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Yu P, Liu X, Zhu H, Dou R, Zeng S, Zhou N, Lei Y. Simulation Investigation on the Influence Mechanism of Toluene and Heptane on the Aggregation of Asphaltene Molecules. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:16374-16384. [PMID: 37939383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Asphaltenes are a group of compounds that are soluble in benzene and toluene but insoluble in nonpolar small molecule n-alkanes. The asphaltene aggregation in the asphaltene-heptane-toluene system was studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and the interaction between asphaltene molecules during this process was also revealed from the evolution of the density field, radial distribution function (RDF), and intermolecular distance of asphaltenes. Three main findings were made: (1) more asphaltene precipitates (heptane) were contained, and more asphaltene dimers or trimers were formed during the MD simulation; (2) asphaltene molecules interacted with each other to form aggregates in the form of π-π or H-bond interaction. The stable distance of the π-π interaction was 3.3-3.5 Å, and the stable distance of the H-bond connection was 1.7-1.9 Å. (3) The asphaltene interaction in the heptane-rich system was dominated by π-π interaction between asphaltene molecules. However, the asphaltene interactions in the toluene-rich system were mainly the π-π interaction between asphaltene molecules and toluene and the H-bond interaction between the side chains of asphaltene molecules. The results of this study can aid in understanding how asphaltene molecules aggregate and self-associate and can also offer theoretical support for flow assurance in systems used to produce crude oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Xueqian Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Haoran Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Rui Dou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Shaoliang Zeng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Nianyong Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Yun Lei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164, China
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Lei Y, Li S, Liu X, Wang H, Zhu H, Gao Y, Peng H, Yu P. Effect of existence state of asphaltenes on microstructure of wax crystals: Fractal dimension and unit cell structure. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Toward molecular characterization of asphaltene from different origins under different conditions by means of FT-IR spectroscopy. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 289:102314. [PMID: 33561569 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Asphaltene is one of the polar and heavy fractions of crude oil that is complex from a molecular perspective. For this reason, the interaction between asphaltene molecules and the surface, as well as the interaction of asphaltene with chemicals such as amphiphile, are not well identified. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a useful tool for identifying the functional groups of molecules, as well as intra-molecular and inter-molecular bonds. Through reviewing previous studies, here the peaks in an FTIR spectrum of an asphaltene molecule were divided into polar, aromatic and aliphatic groups and discussed using quantitative indices. Then, the difference in the FTIR spectrum of asphaltene with wax and resin was addressed according to molecular structure. The effect of common impurities such as moisture, CO2 and saturated and aromatic compounds of crude oil in asphaltene on the FTIR spectrum is assessed. Moreover, the application of the FTIR spectrum of asphaltene is used to determine the API value of crude oil, the asphaltene onset is given. In addition, possible changes in the FTIR spectra of asphaltene are investigated by various processes such as pyrolysis, microwave and ultrasonic radiation. Also, asphaltene subfractions is also one of the best methods to better understand asphaltene components. This study examines the FTIR spectrum of asphaltene subfractions from conventional methods and examines the spectral properties, which in many cases can be useful to researchers working in this field.
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Alicke A, Simon S, Sjöblom J, Vermant J. Assessing the Interfacial Activity of Insoluble Asphaltene Layers: Interfacial Rheology versus Interfacial Tension. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:14942-14959. [PMID: 33264021 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Asphaltenes have been suggested to play an important role in the remarkable stability of some water-in-crude oil emulsions, although the precise mechanisms by which they act are not yet fully understood. Being one of the more polar fractions in crude oils, asphaltenes are surface active and strongly adsorb at the oil/water interface, and as the interface becomes densely packed, solid-like mechanical properties emerge, which influence many typical interfacial experiments. The present work focuses on purposefully measuring the rheology in the limit of an insoluble, spread Langmuir monolayer in the absence of adsorption/desorption phenomena. Moreover, the changes in surface tension are deconvoluted from the purely mechanical contribution to the surface stress by experiments with precise interfacial kinematics. Compression "isotherms" are combined with the measurement of both shear and dilatational rheological properties to evaluate the relative contributions of mechanical versus thermodynamic aspects, i.e., to evaluate the "interfacial rheological" versus the standard interfacial activity. The experimental results suggest that asphaltene nanoaggregates are not very efficient in lowering interfacial tension but rather impart significant mechanical stresses. Interestingly, physical aging effects are not observed in the spread layers, contrary to results for adsorbed layers. By further studying asphaltene fractions of different polarity, we investigate whether mere packing effects or strong interactions determine the mechanical response of the dense asphaltene systems as either soft glassy or gel-like responses have been reported. The compressional and rheological data reflect the dense packing, and the behavior is captured well by the soft glassy rheology model, but a more complicated multilayer structure may develop as coverage is increased. Potential implications of the experimental observations on these model and insoluble interfaces for water-in-crude oil emulsion stability are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Alicke
- Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Simon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ugelstad Laboratory, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johan Sjöblom
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ugelstad Laboratory, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jan Vermant
- Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
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Fractionation and Characterization of Petroleum Asphaltene: Focus on Metalopetroleomics. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8111504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Asphaltenes, as the heaviest and most polar fraction of petroleum, have been characterized by various analytical techniques. A variety of fractionation methods have been carried out to separate asphaltenes into multiple subfractions for further investigation, and some of them have important reference significance. The goal of the current review article is to offer insight into the multitudinous analytical techniques and fractionation methods of asphaltene analysis, following an introduction with regard to the morphologies of metals and heteroatoms in asphaltenes, as well their functions on asphaltene aggregation. Learned lessons and suggestions on possible future work conclude the present review article.
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Castillo J, Vargas V, Gonzalez G, Ruiz W, Bouyssiere B. Evidence of selective asphaltene subfraction adsorption on SiO 2 nanoparticles studied by UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2020.1845956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Castillo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Química, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Vicmary Vargas
- Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Química, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France
| | - Genesis Gonzalez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Química, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France
| | - Wladimir Ruiz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Química, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France
| | - Brice Bouyssiere
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France
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Clustering behaviour of polyaromatic compounds mimicking natural asphaltenes. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Simon S, Ruwoldt J, Sjöblom J. A critical update of experimental techniques of bulk and interfacial components for fluid characterization with relevance to well fluid processing and transport. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 277:102120. [PMID: 32062168 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present article reviews techniques to address central flow assurance and separation issues. It is our purpose to update the need for extended information in order to draw adequate conclusions about the reason for irregularities in production and how this is related to individual components or fractions in the crude oil. Our intention is to show that the mass related analysis (such as SARA, MS etc.) are insufficient for a validation of the early stage predictions concerning irregularities. The review introduces a set of new characterization and fractionation techniques such as interfacial rheology, SANS, and NMR, where the central theme is the functionality of the components and not just their mass. Two crude oil-related issues are addressed: Wax precipitation and deposition, and crude oil/water resolution. First, bulk techniques to characterize wax precipitation are reviewed. The influence of the chemistry of other crude oil components (asphaltenes) and wax inhibitor on the precipitation is highlighted. Secondly, in aqueous systems, interfacial w/o conditions are important for the stability of dispersed systems. Asphaltenes have a crucial and important role in the stability of crude oil emulsions. Here special attention is directed to properties like interfacial viscosity and elasticity as well as the adsorbed layer structure determination. Small molecular changes in these properties will have dramatic influence on the stability of the heterogeneous systems. A good example is inhibitor functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Simon
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Jost Ruwoldt
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johan Sjöblom
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Impact of aqueous phase in emulsified form on distribution and instability of asphaltene molecules. J Mol Liq 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2019.111688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ruwoldt J, Subramanian S, Simon S, Oschmann H, Sjöblom J. Asphaltene fractionation based on adsorption onto calcium carbonate: Part 3. Effect of asphaltenes on wax crystallization. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Subramanian S, Simon S, Sjöblom J. Interaction between asphaltenes and fatty-alkylamine inhibitor in bulk solution. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2017.1304221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sreedhar Subramanian
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sébastien Simon
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johan Sjöblom
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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