Particle—fluid interactions with application to solid-stabilized emulsions part II. The effect of adsorbed water

Abstract The adsorption of asphaltic material from crude oil and other synthetic oils onto fine solid particles enables them to stabilize water-in-oil emulsions. In Part I of this series of papers we presented results of our study on the modification of solid wettability through the variation of surfactant and pH in the aqueous phase. In this paper we study the change in asphaltene adsorption behavior and wettability with modification of the solid surface through the use of preadsorbed and coadsorbed water. The adsorption of asphaltenes was reduced significantly when preadsorbed water of a suitable pH or surfactant concentration was used. The coadsorption of water along with the asphaltenes was not very effective in decreasing asphaltene adsorption. The wettability of the solid improved with a decrease in the surface concentration of asphaltenes.