Chang, C-C;
Williams, I;
Nowbahar, A;
Mansard, V;
Mecca, J;
Whitaker, KA;
Schmitt, AK;
... Squires, TM; + view all
(2019)
Effect of Ethylcellulose on the Rheology and Mechanical Heterogeneity of Asphaltene Films at the Oil-Water Interface.
Langmuir
, 35
(29)
pp. 9374-9381.
10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00834.
Preview |
Text
Williams AAM Peter_EC_paper (1).pdf - Accepted Version Download (7MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Asphaltenes are surface-active molecules that exist naturally in crude oil. They adsorb at the water–oil interface and form viscoelastic interfacial films that stabilize emulsion droplets, making water–oil separation extremely challenging. There is, thus, a need for chemical demulsifiers to disrupt the interfacial asphaltene films, and, thereby, facilitate water–oil separation. Here, we examine ethylcellulose (EC) as a model demulsifier and measure its impact on the interfacial properties of asphaltene films using interfacial shear microrheology. When EC is mixed with an oil and asphaltene solution, it retards the interfacial stiffening that occurs between the oil phase in contact with a water phase. Moreover, EC introduces relatively weak regions within the film. When EC is introduced to a pre-existing asphaltene film, the stiffness of the films decreases abruptly and significantly. Direct visualization of interfacial dynamics further reveals that EC acts inhomogeneously, and that relatively soft regions in the initial film are seen to expand. This mechanism likely impacts emulsion destabilization and provides new insight to the process of demulsification.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Effect of Ethylcellulose on the Rheology and Mechanical Heterogeneity of Asphaltene Films at the Oil-Water Interface |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00834 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00834 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10082384 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
