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Asphaltene Aggregation Studies of Crude Oil Using 3-D Confocal Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

Robert J. Johnston  and
Thomas G. Mason
Robert J. Johnston
Affiliation:
Corporate Strategic Research, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Route 22 East, Annandale, NJ08801
Thomas G. Mason
Affiliation:
Corporate Strategic Research, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Route 22 East, Annandale, NJ08801
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Extract

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) has been used to generate three dimensional projection maps of less fluorescent domains caused by asphaltene aggregates in the autofluorescent matrix of crude oil. Heavy crude oils contain asphaltene particles resulting in the production of optically observable micron sized asphaltene aggregates. This technique has been employed to determine the volume fraction of aggregated asphaltenes, øagg, and the time evolution of this phenomenon. The measurements cover a range of various concentrations of asphaltene volume fractions of the heavy asphaltenic oil, øm, from øm = 0 to øm = 0.6.

Examining crude oils for asphaltenes aggregates using CLSM presents a challenge due to the strong absorption of the oils. This is because some molecules of the crude oil fluoresce when excited by optical laser light used as a source in the CLSM. Other molecules of the crude oils absorb light at similar wavelengths.

Type
Sir John Meurig Thomas Symposium: Microscopy and Microanalysis in the Chemical Sciences
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 6 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis 2000, Microscopy Society of America 58th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 34th Annual Meeting, Microscopical Society of Canada/Societe de Microscopie de Canada 27th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 13-17, 2000 , August 2000 , pp. 22 - 23
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

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