RANDOM ACRYLIC TERPOLYMERS OF CONTROLLED MOLECULAR MASS USED AS WATER DESTABILIZERS IN CRUDE OIL

The present invention proposes developing novel dehydrating agents for crude oils from terpolymers based on alkyl acrylate, carboxyalkyl acrylate, and alkoxy-alkyl acrylate of different monomeric compositions. Sid novel terpolymers are synthesized using an emulsion polymerization technique in a semicontinuous reactor (under additional conditions under monomer deficiency) to ensure that the terpolymers present randomness in their arrangement in the chain, as well as a low polydispersity system. Also, it prepares solutions of the different synthesized terpolymers, evaluating their dehydrating efficiencies in two heavy crude oils (21 and 15.6 °API) and light crude oil (36.3 °API), comparing them with that of a commercial formulation composed of four triblock polyethers of different molecular mass -known as FD-01- and an oxy-alkylated ethylene aryl sulfonate-formaldehyde resin containing alcohols and alkali metal halides - known as F-46 -. The experimental results show that the novel terp olymers exhibit dehydrating efficiencies higher than those of both commercial products, presenting a great advantage since a single molecule can break the asphaltene barrier that surrounds the dispersed water droplets, inducing their coalescence and clarifying the separated aqueous phase. Further, the structure of the novel terpolymeric dehydrating agents gives them resistance to chemical degradation under acidic conditions. La presente invención refiere al desarrollo de nuevos agentes deshidratantes para aceites crudos a partir de terpolímeros base acrilato de alquilo, acrilato de carboxialquilo y acrilato de alcoxialquilo de diferentes composiciones monoméricas. Estos nuevos terpolímeros se sintetizan usando una técnica de polimerización en emulsión en reactor semicontinuo (bajo condiciones de adición bajo deficiencia de monómeros), con el fin de asegurar que los terpolímeros presenten aleatoriedad en su arreglo en la cadena, así como un sistema de baja polidispersidad. Se prepararon soluciones de los diferentes terpolímeros sintetizados y se evaluaron sus eficiencias deshidratantes en dos aceites crudos pesados (21 y 15.6 °API) y un aceite crudo ligero (36.3 °API), comparándolas con la de una formulación comercial compuesta por cuatro poliéteres tribloque de diferente masa molecular -conocida como FD-01- y una resina etileno aril sulfonato oxialquilado-formaldehído que contiene alcoholes y halogenuros de metales alcalinos -conocida como F-46-. Los resultados experimentales