Functionalized polymers containing polyamine succinimide for demulsification in hydrocarbon refining processes

1. A method for treating an emulsion of a hydrocarbon, comprising

(i) providing an emulsion of a crude hydrocarbon, wherein said emulsion contains water;

(ii) adding an additive to the emulsion to obtain a treated hydrocarbon, the additive being represented by the following formula:

wherein m is an integer between 0 and 10 inclusive;

R 1 is a branched or straight-chained C 10 -C 800 alkenyl group;

R 2 is a C 1 -C 4 branched or straight chained alkylene group;

R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 branched or straight chained alkylene group;

R 31 is hydrogen or —R 8 -R 9 , wherein R 8 is C 1 -C 4 branched or straight chained alkylene group, and R 9 is

wherein R 91 is a branched or straight-chained C 10 -C 800 alkyl or alkenyl group; or R 8 and R 9 together are a C 1 -C 4 branched or straight chained alkyl group optionally substituted with one or more amine groups; and further wherein the —N(R 31 )—R 3 — repeat unit is optionally interrupted in one or more places by a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic cycloalkyl group; and

R 4 and R 5 are each independently selected from (a) hydrogen; (b) a bond connected to R 31 in the last distal —N(R 31 )—R 3 — repeat unit; or (c) —R 6 -R 7 , wherein R 6 is C 1 -C 4 branched or straight chained alkylene group, and R 7 is

wherein R 71 is a branched or straight-chained C 10 -C 800 alkyl or alkenyl group;

wherein z is 1 or 2, and y is an integer between 1 and 5 inclusive; and

(iii) separating the water from the treated hydrocarbon.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises polypropylene.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polypropylene is atactic polypropylene, isotactic polypropylene, or syndiotactic polypropylene.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polypropylene is amorphous.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polypropylene includes isotactic or syndiotactic crystallizable units.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polypropylene includes meso diads constituting from about 30% to about 99.5% of the total diads of the polypropylene.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 has a number-averaged molecular weight of from about 300 to about 30000 g/mol.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 has a number-averaged molecular weight of from about 500 to about 5000 g/mol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises polyethylene.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises poly(ethylene-co-propylene).

11. The method of claim 10 ; wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises from about 1 mole % to about 90 mole % of ethylene units and from about 99 mole % to about 10 mole % propylene units.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises from about 10 mole % to about 50 mole % of ethylene units.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises poly(higher alpha-olefin) where the higher alpha-olefin including two or more carbon atoms on each side chain.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 71 , and R 91 comprises poly(propylene-co-higher alpha-olefin), where the higher alpha-olefin including two or more carbon atoms on each side chain.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen content in the compound is about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the compound.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is —CH 2 —CH 2 —, and R 31 is hydrogen.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the —N(R 31 )—R 3 — repeat unit is interrupted in one or more places by a 1,4-diethylenediamine.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated hydrocarbon is in a hydrocarbon phase as a result of demulsification of the emulsion.