Patent ID: 6225357
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
A method of demulsifying emulsions of oil and water comprising:adding a polymer to an emulsion, where the polymer comprises the reaction product of:a polyol made by reacting alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and mixtures thereof, with a starting compound having at least one functional group reactive with alkylene oxide, where the starting compound is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, trimethylol propane, sucrose, polyethyleneimine, pentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, alkylphenol-based resins, alkanolamines, alkylamines, aryl or aromatic amines, .alpha.-methylglucoside, .beta.-methylglucoside or other methylglucoside, aniline, mixed phenol aniline, bisphenol A, and mixtures thereof; andan aromatic hydrocarbon having at least one aryl group and only one reactive functionality, where the reactive functionality is a glycidyl ether moiety;where the molar equivalent ratio of aromatic hydrocarbon to hydroxyl groups on the polyol ranges from about 0.1 to about 1.2,and where the aromatic hydrocarbon terminates the polyol; andpermitting the emulsion to resolve into an oil phase and a water phase.