NEW CHEMICAL SYSTEMS FOR DEMULSIFYING OILY WASTES

Naval Research Laboratory chemists have developed two highly effective chemical systems for demulsifying oily wastes. One of the two systems is specially tailored for water-in-oil emulsions, the other for oil-in-water emulsions. A simple field test can be performed to determine which emulsion is present. The system found for water-in-oil emulsions consists of two chemicals, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, an effective wetting agent, and polyethylene oxide, a high-molecular-weight polymer. The wetting agent displaces the emulsion stabilizer from the oil-water interface and the polymer coagulates particular matter such as dirt or rust, which contributes to emulsion stability. For oil-in-water emulsions a selected group of quarternary ammonium chlorides was proven to be highly effective. Both demulsifiers function at temperatures as low as 50 degrees F, compared to the 100 degrees F operating temperatures required for presently available commercial agents. They are effective even in the presence of dirt, rust and other particulate matter which contributes to emulsion stability. In laboratory tests they have proven to be more effective and economical to use than demulsifying agents commercially available today.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cost is $5.00 Order Report No. NAVM/SP-77/032.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Technical Information Service

  5301 Shawnee Road
  Alexandria, VA  United States  22312
• Publication Date: 1977-6

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Technology Transfer Fact Sheet
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: National Technical Information Service

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Emulsions; Oil spill cleanup; Waste disposal
• Old TRIS Terms: Demulsifiers; Oil removal systems
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00157864
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1977 12:00AM