Density Anomalies in Crude Oil Blends Reflect Multiple Equilibrium States of Asphaltene Colloidal Aggregates

Density measurements revealed anomalies of nonideality (maxima of excess density) at some compositions in binary blends of light and heavy crude oils from diverse origins. By IR absorption measurements, density anomalies were attributed to increased contents of suspended asphaltene colloidal-sized particles/aggregates in the blends. By comparison with a database of world’s native crude oils, it was concluded that density anomalies may correspond to different equilibrium structural states of asphaltene colloids that occur at several specific asphaltene contents, apparently common for petroleum media of any origin