Zinc nanocomposite from Cola acumulata husk extract: Synthesis, characterization and formulation into oilfield scale inhibitors
Article | Published Feb, 2025Abstract
Scaling or solid deposits accumulation is a very serious challenge in oil and gas production systems as it blocks fluids flow, reduce production rate, damage equipment and increase maintenance cost. In order to mitigate scaling, a low cost, non-toxic, new material was synthesized by bio-reduction of zinc (II) ions using Cola acumulata husk extract (CAHE) at 30 – 50 oC. The new material was characterized by using some microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and evaluated as calcium scale inhibitor in oilfield environment. The new material was found to be zero-valent zinc nanocomposites with spherical shape and 76 - 83 nm average size. On evaluation using static scale jar method, the Cola acumulata husk extract-zinc nanoparticles (CAHE-ZnNPs) was 60.40 % efficient in inhibiting calcium carbonate scale at 30 oC but the efficiency decreased gradually to 49.8 % as temperature increased to 60 oC. On blending CAHE-ZnNPs with sodium pyrophosphate (Na-OPP) and ferric pyrophosphate (Fe-OPP), the scale inhibition efficiency at 30 oC increased to 74.1 % and 91.8 % but gradually decreased at 60 oC to 65.3 % and 82.8 % respectively. Another blend of CAHE-ZnNPs with both Na-OPP and Fe-OPP afforded efficiency of 97.2 % and 91.1% at 30 oC and 60 oC respectively. Inhibition efficiency increased with increase in dosage of CAHE-ZnNPs but slightly declined with increase in temperature. Optimal efficiency was achieved at 750 - 1000 ppm concentration of CAHE-ZnNPs. Thus, instead of discarding Cola acumulata husks as waste, it can be extracted, modified into this new material and utilized in mitigating oilfield scale deposition as reported here for the first time.
