Colloidal Dispersion Properties of Oil Emulsions in an Electromagnetic Field

The effect of electromagnetic field on colloidal dispersion properties of water–oil emulsions of two resinous low-paraffin oils was studied. It was shown that the maximum result of water–oil emulsion stratification was achieved after 15-min treatment at frequencies of 250 and 500 Hz and voltages of 17 and 15 kV for 10 and 30 wt % emulsions, respectively. With increasing time of emulsion treatment, the size and number of droplets in the oil phase decreased, and the residual water content of the treated emulsions after stratification did not exceed 0.5 wt %. In an electromagnetic field, the drop–drop coalescence process in the emulsion was intensified due to the rapid destruction of the armor shells of water globules, the formation of new resin–asphaltene aggregates of a larger or smaller size, and the redistribution of components between the dispersion medium and the dispersed phase.