Nanotechnology Offers Solution to Oil Industry Scaling Problem

Scientists from Penn State have developed a new nanoparticle that can stabilize and prevent scaling in a commonly used emulsion or liquid mixture. This breakthrough could lead to more sustainable and efficient oil extraction methods and be applied to other systems that handle water-oil emulsions. The research was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

The accumulation of hard mineral deposits in pipes and equipment during oil extraction can cause significant operational issues, safety hazards such as pipe explosions, and substantial financial losses. Current descaling methods, however, often have adverse environmental impacts.

We aimed to tackle the challenge of calcium carbonate formation, known as scaling, in two-phase oil-water systems, dealt with in numerous water-based industries, such as oil and gas sectors.

Amir Sheikhi, Associate Professor and Study Corresponding Author, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Sheikhi, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering, explains that in industries like oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food, water often coexists with an immiscible phase, such as oil or an organic solvent, forming a two-phase system. Scaling in this system can lead to serious operational and safety hazards, such as clogged pipelines and damaged equipment.

“Current anti-scaling solutions either have adverse environmental impacts or are limited to working only in single-phase aqueous media,” Sheikhi said.

Initially, Sheikhi and his team developed anionic hairy cellulose nanocrystals (AHCNC), a cellulose-based nanoparticle that could prevent scale formation but could not stabilize water-in-oil emulsions.

They then advanced their research by creating a new class of biobased, multifunctional nanoparticles called amphiphilic hairy cellulose nanocrystals (AmHCNC). These nanoparticles possess unique chemical and structural properties that not only prevent scale buildup but also stabilize water-in-oil emulsions, commonly used in oil extraction processes.

Our innovation lies in the nanoengineering of a type of nanoparticle AmHCNC that simultaneously prevents scaling and stabilizes water-in-oil emulsions via the Pickering mechanism, a combination that has not been achieved.

Amir Sheikhi, Associate Professor and Study Corresponding Author, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Sheikhi explained that the Pickering mechanism uses small solid particles, such as nanoparticles, to stabilize the interface between two immiscible liquids.

These anti-scaling particles are bio-based, environmentally safe, and cost-effective, offering a sustainable solution to the longstanding industrial problem of scaling. 

Amir Sheikhi, Associate Professor and Study Corresponding Author, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

The researchers are now looking for collaborators to test the technology in real-world applications, such as enhanced oil recovery. They also plan to explore its potential uses in other industries, including food and cosmetics.

“This technology may provide new opportunities for sustainable and safer industrial practices,” said Sheikhi, who also has a courtesy appointment with the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, the Department of Chemistry in the Eberly College of Science, and The Department of Neurosurgery in the College of Medicine. 

Journal Reference:

Koshani, R., et al. (2024) Antiscaling Pickering Emulsions Enabled by Amphiphilic Hairy Cellulose Nanocrystals. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c03451.