Table 1.

Chronological evolution of different models that have appeared in the literature.

Modeling Approach	Main Features	Reference
colloidal	Bitumen is viewed as a colloidal dispersion of ASP micelles stabilized by resins	Nellensteyn [24] Pfeiffer et al. [25,26] Traxler et al. [27] Kawanaka et al. [28] Storm et al. [29] Lian et al. [30]
colloidal	ASPs are plate-like structures stacked together that form particles or crystallites	Yen et al. [31,32] Dickie et al. [33] Mullins [34]
solubility	ASPs are complexed by resins without forming micelles	Altegelt et al. [35] Koots et al. [36] Petersen [37] Christensen et al. [38]
solubility	Bitumen is a single-phase and homogenous fluid	Anderson et al. [39] Redelius [40]
colloidal	ASP micelles consist of an insoluble molecular core associated with surfactant-like resins in thermodynamic equilibrium	Lesueur [41] Rogel [42]
colloidal	Bitumen microstructure is formed by insoluble ASP aggregates stabilized by a fraction of more soluble ASP	Acevedo et al. [43,44,45]
colloidal	ASPs are stabilized by a series of nested shells with decreasing polarity	Wiehe et al. [46]
colloidal	Bitumen microstructure is constituted by ASP particles, micelles, and clusters of micelles held by molecular interactions	Yen et al. [47]
colloidal	Hierarchical microstructure of bitumen made by ASP molecules, nanoaggregates of ASP and cluster of nanoaggregates	Mullins et al. [48,49,50]
colloidal	Mechanism of micellization for ASP aggregates	Li et al. [51] Liu et al. [52]
solubility	Solution of ASP in oil is described in terms of thermodynamic liquid–liquid equilibrium	Wang et al. [53]
solubility	ASP association is interpreted according to a stepwise polymerization scheme	Agrawala et al. [54] Yarranton et al. [55]
colloidal	ASP nanoaggregates dispersed in solution generate structures with pores and host–guest complexes	Gray et al. [56]

ASP = asphaltene(s).