Small inorganic particles strongly enhance water−crude oil emulsion stability when interactions with asphaltenes promote particle adsorption at the oil−water interface. A variety of particle types have been studied to investigate the controlling factors for particle-stabilization effectiveness. Emulsion stabilities were determined by the extent of water resolved after centrifugation and the electric field required for emulsion breakdown. All particles used were hydrophilic and stabilized oil-in-water emulsions if small enough to be interfacially active. When dried and exposed to asphaltene-containing oil phases, the particles stabilized water-in-oil emulsions. Decreased extents of preadsorbed water, decreased particle sizes, and increased particle concentrations enhanced water-in-oil emulsion stability. Investigations with model emulsions showed that an intermediate state of asphaltene aggregation, near the point of incipient precipitation, is required for particle modification and emulsion stabilization. Increased asphaltene−particle interactions increased emulsion stabilization effectiveness.
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Sullivan et al. (2002) studied this question.
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