| One issue in the production and upgrading of heavy oils is the precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes. After precipitation, asphaltenes tend to flocculate and the size distribution and density of these flocs determine settling rates and possibly deposition rates. In this research, asphaltene flocculation from n-alkane diluted bitumen was investigated using an inline particle size analyzer and a stationary mixer. The effects of dilution ratio, diluent, shear rate, temperature, and mixing method were considered. In the standard mixing method, as the dilution ratio increases the volume mean diameter increases until it reaches a plateau. As the number of carbon in poor solvent increases the volume mean diameter decreases. As mixing speed or shear rates increases volume mean diameter decreases. Temperature can have different effects on volume mean diameter depending on dilution ratio and mixing speed. The premixing method results in smaller number of big flocs so that it gives a higher volume mean diameter compared to standard mixing method at the same dilution ratio. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
