Abstract
A crude oil has four main SARA constituents: saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes. The asphaltenes in crude oil are the most complex and heavy organic compounds. The asphaltenes contain highly polar substituents and are insoluble in an excess of n-heptane (or n-pentane). The classic definition of asphaltenes is based on the solution properties of petroleum residuum in various solvents. Asphaltenes are a solubility range that is soluble in light aromatics such as benzene and toluene, but is insoluble in lighter paraffins. The particular paraffins, such as n-pentane and n-heptane, are used to precipitate asphaltenes from crude oil. The effects of four different solvents (water, carbon dioxide, propane, and ethanol) on the deasphalting process under the supercritical conditions were reviewed. Supercritical water is an excellent solvent for removing of high molecular weight organic compounds such as asphaltenes from crude oils under the supercritical conditions.