Reduction of Asphaltene Adsorption/Deposition on Silica

Abstract

During the production and processing of crude oil, asphaltenes are deposited within the porous rock from which the oil is extracted and in downstream machinery. This phenomenon has prompted numerous studies aimed at mitigating asphaltene-related issues. Easy-to-apply pre-adsorbates are sought to minimize asphaltene adsorption or deposition. Previous efforts have demonstrated some success; for instance, pre-treatment with a fluorinated silane reduced asphaltene adsorption onto silica substrates by up to 50%. This study investigates the efficacy of Liquid Nails® LN-207 100% Silicone Adhesive (comprising 75-90% Poly(dimethyl siloxane) and 5-10% Methyltris(methylethylketoxime) silane) as a pre-treatment in Isopar™ L, a readily available, inexpensive material. It was found that treatment of the silica with a 5.0 weight percent solution of Liquid Nails® resulted in a remarkable 67% reduction in asphaltene adsorption. Wettability analysis showed a high water contact angle of 118 degrees for treated silica microscope slides, higher than that obtained for other treatments, suggesting that enhanced hydrophobicity correlated with asphaltene adsorption reduction. This study establishes that Liquid Nails® treatment is promising for reducing asphaltene adsorption on silica gel. These findings advocate for Liquid Nails® as a surface treatment in managing asphaltene-related challenges in petroleum engineering, contributing to more efficient oil recovery processes.