Energy & Fuels, Vol.29, No.10, 6363-6369, 2015
Asphaltene Solubility Properties by the In-Line Filtration Method
In this work, we report the development of a new analytical method for the evaluation of the solubility profile of asphaltenes. This new method uses a high-pressure liquid chromatograph, but instead of using a column as expected in liquid chromatography, it uses a commercial filter to retain the precipitated asphaltenes. The retained asphaltenes are redissolved in a gradual manner from those that are "easy to dissolve" (low solubility parameter) to those that are "difficult to dissolve" (high solubility parameter) and quantified using a chromatographic detector. The response obtained in this way is related to asphaltene stability and can be used to determine the tendency toward precipitation of the material as well as the solubility characteristics of the asphaltenes present in the sample. The use of commercial filters instead of a column to determine the solubility profile of asphaltenes improves the repeatability, reduces cost, and simplifies the application of the method to routine analyses. The in-line filtration method produces comparable results to those obtained by a conventional titration technique, but the new method is faster and simpler and requires a small amount of sample to perform. Additionally, the method provides a distribution for asphaltenes that is easy to measure and does not require previous separation of the sample before the test. All of these characteristics indicate that the in-line filtration solubility profile can be easily implemented to monitor the stability of feeds or products during refinery operations.