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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
08:17
Chemical Analysis of Water-accommodated Fractions of Crude Oil Spills Using TIMS-FT-ICR MS
Published on: March 3, 2017
Chemical Insights into Interfacial Materials from Brazilian Crude Oils via Comparative Extraction Methods
Thaynara R S Costa1, Bruna F Cavalini2, Luciara Costa de Souza1
1Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 29075-910, Brazil.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|June 1, 2026
Summary
Interfacial material (IM) composition dictates water-in-oil emulsion stability in petroleum. The centrifugation/Dean-Stark method recovered a broader range of IM, leading to more stable emulsions compared to wet silica extraction.
Area of Science:
- Petroleum Science and Engineering
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions in petroleum are stabilized by interfacial material (IM).
- Understanding IM composition is key to explaining emulsion stability and interfacial rigidity.
- The chemical complexity of IM poses challenges in identifying its major constituents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize interfacial material (IM) fractions from Brazilian crude oils.
- To compare the effectiveness of two isolation methods: centrifugation/Dean-Stark (IMR) and wet silica adsorption (IMW).
- To evaluate the impact of IM composition on W/O emulsion stability.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of IM fractions using centrifugation/Dean-Stark distillation and wet silica adsorption.
- Characterization via negative-ion electrospray Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI(-) FT-ICR MS).
- Further analysis using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), elemental analysis (CHNS-O), and mid-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (mid-FTIR).
Main Results:
- Both methods enriched IM fractions with polar oxygenated compounds, reducing pyrrolic species.
- Wet silica selectively isolated highly polar compounds (O2[H]), linked to naphthenic acids.
- Centrifugation/Dean-Stark recovered a broader IM composition (including NO2[H], NO3[H]) with more aliphatic character.
- IMR fractions conferred greater W/O emulsion stability than IMW fractions.
Conclusions:
- Emulsion stabilization is influenced by the combined action of polar and nonpolar interfacial species.
- The centrifugation/Dean-Stark method is more effective for isolating IM that promotes greater W/O emulsion stability.
- The findings provide insights into the relationship between IM composition and petroleum emulsion characteristics.
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