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This work presents an experimental study focusing on the preparation and characterization of modified green clay with quaternary ammonium salts alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ADMBAC) and distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DSDMAC) intended to be used as adsorbent in the process of removing oil emulsion in an oil–water system using finite bath. X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and expansion test (adsorption capacity and Foster swelling) measurements were performed in order to evaluate the performance of the ion exchange reactions and the degree of affinity with oil products. There was an increase in the XRD basal spacing of the modified clays (1.96 nm and 2.25 nm for DSDMAC and ADMBAC salts, respectively) in comparison to the observed value (1.56 nm) for the unmodified clay. The IR results revealed that salts were successfully incorporated to clay structure. Based on the expansion tests the organoclays presented the best efficiency of separation, independent on the kind of solvent used in comparison with the unmodified clay performance. The modified clays exhibit a very high capacity of adsorption. The predictions of multiple linear regression models determined based on the factorial design of experiments are excellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrostatic dehydration of crude-oil emulsionswere investigatedusing pilot-plant and industrial data. The experimental data obtainedwith seven different crudes over a wide range of viscosities in apilot plant showed that the electric field and the residence timewere the most important operating variables. Various crude-oil propertiesinfluenced the emulsion stability, including the total acid numberand the resin, asphaltene, and metal contents, but their effects werestatistically correlated with the crude-oil viscosity and density.Using pilot-plant data, a power-law model relating the water contentin the treated oil to the dehydration operating conditions and thecrude-oil viscosity and density was developed to aid in the designand evaluation of industrial units. The model was tested against industrialdata and found to be able to predict very well the performance ofthe industrial units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]