Study on the influence of poly (m-aminophenol) as pour point depressant of paraffinic crude oil

Paraffin wax in crude oil can cause significant problems such as a block of pipelines because of the deposition of wax components during the production, transportation and storage of the crude oil. This work aims to inhibit the deposition of paraffin wax at low temperatures. Poly (m-aminophenol) (PmAP) was prepared by oxidative polymerization technique to act as a pour point depressant (PPDs) for paraffinic crude oil. PmAP was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The thermal stability of the polymer was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of the PmAP on the wax crystal modification was studied using photomicrographic analysis. The pour point of paraffinic crude oil was reduced from +42(o)C to +6(o)C when treated with 2500 ppm of PmAP dissolved in a solvent-based on paraffinic compounds (PONA). The photomicrographs showed that the PmAP has reduced the large size of the spherical wax crystals of the North Silah-1X crude oil this was mainly attributed to the effect of the polar groups of the prepared pour point depressant.