Intevep, S.a.

Xiomara Gutierrez

Hercilio Rivas

Socrates Acevedo

Migdalia Carrasquero

Roberto E Galiasso

Geoffrey McGrath

Antonio E Cardenas

Luis R Marcano

Francisco Lopez-Linares

Amanda Morles

Luis Marcano

A surfactant package for a water-in-hydrocarbon emulsion includes a fatty acid component; a fatty acid salt component; an alcohol component and a salt of carboxylic acid. Emulsions formed using this surfactant package are stable and have ratios of water to surfactant of at least about 3.

Surfactant package and water in hydrocarbon emulsion using same

A water-in-hydrocarbon emulsion includes a water phase, a hydrocarbon phase and a surfactant, wherein the water phase is present in an amount greater than or equal to about 5% vol. with respect to volume of the emulsion, and the water phase and the surfactant are present at a ratio by volume of the water phase to the surfactant of at least about 1. A method for preparing the emulsion is also provided.

Water in hydrocarbon emulsion useful as low emission fuel and method for forming same

A stable hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion includes a hydrocarbon phase containing natural surfactant; a water phase having an electrolyte content greater than about 10 ppm (wt) and less than or equal to about 100 ppm (wt) with respect to the water phase; and a surfactant additive including an amine and an ethoxylated alcohol in amounts effective to activate the natural surfactant and stabilize the emulsion.

Natural surfactant with amines and ethoxylated alcohol

A method for forming a stable emulsion of a viscous hydrocarbon in an aqueous buffer solution includes the steps of: providing a viscous hydrocarbon containing an inactive natural surfactant and having a salt content by weight of less than or equal to about 15 ppm and having a water content by weight of less than or equal to about 0.1%; forming a solution of a buffer additive in an aqueous solution to provide a basic aqueous buffer solution, the buffer additive being operative to extract and activate the inactive natural surfactant from the viscous hydrocarbon; and mixing the viscous hydrocarbon with the aqueous buffer solution at a rate sufficient to provide an emulsion of the viscous hydrocarbon in the aqueous buffer solution, whereby the buffer additive extracts the inactive natural surfactant from the viscous hydrocarbon into the aqueous buffer solution and activates the inactive natural surfactant so as to stabilize the emulsion. According to the invention, the buffer additive is a water soluble amine. The inactive natural surfactant contained in the viscous hydrocarbon includes carboxylic acids, phenols, esters, and mixtures thereof. Bimodal emulsions, having two distinct droplet size distributions, are also formed according to the method of the present invention and have improved viscosity characteristics.

Emulsion of viscous hydrocarbon in aqueous buffer solution and method

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Caracas, Venezuela

Xiomara Gutierrez