This study presents a novel method for separating asphaltene from crude oil at room temperature, eliminating the need for heating or refluxing. Traditional methods often suffer from high energy consumption, costly equipment, and safety risks associated with flammable steam. This research focuses on deasphalting heavy crude oil from southern Iraq, containing 3.934 wt.% of asphaltene. Using a lab-made flow injection analysis system, 27 experiments were conducted, varying solvent flow rates (10 mL/min to 50 mL/min), mixing coil lengths (200 cm to 300 cm), and combinations of aromatic and aliphatic solvents. An optimal design (custom) and response surface method (RSM) were employed to pinpoint the best conditions. The optimal deasphalting process involved a solvent flow rate of 50 ml/min, a 300 cm mixing coil, and a xylene/n-heptane (1:10 vol/vol) solvent blend. Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of parameters, encompassing single parameters, interactions, and quadratic effects, all with p-values under the 0.05 confidence level. The efficiency of the deasphalting procedure was assessed practically and theoretically, yielding efficiency percentages of 71.97% and 73.48%, respectively, for asphaltene extraction. This innovative method offers a promising solution for efficient and safe asphaltene separation from crude oil without the need for energy-intensive processes.

doi.org/10.32737/0005-2531-2024-3-29-42