Determination of solubility parameters of oils and prediction of oil compatibility

Models and parameters applied to evaluate stability of asphaltenes in oils and mixtures of oils assume that at the solubility limit of asphaltenes there is little variation in the solubility parameter (flocculation parameter), which may be used to determine the Hildebrand solubility parameter of oils. This study presents an alternative methodology to determine solubility parameters of oils and a model for compatibility prediction. The methodology has been shown efficacious in determining the solubility parameters of oils even in those oils with low content of asphaltenes and a high amount of particles in suspension, where other methods had not yielded a good performance. The calculated solubility parameters were used to predict the oil compatibility and the results correlate well with experimental data.

► A methodology to determine Hildebrand solubility parameters of oils was developed.
► These parameters were used in a model to the prediction of oil compatibility.
► The model prediction correlated well with the experimental data.