It has been concluded that the asphaltene aggregation rate and the average diameter of asphaltene aggregates not only depend on the molecular structure and the number of hetero-atoms on asphaltene molecules but also can be significantly affected by the electric field strength, exposure time, asphaltene concentration and the amount of precipitant i.e., n-heptane. The asphaltene particle size and the rate of aggregation under the electric field has been monitored using a high resolution microscope and the average aggregate size for asphaltene particles have been measured using image processing software. Electrode embedded glass micro-model equipped with high resolution optical microscope and high voltage direct current power supply has been utilized to perform the experiments. In this work, the effect of electrostatic field on the aggregation rate and aggregate size of asphaltene particles precipitated out from crude oil samples suspended in the mixture of toluene and n-heptane has been investigated. Therefore, preventive actions to control asphaltene deposition and remediation of such heavy organic deposit, which leads inevitably to reduction or cessation in oil production, has been always one of the main concern for oil producers.
Vahid Taghikhani C,S Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Formation and deposition of heavy organic compounds of petroleum fluids including, but not limited to, asphaltene particles in oil well columns and production systems, are important flow assurance problems in both onshore and offshore operations. Chapman Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, U.S.A. Electro-Aggregation of Asphaltene Particles Ali Hosseini, Elnaz Zare and Shahab Ayatollahi Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Francisco M Vargas, Walter G.
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