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Related Experiment Videos

Diffusivity of asphaltene molecules by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

A Ballard Andrews1, Rodrigo E Guerra, Oliver C Mullins

  • 1Schlumberger-Doll Research, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877, USA. bandrews@slb.com

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|June 30, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Asphaltene molecules in toluene are monomeric, not polymeric. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy revealed a diffusion coefficient corresponding to a 1 nm hydrodynamic radius, confirming their small, individual molecular size.

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Area of Science:

  • Petroleum science
  • Physical chemistry
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Asphaltenes are complex molecules found in crude oil.
  • Understanding asphaltene aggregation is crucial for petroleum processing.
  • Previous studies suggested varying asphaltene structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the molecular size of asphaltenes in toluene at low concentrations.
  • To investigate whether asphaltenes exist as monomers or polymers.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to measure translational diffusion.
  • Studied asphaltene solutions in toluene at concentrations from 0.03-3.0 mg/L.
  • Ensured conditions where asphaltene aggregation does not occur.

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Main Results:

  • Measured a translational diffusion coefficient of approximately 0.35 x 10(-5) cm(2)/s for asphaltene molecules.
  • Calculated a hydrodynamic radius of about 1 nm based on the diffusion coefficient.
  • This result aligns with previous findings from rotational diffusion studies.

Conclusions:

  • Asphaltene molecules in toluene are monomeric at low concentrations.
  • The data supports a non-polymeric, individual molecular structure for asphaltenes.
  • Confirms monomeric nature, impacting models of asphaltene behavior.