The present review discusses new developments and optimization of demulsification processes in oil and gas applications, and highlights the critical parameters. Discussed are the primary mechanisms of demulsification, as well as the strategies for developing optimum demulsifiers. Demulsification mechanisms are presented in the context of emulsion stability principles which are equally applicable to the destabilization of crude oil-water emulsions.

The present paper is a concise overview of the various surfactant classes and their structure-activity relationship. It correlates demulsification optimization with surfactant properties and their applications. These classes include, but are not limited to pluronic block co-polymers, as well as amine- and siloxane based nonionic surfactants. The emphasis is on providing some strategies for achieving optimum crude oil-water separation efficiency by tuning the demulsifier to the intended application and crude oil properties.

A brief overview of unconventional analytical techniques, which reach beyond the standard demulsifier evaluation methods, i.e., Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), and in particular, low resolution NMR relaxometry, highlights their role in monitoring demulsification processes.

本综述讨论了石油和天然气应用中反乳化工艺的新发展和优化，并重点介绍了关键参数。讨论了破乳的主要机理，以及开发最佳破乳剂的策略。破乳机理是在乳状液稳定性原理的背景下提出的，乳状液稳定性原理同样适用于原油-水乳状液的去稳定作用。

本文是各种表面活性剂类别及其结构-活性关系的简要概述。它将破乳优化与表面活性剂特性及其应用相关联。这些类别包括但不限于普朗尼克嵌段共聚物，以及基于胺和硅氧烷的非离子表面活性剂。重点是提供一些通过将破乳剂调整到预期的应用和原油特性来实现最佳的原油-水分离效率的策略。

对非常规分析技术的简要概述，其超越了标准的破乳剂评估方法，即近红外光谱（NIR），尤其是低分辨率NMR弛豫法，突显了它们在监测破乳过程中的作用。