Study of Asphaltenes Aggregation Process in Crude Oils Using Confocal Microscopy

Abstract

Aggregation and growth of asphaltenes in crude oils of different stability were studied using the titration method and confocal microscopy. Confocal images show a new interpretation for the titration curve. Results show that the flocks growing process and flocks characteristics depend on the crude oil nature and can be related with the stability. High-resolution micrographic images demonstrate that titration trace behavior can be correlated with the crude oil stability.