Wax Formation in Linear and Branched Alkanes with Dissipative Particle Dynamics

We present a dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) model for wax formation (i.e., the freezing transition) in linear and branched alkanes at room temperature (298 K) and atmospheric pressure. We parametrize the model using pure liquid phase densities and the onset of wax formation as a function of alkyl chain length. Significant emphasis is placed on building an accurate representation of the underlying molecular architecture by careful consideration of bond lengths and angles, aided by distributions obtained from molecular dynamics simulation. Using the derived model, we observe wax formation in n-alkanes when the alkyl chain length is greater than 18 (n-octadecane), in excellent agreement with experimental observations. Further, we reproduce the behavior of branched alkanes and mixtures including solubilities of heavy alkanes in light alkane solvents.