pH  Measurement and Control of Oil Refinery Desalter Wash and Brine Waters

Crude Oil contains unwanted contaminants that must be removed before refining, such as salt and other contaminants: KCl potassium chloride , NaCl, MgCl, CaCl, sand, drilling mud and paraffin waxes.

These contaminants are removed by electrolysis with the 5-9% addition of water, which require pH installations for the monitoring of desalter wash waters and brine effluent waters.

These can both prove challenging. The wash waters have a pH 5.5 - pH 7.00 contaminated with Ammonia and Phenols Temperatures can > 100 C, and the brine effluent waters contain sulphides, heavy metals, and oil - this cocktail is often very abrasive. Electrode fouling and poisoning is a risk.

The Refex (USA) / pH combined and separate electrodes have the new and patented NON-POROUS ionically conductive interface that separates the wash and brine effluent waters from the electrode's Ag/AgCl reference half cell and KCl electrolyte.  This is 100% resistant to H2S/Ammonia poisoning and electrode fouling.

The recommended Refex EC-3/4-2001-Pt1000-LE ( 1m, 3m,5m,10m cable options)  all in one combined electrode with 3/4" NPT process fitting gives fast responses to pH change, and combine a long-life with chemical savings (No over-shoot beyond pH High/Low set points), resulting in big savings for your operation.