History and Review of Dual Solvent Titration Methods

Asphaltenes are the heaviest and most polar compounds in crude oil. The oil industry has faced many challenges related to the precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes in production, transportation, processing, and customer applications. A wide range of methods have been developed to monitor and measure asphaltene stability. This review aims at proving a historic account of the development of solvent titration techniques, specifically those based on using two solvents. It is concluded that dual solvent methods are more relevant then ever. The current situation is that there is a range of methods and equipment, but further improvements are required to meet the challenges of the changing oil business. This historical account shows how technology has progressed in leaps and bounds and that important contributions are sometimes overlooked.