Interfacial Behaviour of Complex Hydrocarbon Fluids at Elevated Pressures and Temperatures

Abstract

Interfacial tension is unique in the sense that it relates to the interface between two immiscible fluid phases. Hence, interfacial tension between the fluid phases can be used to infer a great deal of information about phase equilibria such as solubility, miscibility and mass transfer interactions between the two bulk fluid phases in contact. In this paper, we examine the utility of interfacial tension to characterize miscibility and mass transfer mechanisms in complex hydrocarbon fluids at elevated pressures and temperatures. This study also provides a new method to estimate the dynamic interfacial tension and miscibility by incorporating counter-directional diffusivities into the traditional Parachor model.