Investigations of crude-oil emulsions at the micro-to-nano scales

Florent Ravaux; Sandra Constanza Medina; Ali Reza Behzad; Humaira Zafar; Abraham George; Stephane Morin; NorEddine Ghaffour; Dalaver H. Anjum

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122692

Investigations of crude-oil emulsions at the micro-to-nano scales

Florent Ravaux, Sandra Constanza Medina, Ali Reza Behzad, Humaira Zafar, Abraham George, Stephane Morin, NorEddine Ghaffour, Dalaver H. Anjum

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The removal of the micro droplets of emulsified water from crude oil causes high cost and energy. In this paper we show that cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of micro and nano emulsions prepared from United Arab Emirate based crude oil provides critical information on their stability. Specifically, the cryoSEM imaging analysis applied to emulsion of murban-2019, and upper zakum-2019 crude-oils allowed determining naturally occurring surfactants in these crude-oils. Moreover, the applied method also turned out to be an efficient way to qualitatively investigate the effect of synthetic surfactant on the stability of the emulsions. The high resolution cryoTEM imaging analysis of emulsions from upper zakum-2019 sample enabled visualizing “bilayer” of naturally occurring surfactants, presumably the asphaltene. The cryoTEM analysis further allowed estimating the volume-fraction of emulsified water in the crude-oil at nanoscales and turned out to be about 1% for the upper zakum-2019 samples.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	122692
Journal	Fuel
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122692
State	Published - Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-01-27
Acknowledgements: The authors extend their appreciation to Khalifa University’s Faculty Startup (FSU) program for partially funding this research work under the project ID: FSU-2020-04, 2020 and to Abu Dhabi, and to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the use of cryo-EM equipment.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Organic Chemistry
General Chemical Engineering
Fuel Technology

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10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122692

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/673964/1/CryoEM_crude_oil_Final_revised.pdf

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title = "Investigations of crude-oil emulsions at the micro-to-nano scales",

abstract = "The removal of the micro droplets of emulsified water from crude oil causes high cost and energy. In this paper we show that cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of micro and nano emulsions prepared from United Arab Emirate based crude oil provides critical information on their stability. Specifically, the cryoSEM imaging analysis applied to emulsion of murban-2019, and upper zakum-2019 crude-oils allowed determining naturally occurring surfactants in these crude-oils. Moreover, the applied method also turned out to be an efficient way to qualitatively investigate the effect of synthetic surfactant on the stability of the emulsions. The high resolution cryoTEM imaging analysis of emulsions from upper zakum-2019 sample enabled visualizing “bilayer” of naturally occurring surfactants, presumably the asphaltene. The cryoTEM analysis further allowed estimating the volume-fraction of emulsified water in the crude-oil at nanoscales and turned out to be about 1% for the upper zakum-2019 samples.",

author = "Florent Ravaux and Medina, {Sandra Constanza} and Behzad, {Ali Reza} and Humaira Zafar and Abraham George and Stephane Morin and NorEddine Ghaffour and Anjum, {Dalaver H.}",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-01-27 Acknowledgements: The authors extend their appreciation to Khalifa University{\textquoteright}s Faculty Startup (FSU) program for partially funding this research work under the project ID: FSU-2020-04, 2020 and to Abu Dhabi, and to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the use of cryo-EM equipment.",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122692",

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journal = "Fuel",

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AU - Ravaux, Florent

AU - Medina, Sandra Constanza

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AU - Zafar, Humaira

AU - George, Abraham

AU - Morin, Stephane

AU - Ghaffour, NorEddine

AU - Anjum, Dalaver H.

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-01-27 Acknowledgements: The authors extend their appreciation to Khalifa University’s Faculty Startup (FSU) program for partially funding this research work under the project ID: FSU-2020-04, 2020 and to Abu Dhabi, and to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the use of cryo-EM equipment.

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - The removal of the micro droplets of emulsified water from crude oil causes high cost and energy. In this paper we show that cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of micro and nano emulsions prepared from United Arab Emirate based crude oil provides critical information on their stability. Specifically, the cryoSEM imaging analysis applied to emulsion of murban-2019, and upper zakum-2019 crude-oils allowed determining naturally occurring surfactants in these crude-oils. Moreover, the applied method also turned out to be an efficient way to qualitatively investigate the effect of synthetic surfactant on the stability of the emulsions. The high resolution cryoTEM imaging analysis of emulsions from upper zakum-2019 sample enabled visualizing “bilayer” of naturally occurring surfactants, presumably the asphaltene. The cryoTEM analysis further allowed estimating the volume-fraction of emulsified water in the crude-oil at nanoscales and turned out to be about 1% for the upper zakum-2019 samples.

AB - The removal of the micro droplets of emulsified water from crude oil causes high cost and energy. In this paper we show that cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of micro and nano emulsions prepared from United Arab Emirate based crude oil provides critical information on their stability. Specifically, the cryoSEM imaging analysis applied to emulsion of murban-2019, and upper zakum-2019 crude-oils allowed determining naturally occurring surfactants in these crude-oils. Moreover, the applied method also turned out to be an efficient way to qualitatively investigate the effect of synthetic surfactant on the stability of the emulsions. The high resolution cryoTEM imaging analysis of emulsions from upper zakum-2019 sample enabled visualizing “bilayer” of naturally occurring surfactants, presumably the asphaltene. The cryoTEM analysis further allowed estimating the volume-fraction of emulsified water in the crude-oil at nanoscales and turned out to be about 1% for the upper zakum-2019 samples.

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SP - 122692

JO - Fuel

JF - Fuel

ER -

Investigations of crude-oil emulsions at the micro-to-nano scales

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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