Institution: | a Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BY, UK b Colloid Science Branch, BP Research Centre, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 7LN, UK |
Abstract: | The importance of the interfacial rheology in determining the stability of water-in-Buchan crude oil emulsions has been demonstrated in part 1 of this series of papers (R.A. Mohammed, A.I. Bailey, P.F. Luckham and S.E. Taylor, Colloids Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 80(1993)223). In part 2, interfacial tensions of crude oil, and solutions of asphaltenes and resins in a model oil have been investigated. Surface pressure vs. area (Π—A) curves of monolayers of asphaltenes, resins and their mixtures have been established. In its dependence on the ratio of resins to asphaltenes, the pseudostatic dilatational modulus has high values for low resin-to-asphaltene ratios and low values for high resin-to-asphaltene ratios. This is expected to throw light on the cause of the enhanced stability of water-in-crude oil emulsions. |