Fractal dimension of asphaltene aggregates determined by turbidity

A method is presented for determination of aggregate fractal dimension. Aggregate settling is detected by the turbidity sensor, from which both the falling velocity of aggregates and the turbidity of the suspension are determined. This makes it possible to compute the fractal dimension of falling aggregates due to different aggregate mass dependences of both quantities on fractal dimension. The value obtained for asphaltene aggregates as a result of performed experiments and analysis, equal to 1.7, is very close to that deduced from the aggregate microscope image analysis, equal to 1.6.