| Abstract: | Abstract Asphaltene deposition is a problem for the petroleum industry, affecting the production, transport, and storage of crude oil. The aim of this work is to develop and compare different methods to determine asphaltene precipitation. Two asphaltene fractions, one extracted from a Brazilian crude oil sample and the other from petroleum distillation residue, were evaluated by using model systems constituted of toluene/n-heptane in different compositions, using visible ultraviolet spectrometry and spectrofluorimetry. The results of the precipitation tests carried out by these two methods agreed, indicating they are effective to analyze asphaltene deposition and the performance of chemicals as asphaltene stabilizers. |
