Rheological evidence of structural phase transitions in asphaltene-containing petroleum fluids

The aim of this paper is to provide data on the rheological/structural properties of “synthetic oils,” composed of light hydrocarbons (toluene) and a heavy fraction, containing asphaltenes (vacuum residue, VR). Samples with asphaltene concentrations 20–85 g/l have been studied at temperatures 0–60 °C and shear rates up to 1500 s−1. The non-Newtonian flow curves were approximated by the Bingham and the Herschel–Bulkley models to determine the apparent yield stress and the shear-rate exponent as functions of the asphaltene concentration and the temperature. Sharp variations of these parameters were attributed to formation/destruction of extended ordered structures in asphaltene colloid suspensions. Structural changes were observed in the temperature range 20–30 °C, particularly important for industrial processes of reservoir development and pipeline transportation. A molecular model of the observed macroscopic effects takes into account possible first-order structural phase transitions in the nanometer-size resin/asphaltene colloid microparticles.