More about the Chemistry
of Asphaltenes and Maltenes

Asphaltenes:

Asphaltenes are complex hydrocarbons having the following components:

• Condensed aromatic hydrocarbons with side chains up to C₃₀
• _{Hetero-aromatic compounds with sulfur present in benzothiophene rings and nitrogen in pyrrole and pyridine rings}
• _{Bi- or polyfunctional molecules with nitrogen as amines, amides, and oxygen in groups such as: ketones, armides, phenols, and carboxylic acids}
• _{Metals nickel and vanadium complexed with pyrrole nitrogen atoms in porphyrin ring structures}

 

Maltenes:

Maltenes constitute the fraction of asphalt which is soluble in n-alkane solvent such as pentane and heptane.  Their chemical characteristics are as follows:

• Contain smaller molecular weight versions of asphaltenes called "resins"
• Contain aromatic hydrocarbons with or without O, N and S (also called "first acidaffins")
• Contain straight chained or cyclic unsaturated hydrocarbons called oleifins (also called "second acidaffins")
• Contain cyclic saturated hydrocarbons known as naphthenes (also called "saturates")
• Contain straight or branch chain saturated hydrocarbons (also "saturates"
• Their molecules are also known as "naphthene-aromatics"