IFP methodology for developing water-in-crude oil emulsion inhibitors

Emulsion inhibitors can be used to inhibit the emulsification process or to break already formed water-in-oil emulsions after an oil spill. Taking into account the various criteria that should be considered for assessing the efficiency of emulsion inhibitors at sea, Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) has developed a methodology based on simple laboratory tests. It involves the assessment of inhibitors performances by the rotating flasks method, the characterization of the potential leaching from the oil to the water phase and the evaluation of the dispersant effectiveness by the IFP dilution test.