Paper Number
SF4 

Session
Surfactants, Foams and Emulsions

Title
Entrapment of asphaltene-stabilized emulsions

Presentation Date and Time
October 10, 2022 (Monday) 4:45

Track / Room
Track 7 / Ontario

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Biswal, Sibani Lisa (Rice University, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Sibani Lisa Biswal
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005

Speaker / Presenter 
Biswal, Sibani Lisa

Keywords
emulsions; interfacial rheology

Text of Abstract
Entrapment of asphaltene-stabilized water/brine-in-oil emulsions in a microfluidic porous media is characterized by two mechanisms: adhesion and hydrodynamic bridging. At lower water fractions, the droplets adhere to deposited asphaltenes, whereas erosion and bridging between posts are more prevalent at higher water fractions. Pressure drop measurements are used to calculate permeability reduction. With added salinity, weaker adhesion between droplets and deposited asphaltenes is observed, however; the increased droplet size leads to increased bridging. Interfacial rheology measurements are made to examine the stability of the interface. Higher salinity lowers the elasticity of the interface, resulting in larger emulsions, which exhibit more substantial erosion but increased bridging.