• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.209-214
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• 2014

In this paper, the rheological behaviors and non-Newtonian characteristics of maltenes which is effected by hydrocarbon solvent type, solvent mixing ratio, temperature and shear rate was measured and compared with oil sands bitumen. Maltenes was made by SDA (solvent deasphalting) method from oil sands bitumen. Oil sands bitumen had apparent viscosities of $800{\sim}150000mPa{\cdot}s$ measured at a shear rate of $50sec^{-1}$ in the range of $25{\sim}85^{\circ}C$ and showed yield stress of 0.1~0.3 Pa at the temperatures below $35^{\circ}C$. All the oil sands bitumen and maltenes exhibited a shear-thinning, i.e. pseudoplastic behavior and apparent viscosity of maltenes decreased with decreasing carbon numbers of hydrocarbon solvent. The change in apparent viscosity with temperature could be described by the simple Guzman-Andrade equation, and maltene viscosities were decreased as the mixing ratio of n-pentane was raised. Also, all maltenes approached to Newtonian fluid as temperature were increased. the degree of pseudoplasticity was enhanced with decreasing carbon number of solvent.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2008

In this work, we investigated the variation of physical and chemical characteristics of solvent-insolubles and solvent-solubles in Canada's Athabasca oil sands by solvent-insolubles experiments. N-Heptane, n-Hexane, and n-Pentane were tested for solvents and asphaltenes were separated from maltenes by using a modified ASTM D 3279 method. Elemental analysis, boiling point distribution (SIMDIS), molecular weight distribution, heavy metal contents, API gravity, viscosity and SARA fractions were measured for thorough samples. The asphaltenes-removed maltenes contained less sulfur and heavy metal amounts and had lower molecular weight than the original bitumen. N-Pentane solvent could lower sulfur and heavy metal amounts, molecular weight, and viscosity of maltenes compared to the other solvents. Eventually, we confirmed that the obtained experimental data could be used as basic informations of bitumen upgrading processes for the production of SCO (synthetic crude oil).