Measurement of property relationships of nano-structure micelles and coacervates of asphaltene in a pure solvent

We have made some progress in studies towards formation and measurement of the behavior of asphaltene micelles nano-structures that might be formed to serve as elements of nano-materials and also on synthetic strategies for creating such structures. An investigation of the micellization and coacervation measurements of asphaltenes in polar solvents at various concentrations and temperatures are made. The critical micellization concentration (CMC) and the micelle coacervation point (MCP) of nano-structure asphaltene micelles are measured using viscometry. At concentration above the CMC, asphaltene in the solution will self-associate. saturation phase will be formed and then at a higher concentration asphaltene nano-structure micelles in the solution will coacervate represented by a second sharp point of inflection corresponding to the asphaltene MCP and finally, at a higher concentration the aggregation of asphaltenes coacervates will occur. As a result of these measurements, for the first time it has become possible to produce phase diagrams for the whole range of asphaltene micellization and micelle coacervation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.