is made.
Suggestions for uses or applications are only opinions. Users are responsible for determining the suitability of these products for their own particular purpose.
No representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made with respect to information or products including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability,
fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of any third party patent or other intellectual property rights including, without limit, copyright, trademark and designs.
Any trademarks identified herein are trademarks of the Croda group of companies.
©2019 Croda Europe Ltd 05/19 GTMB002v4