Patent ID: 7799213

Claim:
A method of transferring reactive phosphorus species from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase in a refinery desalting process comprising: adding to wash water, an effective amount of a composition to transfer at least a portion of the reactive phosphorus species from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase, the composition comprising at least one water-soluble hydroxyacid selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, C 2 -C 4 alpha-hydroxy acids, 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; adding the wash water to hydrocarbon 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 reactive phosphorus species is transferred to the aqueous phase.