Electro-deposition for asphaltene removal during heavy oil upgrading.

Blending crude oil with short-chain paraffins is a common method to improve the oil quality during heavy oil upgrading. The additional paraffins will cause precipitation of asphaltene that is removed by filtration or sedimentation; both processes are slow and inefficient. As a potential faster and more efficient removal method, an electric field can be applied in order to electro-deposit the asphaltene on the electrodes.