Further, the presence of oil in desalter wastewater leads to the need for additional treatment. Changes in crude quality and that of the wash water means process conditions constantly alter, making efficient desalting a challenge. Although often ignored, continuous pH control of the desalter wash water is essential for several reasons. The white paper discusses some of these issues, particularly in relation to the role of the zeta potential in emulsion stability.
If desalting is not conducted adequately, undesired components in the crude not only cause fouling and corrosion in downstream process operations, they can also reduce the efficiency of heat transfer in furnaces and heat exchangers. Further, the presence of oil in desalter wastewater leads to the need for additional treatment.
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