Emulsion Studies Associated with Bitumen Recovery from Canadian Oil Sands: Part II

摘要

Water in diluted bitumen emulsions are stabilized by nonhomogenous, steric stabilization layers. The layers are probably built from carboxylic acids salts, involving components of both asphalthenes and naphthenates fractions. Dramatic changes of a number of the system properties around a critical dilution ratio imply a phase transition in the stabilization layer. It is most likely due to a rearrangement of molecules forming the layer, The critical dilution ratio depends on the aromatic content of the diluent and increases with increasing aromaticity. Self-organized structures were found both at the oil ― water interface and within asphalthene aggregates formed in the presence of water.