The Use of Temperature and Waste Diapers in the Demulsification Process of Crude Oil Samples

Abstract

Currently, the oil wells in Indonesia are getting older, the older the oil well shows the greater the water content, which will cause the formation of a water-in-oil emulsion. The presence of emulsion that occurs in crude oil will cause a decrease in oil quality and oil production. Therefore, a demulsifier is needed to overcome these problems. Because the existing demulsifier are still very few variants and are not environmentally friendly, a new type of demulsifier that is environmentally friendly is needed. Baby diapers can be used as a new type of demulsifier because baby diapers contain Polymer Superasorbent (SAP) which can absorb 200 times water [1]. Superabsorbent Polymer has inert and hydrophilic properties with the working principle of absorbing and trapping water in the emulsion formed on crude oil. In this experiment, the author uses baby diaper waste to separate water and oil in the emulsion formed on the P#441 crude oil sample at a temperature of 26.70C, 400C, and 500C with a centrifuge with a speed of 500, 1000, and 1500. RPM in 1, 2, and 3 minutes. Demulsification process occurs faster in crude oil sample at a temperature of 500C because of high temperatures can accelerate the process demulsification. The use of baby diapers as nashi demulsifier is in its early stages and can be developed further, but it has been proven to accelerate the demulsification process in the emulsion formed by sample P#441.