Investigation of the performance of several chemical additives on inhibition of asphaltene precipitation

Abstract

The inhibition effects of several chemical additives on asphaltene precipitation were investigated by the microscopic method. The additives consist of a synthesized deep eutectic solvent (SDES), a commercial inhibitor, and three surfactants, namely lauric acid, octyl phenol, and dodecyl amine. The results showed the octyl phenol with 500 mg/L concentration is similar to commercial inhibitor and later SDES had the maximum effects on delaying the asphaltene precipitation onset point. The mean particle size of asphaltene using octyl phenol, SDES, lauric acid, and dodecyl amine decreased about 55%, 41%, 24%, and 18%, respectively, compared to the oil sample without any chemical additives.