Acoustic method for measuring asphaltene flocculation in crude oils

Hervé Carrier (1) , Frédéric Plantier (1) , Jean-Luc Daridon (1) , Bernard Lagourette (1) , Z. Lu (2)

1 TEFC - Thermodynamique et Energétique des fluides complexes
2 Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics

With a view to evaluate the risk of asphaltene to flocculate in crude oils, an experimental device based on an acoustic technique of phase comparison has been developed. The operational method and the results concerning the influence of the precipitant concentration on crude-solvent mixtures at 323 K and atmospheric pressure thus obtained are presented. On the basis of the measurements carried out, it is shown that flocculation caused a sufficiently important change in the output phase signal which thus can be used as an indicator of the phenomenon. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. With a view to evaluate the risk of asphaltene to flocculate in crude oils, an experimental device based on an acoustic technique of phase comparison has been developed. The operational method and the results concerning the influence of the precipitant concentration on crude-solvent mixtures at 323 K and atmospheric pressure thus obtained are presented. On the basis of the measurements carried out, it is shown that flocculation caused a sufficiently important change in the output phase signal which thus can be used as an indicator of the phenomenon.

Mots clés: Acoustic; Asphaltene; Experimental method; Flocculation

Domaines: Chimie-Physique [physics.chem-ph]

Hervé Carrier, Frédéric Plantier, Jean-Luc Daridon, Bernard Lagourette, Z. Lu. Acoustic method for measuring asphaltene flocculation in crude oils. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2000, 27 (3-4), pp.111-117. ⟨10.1016/S0920-4105(00)00052-8⟩. ⟨hal-00687218⟩