Asphaltene Interactions Observed at Interfaces: A Mini Review

Asphaltenes are heavy constituents of crude oil which affect the flow and viscosity of crude oil. Asphaltenes impart high viscosity to crude oils, negatively impacting production. Moreover, presence of asphaltenes at solid-fluid and fluid-fluid interfaces impacts the efficiency of petroleum recovery by stabilizing oil-gas-water dispersions, adsorbing on reservoir rock surfaces and thus changing the reservoir wettability, and forming deposits in oil-gas production systems. A framework for understanding a wide variety of phenomena related to the dynamics of asphaltene adsorption at interfaces and the structure of the adsorbed layers is provided by the Yen-Mullins model for asphaltene behavior in bulk fluids. A significant amount of research has been published on asphaltene adsorption and its effects on oil-water and solid interfaces. Here, I summarize the advances in this field and discuss the understanding so far on asphaltenes adsorption phenomena, focusing on oil-water interfaces.