The use of NiO nanoparticles as an asphaltene co-precipitant additive was studied to reduce the solvent-to-produced oil ratio with potential application to the subsurface upgrading of heavy crude oils via solvent deasphalting. Asphaltene content and solubility profile, and preparative separations were carried out to evaluate the nanomaterial efficiency. Results showed that nickel nanoparticles (NiO) were active as asphaltene co-precipitants for a Venezuelan heavy crude oil. Preparative separations confirmed that the presence of the nanosized NiO led to an increase in the amount of asphaltenes in the 15-18% range with respect to the case without additive. It was found based on scanning transmission electron microscopy with high angle annular dark field detection, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Mid- and Far-FT-IR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that a carbon-containing layer from the asphaltene fraction is encapsulating the NiO nanoparticles. A plausible mechanism for the interaction of the nanostructured-NiO with the C7-asphaltenes was proposed that involves the formation of nanosized Ni-O-carboxylate or phenolate species on the surface of the nickel oxide nanoparticles.

Use of nickel oxide nanoparticles as asphaltene co-precipitants for the subsurface upgrading of heavy crude oils via solvent deasphalting

ACS Fall 2021

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