Studies of transport of asphaltenes through porous membranes: Statistical structural models and continuum hydrodynamic theories

The results of our ongoing studies of the transport of asphaltene molecules through model membranes are presented. The experimental results are briefly reviewed, and a model is presented which aims to capture the effect on the transport of the polydisperse nature of the asphaltene molecules. The asphaltene molecular structure is first generated stochastically using a Monte Carlo technique. The individual asphaltene molecules are then approximated as spheroids for the purpose of calculating their hindered diffusivities. Continuum hydrodynamic theories of hindered diffusion are then used to calculate the individual transport coefficients.