| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 591488 | Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects | 2016 | 6 Pages |
•Research was carried out to compare the stability of O/W and W/O emulsion.•The O/W emulsion with resins showed the highest stability.•The stability of the W/O emulsion with asphaltenes was best.•Emulsion stability depended on oil-water interfacial properties.
In this paper, the interfacial properties of simulating water with different components of crude oil, including resins, waxes and asphaltenes, are investigated by interfacial tensiometer, surface viscoelasticity and zeta potential instruments and the results are then correlated with emulsion stability. The results show that the interfacial tension of the O/W (oil-in-water) emulsion formed by resins is lower and the interfacial shearing viscosity is higher than that formed by waxes. Besides, the O/W emulsion with resins has the largest absolute value of zeta potential and accordingly it shows the highest stability. And the O/W emulsion with waxes presents the lowest stability which has the lowest interfacial shearing viscosity. Differently, the stability of the W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion with asphaltenes is strongest, followed by that with resins or waxes. This is mainly because the interfacial shear viscosity of asphaltenes and water is the largest, resulting in the strongest strength of interfacial film. This work provides more insights into the mechanism of emulsion stability caused by resins and asphaltenes which can be useful for the petroleum science and industry.
Graphical abstractInfluence of wax, resins and asphaltene on the interfacial shear viscosity between water and oil. ω is the angular velocity of the pallet rotating. The interfacial shear viscosity between model oil of the lowest concentration of asphaltene and simulated water was the largest, followed by resins and wax model oils. Besides, the interfacial shear viscosity between model oil of different components and simulated water decreased with the increasing of shear rate and eventually remained unchanged.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
