Multiscale Scattering Investigations of Asphaltene Cluster Breakup, Nanoaggregate Dissociation, and Molecular Ordering

Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) by asphaltenes in various solvents (toluene, tetrahydrofuran, and 1-methylnaphthalene) at dilute concentrations of asphaltenes are presented and discussed. As asphaltenes are diluted, it was found that the cluster size decreases and follows a fractal scaling law. This observation reveals that asphaltene clusters persist to dilute concentrations and maintain fractal characteristics, regardless of concentration. For the first time, the fraction of asphaltenes that exist in nanoaggregates compared to those molecularly dispersed was estimated from the scattering intensity. Significant dissociation was detected at concentrations similar to the previously reported critical nanoaggregate concentration (CNAC); however, the dissociation was observed to occur gradually as the asphaltene concentration was lowered. Complete dissociation was not detected, and aggregates persisted down to asphaltene concentrations as low as 15 mg/L (0.00125 vol. %). A simplified thermodynamic aggregation model was applied to the measurements, and the free energy change of association per asphaltene asphaltene interaction was calculated to be approximately 31 kJ/mol. Finally, novel solvent-corrected WAXS results of asphaltene in a liquid environment are presented and reveal three distinct separation distances, in contrast to the two separation distances observed in diffraction studies of solid phase asphaltenes. Significant differences in the WAXS peak positions and shapes between aromatic and nonaromatic solvents suggests that there may be large differences between the solvation shell or conformation of the asphaltene alkyl shell depending on the surrounding liquid environment.