An electron spin resonance probe method for the understanding of petroleum asphaltene macrostructure

Molecularly, petroleum asphaltenes are induced dipoles, which agglomerate into nanometer-sized colloids of different aggregation states. The electron spin resonance (ESR) vanadyl probe method is used to investigate the asphaltene macrostructures under different temperatures and microwave powers. Oxovanadium complexes native to an asphaltene isolated from Boscan crude oil, Venezuela, function as tracers to examine the behavior of micelle agglomerates when subjected to a microwave field. Both mobile and bounded oxovanadium compounds in colloidal asphaltene solution are in a state of equilibrium. It is noted that a greater amount of mobile vanadyl complexes can be stabilized in a dispersing medium (single-aromatic ring solvent series) with a higher-valued Hansen hydrogen bonding solubility parameter. We found that conversion of ESR vanadyl hyperfine lines occurs from anisotropic to isotropic as the temperature of a 4% Boscan asphaltene solution in o-xylene increased from 25°C to 100°C. Free tumbling of total vanadyl complexes in organic solvent signifies dissociation of micelles at packing imperfections prior to their release from aromatic hosts. Coupling of petroleum asphaltenes with microwave power can overcome charge transfer and charge balance interactions within micelle agglomerates. The relative content of mobile to bounded vanadyl complexes in 4% Boscan asphaltene solution of o-xylene was found to increase with microwave power at 45°C. Microwave energy will enable effective dispersion of colloidal asphaltene in heavy oil refining and upgrading.