Characterization of Crude Oils and the Precipitated Asphaltenes Fraction using UV Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering and Microscopy

Analysis of crude oil composition provides important information that impacts on the recovery, handling, and transportation of hydrocarbons. Crude characterization also provides data in the analysis of geochemistry of the source of origin. Crude oil characterization by optical methods is usually difficult because of its dark color; however, those characterizations are crucial because they give information that can affect some analysis procedures. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy is a simple and practical technique that allows the characterization of crude oil through dilution in solvents. A comparative study of crude oil solutions contrasted with their asphaltene fractions was performed. Each solution was analyzed in triplicate, on a UV-vis spectrophotometer. Calibration curves for both raw solutions showed no significant variations, indicating stability. Additionally, the results of dispersion and migration phenomena indicated stability only for crude oil solutions. The aggregate size dispersion was different for each type of crude and varied with respect to time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the type of morphology present for each type of asphaltene

Effect of Graphene Oxide Addition on the Properties of Electrochemically Synthesized Polyaniline–Graphene Oxide Films

In this work, the electrochemical synthesis of PANI and GO-modified PANI was performed using cyclic voltammetry, varying the amount of GO, 1 mg (PG1), 5 mg (PG5), and 10 mg (PG10) to analyze the effect of the amount of GO on the composite. PANI, PG1, PG5, and PG10 materials were characterized using optical microscopy, SEM, UV-vis, FTIR, Raman, and wettability. A stability test was also carried out by putting the materials to 500 oxidation-reduction cycles using cyclic voltammetry. The synthesis method allowed GO in PANI to be added through a chemical interaction between the two compounds. It was also found that the addition of GO led to an improvement in the hydrophilic character of the composite, which would lead to an improvement in the diffusion of reagents/species when the composites are used in aqueous media processes. The results of the stability test showed that the PG10 material presented a lower % loss of specific capacitance and energy compared with the other materials, which indicates that the GO presence (in the amount specified) improves the stability of the PANI. The PG10 material showed favorable and promising conditions for its use in fuel cell and battery processes