Patent ID: 6347884
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A process for determining the stability of a water-hydrocarbon emulsion, comprising the steps of:(A) heating said emulsion, thereby raising a temperature of said emulsion to a predetermined test temperature; continuously measuring by thermogravimetry the variation in the apparent weight P of a gravimetric detector, a portion of which is immersed in the emulsion; (B) maintaining said test temperature of said emulsion while continuously measuring the variation in the apparent weight of the said detector by thermogravimetry, and simultaneously recording a measurement curve of said variation; collecting a mass of a separated phase; and determining from the said curve the speed of separation of phases corresponding to the slope of the said curve; wherein the speed measured at the breaking point corresponds to a substantial and continuous increase in the apparent weight P at the start of step (B); deducing the stability of the emulsion by comparison of said measured at the breaking point with a speed of a reference emulsion.