Application of scattering and diffraction techniques for the morphological characterization of asphaltenes

•Asphaltene aggregation is a significant issue at every stage of crude oil extraction, processing, transport, and application.•Understanding the phase separation process necessitates structural analysis of asphaltene aggregates.•X-ray diffraction and X-ray/neutron scattering techniques enable analysis of asphaltene colloids at multiple lengthscales and in situ during phase separation.•This article summarises the techniques and models developed, in addition to structural and mechanistic understanding gained from scattering and diffraction methods.