Effect of temperature on morphologies of evaporation-triggered asphaltene nanoaggregates

Mahsa Mehranfar; Ravi Gaikwad; Siddhartha Das; Sushanta K. Mitra; Thomas Thundat

doi:10.1021/la4045896

Effect of temperature on morphologies of evaporation-triggered asphaltene nanoaggregates

Mahsa Mehranfar
, Ravi Gaikwad
, Siddhartha Das
, Sushanta K. Mitra
, Thomas Thundat

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

University of Alberta

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

We use atomic force microscopy to observe the structural changes in petroleum-asphaltene aggregates in air as a function of temperature. The aggregates are obtained by evaporating a toluene solution containing asphaltene. Increase in temperature leads to transition from self-assembled fractal structures to substantially larger mobile "liquid-like" domains that show distinct tendencies of substrate repulsion and self-coalescence. This new aggregation dynamics of asphaltene can be explained by temperature-induced transition of asphaltene from pure amorphous to liquid crystalline phase. Observation of this new phenomenon for asphaltene will have wide implications for asphaltene handling and separation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	800-804
Number of pages	5
Journal	Langmuir
Volume	30
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/la4045896
State	Published - Jan 28 2014

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10.1021/la4045896

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abstract = "We use atomic force microscopy to observe the structural changes in petroleum-asphaltene aggregates in air as a function of temperature. The aggregates are obtained by evaporating a toluene solution containing asphaltene. Increase in temperature leads to transition from self-assembled fractal structures to substantially larger mobile {"}liquid-like{"} domains that show distinct tendencies of substrate repulsion and self-coalescence. This new aggregation dynamics of asphaltene can be explained by temperature-induced transition of asphaltene from pure amorphous to liquid crystalline phase. Observation of this new phenomenon for asphaltene will have wide implications for asphaltene handling and separation.",

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AU - Mehranfar, Mahsa

AU - Gaikwad, Ravi

AU - Das, Siddhartha

AU - Mitra, Sushanta K.

AU - Thundat, Thomas

PY - 2014/1/28

Y1 - 2014/1/28

N2 - We use atomic force microscopy to observe the structural changes in petroleum-asphaltene aggregates in air as a function of temperature. The aggregates are obtained by evaporating a toluene solution containing asphaltene. Increase in temperature leads to transition from self-assembled fractal structures to substantially larger mobile "liquid-like" domains that show distinct tendencies of substrate repulsion and self-coalescence. This new aggregation dynamics of asphaltene can be explained by temperature-induced transition of asphaltene from pure amorphous to liquid crystalline phase. Observation of this new phenomenon for asphaltene will have wide implications for asphaltene handling and separation.

AB - We use atomic force microscopy to observe the structural changes in petroleum-asphaltene aggregates in air as a function of temperature. The aggregates are obtained by evaporating a toluene solution containing asphaltene. Increase in temperature leads to transition from self-assembled fractal structures to substantially larger mobile "liquid-like" domains that show distinct tendencies of substrate repulsion and self-coalescence. This new aggregation dynamics of asphaltene can be explained by temperature-induced transition of asphaltene from pure amorphous to liquid crystalline phase. Observation of this new phenomenon for asphaltene will have wide implications for asphaltene handling and separation.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84893494530

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VL - 30

SP - 800

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JO - Langmuir

JF - Langmuir

IS - 3

ER -

Effect of temperature on morphologies of evaporation-triggered asphaltene nanoaggregates

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