| Liquid crystalline domains were observed in fractions of heavy petroleum. Through a combination of polarized light microscopy and Photoacoustic Infrared Spectroscopy, liquid crystals were shown to form on the exterior surface of their parent materials. Analysis of materials using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and observations using cross polarized light microscopy both showed that the transition from liquid crystal to isotropic liquid upon heating is irreversible. An enriched sample of liquid crystalline material was extracted from Athabasca bitumen C5 asphaltenes by solvent extraction and analyzed using Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry. The enriched sample was shown to have a lower and narrower molecular mass range and higher relative abundances of sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen than the parent asphaltenes. Observations, analysis methods and implications for petroleum separation are discussed in detail. |
