Asphaltenes have a significant impact on the hydroprocessing of residues because they adversely affect the overall rate of hydroprocessing reactions. They also act as coke precursors, leading to catalyst deactivation. Understanding the changes of asphaltenes upon conversion can provide essential clues to the development and optimization of residue conversion processes. In this work, we use ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (positive-ion mode atmospheric pressure photoionization) to follow asphaltene changes during the hydroprocessing of a residue. Asphaltenes were extracted from the feed and from two different products sampled at various times during the run. Results indicate that intensities for hydrocarbon classes and N-containing classes increase for the processed asphaltenes, while the abundance of S classes decreases. Similar results are found when the number of peak assignments is compared. The average double-bond equivalent (DBE) increases as a functio...