Roles of Various Bitumen Components in the Stability of Water-in-Diluted-Bitumen Emulsions

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Colloid and Surface Science

Background:

• Athabasca bitumen requires dilution for processing.
• Water-in-diluted-bitumen emulsions present stability challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the components of Athabasca bitumen responsible for stabilizing water-in-diluted-bitumen emulsions.
• To evaluate the individual and combined effects of bitumen components on emulsion stability.

Main Methods:

• Experimental study of bitumen components: asphaltenes, deasphalted bitumen, and fine solids.
• Emulsion stabilization tests using a hexane-toluene diluent.
• Interfacial tension measurements.

Main Results:

• Asphaltenes and fine solids are the primary stabilizers of water-in-diluted-bitumen emulsions.
• The combination of asphaltenes and fine solids yields the greatest emulsion stabilization capacity.
• Whole bitumen showed less stabilization than its asphaltene and solid components.
• Deasphalted bitumen demonstrated poor emulsion stabilization but significantly reduced interfacial tension.

Conclusions:

• Asphaltenes and fine solids are crucial for water-in-diluted-bitumen emulsion stability.
• The presence of smaller molecules in whole bitumen may decrease emulsion stability.
• Deasphalted bitumen's role in interfacial tension reduction warrants further investigation.