Asphaltenes have traditionally been viewed as being extremely complex, thus very hard to characterize. In addition, certain fundamental properties of asphaltenes have pre viously been inaccessible to study by traditional macroscopic methods, further limiting understanding of asphaltenes. These limitations inhibited development of descriptions regarding the microscopic structure and solution dynamics of asphaltenes. However, a variety ofmore recent studies have implied that asphaltenes share many chemical properties with the smaller, more tractable components of crude oils. Recent measurements...

The investigative assault upon the enigmatic asphaltenes has recently resulted in sig nificant advances in many varied disciplines. Taken individually, each discipline exposes certain facets of asphaltenes, but each, alone, can never reveal asphaltenes from all van tages. Even seemingly narrowly focused issues such as the molecular structures of asphal tenes, or the colloidal structures of asphaltenes require a confluence of many lines of investigation to yield an understanding which differs from truth by diminishing uncer tainty. An holistic treatment of the asphaltenes is a powerful...

This book represents an amalgam of objectives related to the study of petroleum at many, diverselevels. Themostimportantattributeanythrivingtechnical?eldmust have is an injection and infusion of dedicated, expert, young scientists who have absorbed from their elders the fascination of scienti?c mystery coupled with the fundamental satisfaction of revelation and providing contribution. And, of course, these youthful practitioners must also learn to challenge the authority of their - ders. Fromexperienceswithmyownstudents, thisseemsnottobeaproblem. Many chapters in this book are coauthored by...

This book represents an amalgam of objectives related to the study of petroleum at many, diverselevels. Themostimportantattributeanythrivingtechnical?eldmust have is an injection and infusion of dedicated, expert, young scientists who have absorbed from their elders the fascination of scienti?c mystery coupled with the fundamental satisfaction of revelation and providing contribution. And, of course, these youthful practitioners must also learn to challenge the authority of their - ders. Fromexperienceswithmyownstudents, thisseemsnottobeaproblem. Many chapters in this book are coauthored by...

Asphaltenes have traditionally been viewed as being extremely complex, thus very hard to characterize. In addition, certain fundamental properties of asphaltenes have pre- viously been inaccessible to study by traditional macroscopic methods, further limiting understanding of asphaltenes. These limitations inhibited development of descriptions regarding the microscopic structure and solution dynamics of asphaltenes. However, a variety ofmore recent studies have implied that asphaltenes share many chemical properties with the smaller, more tractable components of crude oils. Recent...