Study of asphaltene deposition on nanoparticles

Asphaltenes removing from heavy oil improves the quality of oil and makes it easier to process. In this study the effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on asphaltene precipitation in an Iranian crude oil reservoir have been investigated. These nanoparticles were added to the asphaltene-toluene solutions, and the amount of adsorbed asphaltene was obtained through centrifugation followed by UV−vis spectroscopy of the floated liquid. This study was carried out at different initial concentration of asphaltene. The absorbed asphaltene was studied by UV-visible spectroscopy, Edax, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), zeta sizer. Using a small amount of nanoparticles and their high impact on asphaltene precipitation can be one of the best ways to deal with this problem which is recommended.

Keywords:

Asphaltene , Nanoparticles , Crude Oil , Deposition