In Situ Electron Spin Resonance Study of Molecular Dynamics of Asphaltenes at Elevated Temperature and Pressure

A comparison of the behavior of asphaltene molecules extracted from crude oil and dissolved in aromatic solvent as a model system with the behavior of vanadium-containing molecules in real crude oils via electron spin resonance in situ technique showed that the changes of rotational mobility of asphaltene molecules can be related to the changes of the local viscosity and environment of the asphaltenes as well as the characteristic sizes of vanadyl-containing fragments because of aggregation/disaggregation processes in crude oils. The information about the mobility of asphaltene molecules in different local environments at different temperatures and pressures is an important step in understanding both the aggregation of the asphaltenes and crude oil fouling processes in addition to the conditions required for the deposits to be formed.