Foamability of non-aqueous systems containing asphaltenes from a heavy crude oil

Non-aqueous foams are much less studied than aqueous foam systems, although non-aqueous foams are important in many industries like petroleum refining. In this study, the foamability of non-aqueous systems consisting of toluene, paraffin, and asphaltenes was tested. It was found that the asphaltenes increased the foamability of the systems and that the more aromatic systems had increased foamability suggesting that particle size and structure, depending on system composition, play an important role in this behavior. Also, the foamability of the systems increases over time suggesting an important influence of aggregation kinetics of the asphaltenes at liquid/gas interfaces.