Showing papers in "Korea-australia Rheology Journal in 2022"

Squeeze flow and rheological characterization of pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with kaolin

Abstract: This study dealt with an experimental squeeze-flow test between two parallel disks and rheological measurements using a rotational rheometer of pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with 10 and 20 wt.% kaolin without slip condition. The experimental procedure of the homogeneous samples’ preparation was described. A steady-state and dynamic rheological analysis for pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with kaolin was detailed. Results show that pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with 10 wt.% kaolin at 26 °C correspond to a shear-thinning behavior. The effect of the kaolin particles becomes more critical at low shear rates than at high shear rates, where the matrix effect was dominant. The influence of temperature on bitumen mixed with 20 wt.% kaolin was investigated, and the obtained results show that the samples behave like a power-law model at 50 °C. Besides, the squeeze-flow test impact at an ambient temperature of 26 °C for pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with kaolin was also studied. Adding kaolin leads to a significant increase in viscosity and confirms the studied cases in the rheometry test at 26 °C. It was proven that pure bitumen and bitumen mixed with kaolin follow a power-law model at a specific range of shear rate. In particular, the decrease of the shear rate in bitumen mixed with 20 wt.% kaolin triggers the detection of the yield stress, which did not appear in the rheological measurements due to the applied deformation either in the shear and/or the elongational flow.

The effects of SKO on Assam crude oil

Abstract: The energy demand for crude oil (CO) has increased globally which encourages the growth in the petroleum industry worldwide. When CO is transported through a pipeline over long distances, due to the change in environmental circumstances, the flow behavior of CO also changes. To improve the flowability of CO through the pipeline, a better understanding of the rheological behavior of CO is very important. In this paper, several experiments were conducted to improve the flowability of CO through pipeline transportation. Dilution of CO with its products like Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) was selected as it improves the CO flowability through the pipeline and is economically affordable. In this study, the effect of SKO on oAPI gravity, Pour Point, Gel Point, Viscosity Gravity Constant, and rheological parameters were studied for the CO of Upper Assam Basin, Assam. SKO was mixed with CO in different ratios to examine the effect of SKO on it. The results obtained showed that with the addition of SKO, oAPI increases, the minimum limit of attaining paraffinic nature of CO samples can be determined, heavier CO may not always have high Pour Point and Gel Point. The variation in yield stress of CO with SKO was also observed. Hershel-Buckley Model (HBM) was used and from the three parameters of HBM, the shear-thinning or shear thickening behavior of CO was determined. Therefore, this paper attempts to study the flow behavior of CO and also to identify the % of SKO required for improving their flowability through the pipeline.