Preparation of stable emulsion using dynamic or static mixers

Abstract

A process for preparing a hydrocarbon in water emulsion, comprising the steps of providing a liquid additive that tends to gel when mixed with water at temperatures less than a gelling temperature TG; providing a stream of water at a temperature Tc less than the gelling temperature TG; feeding said stream to a mixer having a mixer inlet so as to impart energy to the stream; adding the liquid additive to the stream downstream of the mixer inlet, whereby the liquid additive mixes with the stream and the energy inhibits gelling of the liquid additive so as to provide a substantially homogeneous solution of the liquid additive in the water; and mixing the solution with a hydrocarbon in a mixer so as to form a hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion. In further accordance with the invention, different emulsions can be formed and combined so as to provide a combined emulsion having desired properties.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.