Micrographic Evaluation of Water-in-Oil Emulsion Stability up to Critical Electric Field

Electrostatic demulsification is a key step in the petroleum industry for breaking water‑in‑oil (W/O) emulsions, but we still don’t fully understand how tiny droplet motions translate into the larger electrical signals we measure. This work supports experiments that look at electrocoalescence by combining optical microscopy with real‑time current monitoring while applying a direct‑current (DC) electric field. The study uses a factorial experimental design that changes three main variables one at a time: – the distance between the electrodes (gap spacing) – the water‑cut percentage in the emulsion – the concentration of surfactant added By watching droplets become polarized, link together, and form conductive paths, we can calculate the critical electric

field (CEF). The key goal is to pinpoint the exact field strength where sudden current spikes appear at the same moment we see continuous chains of coalesced droplets. This systematic approach helps model the shift from a stable emulsion to a conductive network, giving clearer insight into interfacial polarization and phase‑separation behavior. The resulting framework can guide the design of better electrostatic coalescers and provide a benchmark for validating numerical simulations of multiphase fluids under high‑voltage conditions.

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