A study on the characteristics of Algerian Hassi-Messaoud asphaltenes: solubility and precipitation

This study focuses on detailed characterizations of asphaltene fractions extracted from the Algerian Hassi-Messaoud oil field. It was found that the extracted asphaltenes are not completely soluble in toluene, instead two fractions of asphaltenes were obtained upon solubilizing the heptane-precipitated neat asphaltenes in toluene. Extensive characterizations of the toluene-soluble and insoluble fractions were carried out using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). It was suggested that the high oxygen content and uneven compositional structures are the main contributors to asphaltene instability. The toluene-insoluble fractions were found to have higher polarity and aromaticity as well as more oxygen content than the neat asphaltenes and toluene-soluble fractions.