Patent ID: 7497943

Claim:
A method of transferring metals and/or amines from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase in a refinery desalting process consisting of: adding to a wash water, an effective amount of a composition to transfer metals and/or amines from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase comprising at least one water-soluble hydroxyacid selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, gluconic acid, C 2 -C 4 alpha-hydroxy acids, malic acid, lactic acid, poly-hydroxy carboxylic acids, thioglycolic acid, chloroacetic acid, polymeric forms of the above hydroxyacids, poly-glycolic esters, glycolate ethers, and ammonium salt and alkali metal salts of these hydroxyacids, and mixtures thereof; lowering the pH of the wash water to 6 or below, before, during and/or after adding the composition; adding the wash water to crude oil to create an emulsion; and resolving the emulsion into hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase using electrostatic coalescence, where at least a portion of the metals and/or amines are transferred to the aqueous phase.