ENV-01-20 Microwave Separation Technology (MST) Effectively Separates Emulsions to Reduce Associated Environmental Impacts and Increase Processing Capabilities

Description:

Emulsions occur frequently in refineries, production facilities, and petrochemical plants as a result of the simultaneous presence of hydrocarbons, water, and fine solids. These emulsions give rise to a variety of operating and environmental problems, many of which result in plant capacity limitations. Until now, breaking or resolving emulsions has been dealt with episodically and with considerable cost and difficulty. However, there is now a new commercially proven technology that can deal with emulsions continuously, at low cost, and with almost no human resources. This new technology (Microwave Separation Technology or MST) was developed by Imperial Petroleum Recovery Corporation and uses microwave or radio frequency energy to disturb the interfacial properties of emulsions and allow rapid separation of the constituent phases. The operating principles of the technology will be described, as will be the successful commercial application at ExxonMobil's Torrance, CA refinery. The benefits realized by the refinery will also be enumerated.