Suppression of Asphaltene Adsorption and Deposition in Porous Media

Abstract

Asphaltenes constitute a polar and aromatic class of molecules that are part of bitumen, the heaviest component of crude oil. During crude oil extraction and refining, the precipitation and deposition of these asphaltenes result in numerous upstream and downstream problems, such as well-bore clogging and poisoning of refinery catalysts. This study investigates the usage of surface modification techniques to reduce the extent of asphaltene adsorption and deposition under dynamic conditions and high pressures. UV-Vis spectroscopy and differential pressure measurements are used to quantify the extents of asphaltene adsorption and deposition on both treated and untreated silica surfaces. Perfluorinated silanes were found to be most effective in reducing the extent of asphaltene adsorption/deposition on silica surfaces. A complimentary quartz crystal microbalance study was also conducted to investigate asphaltene deposition.