Physio-Chemical Analysis of Amide and Amine Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-Modified Defoamer for Efficient Oil–Water Separation

The formation of foam due to the injection of surfactant foam in FAWAG causes significant problems in the oil well production and separation facilities. The excessive foam can lead to the reduction of the separator capacity as well as its efficiency. A defoamer is needed to break and destroy the foam in the separator. There are many commercially available defoamer agents in the market, but not all defoamers are suitable for every application. For this reason, four modified silicone-based defoamers were successfully synthesized and characterized based on the data obtained from the screening process using various commercial defoamers. The performance of modified defoamers was evaluated using TECLIS FoamScan that imitate real conditions of treatment. The results show that all four of the modified silicone-based defoamers, especially amide-terminated-modified defoamers (S2) showed excellent performance as a defoaming agent to mitigate foam in specific conditions. The best-case condition for the modified defoamer to perform was at a high temperature (60 °C), gas flow rate of 1.0 L/min, and low ration concentration of the surfactant to brine (30:70). The study on the bubble count and distribution using a KRÜSS Dynamic Foam Analyzer revealed that S2 excellently contributes to the formation of unstable foam that can fasten foam destruction in the foaming system.

[1]  Yijun Cao,et al.  Influence of gas flow rate and surfactant concentration on SDBS foam properties , 2018, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects.

[2]  Ivy Chai Ching Hsia,et al.  Nano-Sized Particle as Foam Stabiliser Designed for Application at High Temperature and Light Crude Oil Condition for Enhanced Oil Recovery - A Fluid-Fluid Case Study , 2018 .

[3]  Yufeng Lei,et al.  The synthesis and protein resistance of amphiphilic PDMS-b-(PDMS-g-cysteine) copolymers , 2017 .

[4]  Fuchen Ding,et al.  Study on the Synthesis of Fluoroalkyl and Polyether Co‐modified Polysiloxane and Appraisal of Its Foam‐Breaking and ‐Inhibiting Performance , 2017 .

[5]  P. Chattopadhyay,et al.  An in-Depth Analysis of Ethanol Based Aqueous Foams for Environmental Applications , 2016 .

[6]  P. Grassia,et al.  Foam stability in the presence and absence of hydrocarbons: From bubble- to bulk-scale , 2015 .

[7]  P. Jaeger,et al.  Foams at Elevated Pressure in EOR , 2015 .

[8]  Liao Yibo,et al.  High temperature and oil tolerance of surfactant foam/polymer–surfactant foam , 2015 .

[9]  J. Ibrahim,et al.  An Investigation of Micro-emulsion and Fine Foams Induced by EOR Application in Malaysian Fields , 2014 .

[10]  Chee-Chan Wang,et al.  Synthesis and physicochemical properties of silicon-based gemini surfactants , 2013 .

[11]  M. Hazwan.  CHARACTERIZATION OF WAXY AND ASPHALTENIC CRUDE OIL USING SARA ANALYSIS , 2013 .

[12]  J. Sheng.  Foams and Their Applications in Enhancing Oil Recovery , 2013 .

[13]  S. Routledge.  Beyond de-foaming: the effects of antifoams on bioprocess productivity , 2012, Computational and structural biotechnology journal.

[14]  C. Mansur,et al.  Evaluation of the efficiency of silicone polyether additives as antifoams in crude oil , 2012 .

[15]  N. Shaker,et al.  Preparation and evaluation of some amide ether carboxylate surfactants , 2012 .

[16]  H. Yıldırım,et al.  Synthesis and Characterization of Silicone-Based Surfactants as Anti-Foaming Agents , 2012 .

[17]  G. Øye,et al.  Heavy crude oils/particle stabilized emulsions. , 2011, Advances in colloid and interface science.

[18]  Songyan Li,et al.  Experimental study and application on profile control using high-temperature foam , 2011 .

[19]  Guo Zheng,et al.  A Dissertation on Polysiloxane-Antifoaming-Agents: Antifoaming Principles, Synthesis and Compound , 2011 .

[20]  A. Zekri,et al.  Evaluation of Oil Recovery by Water Alternating Gas (WAG) Injection - Oil-Wet & Water-Wet Systems , 2011 .

[21]  Y. Gui.  Synthesis and Compounding of Polyether Modified Polysiloxane Crude Oil Defoamer , 2009 .

[22]  V. Jovancicevic,et al.  Foam for gas well deliquification , 2007 .

[23]  R. Pugh.  Experimental techniques for studying the structure of foams and froths. , 2005, Advances in colloid and interface science.

[24]  Tharwat F. Tadros,et al.  Applied Surfactants: Principles and Applications , 2005 .

[25]  Anthony R. Kovscek,et al.  A microvisual study of solution-gas-drive mechanisms in viscous oils , 2005 .

[26]  R. Hill.  Silicone surfactants: new developments , 2002 .

[27]  N. Denkov,et al.  Foam Destruction by Mixed Solid−Liquid Antifoams in Solutions of Alkyl Glucoside: Electrostatic Interactions and Dynamic Effects , 2001 .

[28]  Shih-Hsien Chang,et al.  Effects of Foam Quality and Flow Rate on CO2-Foam Behavior at Reservoir Temperature and Pressure , 1999 .

[29]  C. Maia,et al.  Effect of antifoam addition on gas-liquid mass transfer in stirred fermenters , 1999 .

[30]  A. Pouchelon,et al.  Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based antifoams , 1997 .

[31]  Langevin,et al.  Monolayer spreading of polydimethylsiloxane oil on surfactant solutions. , 1996, Physical review letters.

[32]  Clarence A. Miller,et al.  Numerical Simulation of Instability Causing Asymmetric Drainage in Foam Films , 1996 .

[33]  Max S. Juprasert,et al.  Stimulation by Defoaming Increases Thermal Oil Production , 1996 .

[34]  Habib I. Shaban,et al.  A study of foaming and carry-over problems in oil and gas separators , 1995 .

[35]  Clayton J. Radke,et al.  The influence of disjoining pressure on foam stability and flow in porous media , 1994 .

[36]  Francois Friedmann,et al.  Experimental and simulation study of high-temperature foam displacement in porous media , 1991 .

[37]  M. Moo-Young,et al.  The effect of antifoam agents on mass transfer in bioreactors , 1990 .

[38]  H. Schott.  Foaming of nonionic surfactant solutions: Effect of surfactant concentration and temperature , 1988 .

[39]  E. Ruckenstein,et al.  Effect of bubble size distribution on the enrichment and collapse in foams , 1986 .

[40]  J. Taylor,et al.  The structure of singularities in soap-bubble-like and soap-film-like minimal surfaces , 1976 .

[41]  A. L. Jacoby.  Polyamide antifoams; relation between chemical constitution and effectiveness. , 1948, The Journal of physical and colloid chemistry.

[42]  W. D. Harkins.  A General Thermodynamic Theory of the Spreading of Liquids to Form Duplex Films and of Liquids or Solids to Form Monolayers , 1941 .