A review on the application of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to petroleum products

The application of DSC to oil field includes characterization and phase behavior study of crude oils and their fractions, developing structural and morphological fingerprint of petroleum fluids and wax crystallization study of crudes. Also DSC can be used to study kinetics of pyrolysis, combustion and oxidation of crudes. In this study, microstructural analysis and wax crystallization of crudes are critically reviewed and the leading research works in each field are comprehensively integrated to provide an instructive encyclopedia for future studies. The challenges and opportunities to improve in every section are discussed in detail to address the potential hindrances of using DSC and tackle hesitance for future use of the technique. The integrative approach not only covers the key outcomes of different studies, but also allows one to construct novel experiments with implementing connected researches in the past. In addition, possibility of linking DSC with other methods in order to either improve or broaden the applicability of the technique is overviewed and elaborated. Different operating parameters in using DSC including thermal scanning program, pressure, initial conditions, constant heating/cooling rate, type of thermal program effect and raw data analysis are carefully discussed and the effect of each parameter on the outcome of the studies is systematically expounded. This comprehensive and integrative study shows that although the application of DSC is mature in some fields, its precision is at infancy and developments such as modulated thermal programs can vastly enhance its applicability and accuracy at the same time.