Effect of ultrasound on the viscosity-temperature properties of crude oils of various compositions

The effect of ultrasonic treatment on the viscosity-temperature properties of crude oils of various component compositions has been studied. The efficiency of ultrasonication depends on the group composition of oil and treatment time. The ultrasonic treatment of low-paraffinic oils with a high tar and asphaltene content leads to a substantial decrease in viscosity and the pour point, and the efficiency of ultrasonication increases with an increase in the treatment time. For crude oils with a high n-alkane content, ultrasonic treatment is not effective, which is due to the intensification of crystallization of high-molecular n-alkanes. Calculations that evaluate the effect of ultrasonic treatment on variations in the viscosity of oils are performed based on the fatigue mechanism, which have shown that experimental data are in agreement with the calculated values.