(49a) Stability of Asphaltenes in Oils and Fuels

Effective from 1st January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reduced the maximum allowable Sulphur content in marine fuel oil from 3.5 % to 0.5% by mass. One approach that can be taken to comply with this regulation is blending feedstocks to obtain a fuel blend with the required Sulphur content. However, blending various feedstocks can result in a mixture that contains unstable asphaltenes. In turn, unstable asphaltenes can foul equipment and will ultimately impair engine and machinery performance. In this work, standardized tests used in industry to evaluate the stability of asphaltenes in oils and fuels will be discussed. In addition, the recent findings on asphaltene aggregation and fouling will be presented and their impact on the standardized tests will be discussed.