ABSTRACT
This chapter includes a detailed explanation of the multistep mechanism of asphaltene precipitation, aggregation, and aging. An overview of the different experimental technique used to measure the onset of asphaltene precipitation at high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP filtration, high-pressure microscopy, light-scattering technique, acoustic resonance technique, gravimetric technique, and quartz crystal resonator technique) and ambient conditions (filtration method, microscopy, spectroscopy, capillary viscosimetry method, conductivity method, refractive index method, interfacial tension method, gravimetric technique, nuclear magnetic resonance method and quartz crystal resonator technique). Furthermore, the advantages of the indirect method over currently available techniques are analyzed. The effects of water, electrolytes, and asphaltene polydispersity on the onset of asphaltene precipitation are also discussed. Finally, the kinetics of asphaltene precipitation is briefly considered at the end of this chapter.
