The scaling and modeling of the viscosity of suspensions of asphaltene nanoaggregates is carried out successfully taking into consideration the solvation and clustering of nanoaggragates, and the jamming of the suspension at the glass transition volume fraction of asphaltene nanoaggregates. The nanoaggregates of asphaltenes are modeled as solvated disk-shaped “core–shell” particles taking into ...

We propose an experimental methodology to visualize asphaltene precipitation in the pore space of rocks and assess reduction permeability. perform core flooding experiments integrated with X-ray microtomography (micro-CT). The simultaneous injection pure heptane crude oil containing induces space. degree is controlled by measurement differential pressure across sample. After precipitation, dope...

We study the structure and phase behavior of asphaltenes comprised of large polyaromatic molecules in blends of naturally occurring crude oils using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). When two compatible oils are blended together, the asphaltenes remain dispersed as colloidal nanoparticles; however, when two incompatible oils are blended together, these asphaltene nanoparticles can aggregat...

Solvent exchange is a controlled process for dilution-induced phase separation. This work utilizes the solvent method to reveal effect of mixing dynamics on asphaltene precipitation under 20 different conditions using model system n-heptane and in toluene. The external between solution paraffinic strictly controlled. We employed high-spatial-resolution total internal reflection fluorescence mic...

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS In the oil industry, asphaltenes are known for their tendency to aggregate in solution and to deposit on surfaces, with both properties being connected with operational problems associated with recovery, production and refining. Interactions involving asphaltenes and other crude oil components have been a major aspect of investigation in attempting to understand the fu...