Asphalt flocculation and deposition: I. The onset of precipitation

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Abstract
Formation of asphalt aggregates and their deposition on the pore surfaces of a porous medium, which alter the structure of the medium and its effective properties, is a critical problem to catalytic and oil recovery and refinery processes. Extensive new experimental data for the amount of precipitated asphalt formed with crude oil and various solvents are presented. Results indicate that, contrary to the previous assumptions, asphalt formation is at best partially reversible. A thermodynamic model based on the Flory–Huggins theory of polymer solutions is used, together with the Soave equation of state, to predict the data. Critical evaluation of the model shows that its predictions do not agree well with our data. As an alternative, we propose a new model that employs a scaling equation, somewhat similar to those encountered in aggregation and gelation phenomena. The scaling function takes on a very simple form, and its predictions are in very good agreement with the data. It also predicts that the onset of precipitation may obey a simple universal equation.