Thermodynamic modeling of asphaltene aggregation

A new molecular thermodynamic model for the description of the aggregation behavior of asphaltenes in different solvents is presented. This new model is relatively simple and strictly predictive and does not use any experimental information from asphaltene solutions. In this model, asphaltene aggregates are described as composed of an aromatic core formed by stacked aromatic sheets surrounded by aliphatic chains. The proposed model qualitatively predicts the asphaltene aggregation behavior in a series of different solvents. In particular, the experimental trends observed for the variation of aggregate size with (1) asphaltene molecular characteristics (condensation index, aromaticity, and chain length), (2) asphaltene concentration, (3) solvent characteristics, and (4) temperature have been successfully reproduced by the proposed model. The model also provides a plausible explanation for the existence or absence of a critical micelle concentration (cmc) for asphaltene solutions. Specifically, the model predicted that the asphaltenes with low aromaticities and low aromatic condensations do not exhibit cmc behavior. Finally, the obtained results clearly support the classical model for asphaltene aggregates.