文摘
Rheological and small-angle scattering techniques were used to investigate the evolution ofthe colloidal structure of the Safaniya vacuum residue during the age hardening process.Rheological measurements revealed an increase in the molecular weight of the vacuum residueand maltene fraction after the RTFO aging test. Even the molecular-weight distribution becameslightly wider, the amount of this variation being greater for aged maltenes than for the wholeaged vacuum residue. Small-angle scattering results confirmed the importance of maltene agingon the whole sample viscoelastic properties; the macrostructure of asphaltenes both in solutionand in a vacuum residue did not appear to be representative of the age hardening process, incontrast to previous findings.