Processes for breaking petroleum emulsions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR BREAKING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS OF THE WATER-IN-OIL TYPE, CHARACTERIZED BY SUBJECTING THE EMULSION TO THE ACTION OF A DEMULSIFYING AGENT INCLUDING HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS; SAID HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS BEING OXYALKYLATION PRODUCTS OF (A) AN ALPHA-BETA ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVING NOT MORE THAN 4 CARBON ATOMS AND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE, GLYCIDE AND METHYLGLYCIDE, AND (B) AN OXYALKYLATION-SUSCEPTIBLE, FUSIBLE, ORGANIC-SOLVENT-SOLUBLE, WATERINSOLUBLE PHENOL-ALDEHYDE RESIN; SAID RESIN BEING DERIVED BY REACTION BETWEEN AN ANACARDIC ACID PHENOL REACTANT AND AN ALDEHYDE HAVING NOT OVER 8 CARBON ATOMS AND REACTIVE TOWARDS SAID PHENOLIC REACTANT; SAID OLYALKYLATED RESIN BEING CHARACTERIZED BY THE INTRODUCTION INTO THE RESIN MOLECULE OF A PLURALITY OF DIVALENT RADICALS HAVING THE FORUMLA (R1O)N IN WHICH R1 IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE RADICALS, PROPYLENE RADICALS, BUTYLENE RADICALS, HYDROXYPROPYLENE RADICALS, AND N IS A NUMERAL VARYING FROM 1 TO 20; WITH THE PROVISO THAT AT LEAST 2 MOLES OF ALKYLENE OXIDE BE INTRODUCED FOR EACH PHENOLIC NUCLEUS; SAID ANACARDIC ACID PHENOLIC REACTANT BEING DERIVED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF (A) AN ANACARDIC ACID PHENOL AND THE SIDE CHAIN CHLORINATED AND THE SIDE CHAIN HYDROGENATED DERIVATIVES THEREOF; (B) A MINOR PROPORTION OF THE TRIFUNCITONAL PHENOL FREE FROM ANY META SUBSTITUENT HAVING MORE THAN 4 CARBON ATOMS IN ADMIXTURE WITH A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE ANACARDIC ACID PHENOL SPECIFIED IN (A) PRECEDING; (C) A DIFUNCTIONAL PHENOL IN ADMIXTURE WITH AN ANACARDIC ACID PHENOL DESCRIBED IN (A) PRECEDING IN SUCH PROPORTIONS THAT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE NUCLEUS FROM EACH TYPE OF PHENOL PER RESIN MOLECULE; AND (D) A MAJOR PROPORTION OF A MIXTURE OF (C) PRECEDING, IN COMBINATION WITH A MINOR PROPORTION OF A TRIFUNCTIONAL PHENOL FREE FROM ANY META POSITION SUBSTITUENT HAVING MORE THAN 4 CARBON ATOMS THE PROPORTIONS BEING SUCH THAT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE ANACARDIC ACID PHENOL NUCLEUS PER RESIN MOLECULE.