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US 4,420,573 AGranted
Method of treating water-in-oil dispersions
AssigneeThe British Petroleum Company p.l.c.
InventorsSidney G. Fogg, Frank C. Robertson, Douglas Wilson
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AssigneeThe British Petroleum Company p.l.c.
InventorsSidney G. Fogg, Frank C. Robertson, Douglas Wilson
Estimating the term…
A method of treating salt water-in-oil dispersions comprises mixing with the dispersion a latex of a rubber having a high wet gel strength. The incorporation of the latex into the dispersion causes exudation of water from the dispersion with resulting thickening. If sufficient latex is used the dispersion may be transformed into a solid. Suitable rubbers include natural rubber, polychloroprene rubber, butadiene acrylonitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber and poly (methyl methacrylate) graft natural rubber. The tackiness of solids formed using for example a natural rubber latex can be reduced by using in addition to the natural rubber latex, a latex of a low or zero wet gel strength polymer e.g. PVC, poly (vinyl acetate) or polystyrene. The effectiveness of the method of treatment may be improved by the use of a suitable compatible solvent e.g. toluene or a filler such as a clay filler.
A method of treating a dispersion of salt water-in-oil comprising mixing the dispersion with a latex of rubber having a high wet gel strength, said dispersion containing oil as the continuous phase and water as the dispersed phase in an amount of 20 to 80% by volume.
A method of treating a dispersion of salt water-in-oil comprising mixing with the dispersion a latex of a high wet gel strength rubber and a latex of a polymer having a low or zero wet gel strength, the amount of the latex of the polymer having low or zero wet strength being from 1 to 35% by weight of the combined weight of the rubber and polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.