USE OF ADDITIVES TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF ASPHALTENE PARTICLE ON SEPARATION EQUIPMENT

摘要

The deasphalting process is a technology that aims at improvingnand merchandising of crude oil and heavy oil fractions, in this case tonmoderate conditions of temperature and pressure. The processninvolves the removal of the heavy oil fraction (asphaltene fraction)nusing molecular low weight hydrocarbons as a solvent (mostlynpentane and isopentane) [1]. The feed (crude) is initially mixed withnthe solvent, and then heated and go into the main separationnequipment. In this equipment is obtained Deasphalted Oil (DAO) andna slurry composed by the heavy fraction (high percentage ofnasphaltene); both mixture with a high percentage of solvent. The lightncurrent (DAO) is obtained by the top of the settler and the heavyncurrent (asphaltene) by the bottom