A natural extract as scale and corrosion inhibitor for steel surface in brine solution

Computational Exploration of Phenolic Compounds in Corrosion Inhibition: A Case Study of Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol

The corrosion of materials remains a critical challenge with significant economic and infrastructural impacts. A comprehensive understanding of adsorption characteristics of phytochemicals can facilitate the effective design of high-performing environmentally friendly inhibitors. This study conducted a computational exploration of hydroxytyrosol (HTR) and tyrosol (TRS) (potent phenolic compounds found in olive leaf extracts), focusing on their adsorption and reactivity on iron surfaces. Utilizing self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) simulations, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and quantum chemical calculations (QCCs), we investigated the molecules' structural and electronic attributes and interactions with iron surfaces. The SCC-DFTB results highlighted that HTR and TRS coordinated with iron atoms when adsorbed individually, but only HTR maintained bonding when adsorbed alongside TRS. At their individual adsorption, HTR and TRS had interaction energies of -1.874 and -1.598 eV, which became more negative when put together (-1.976 eV). The MD simulations revealed parallel adsorption under aqueous and vacuum conditions, with HTR demonstrating higher adsorption energy. The analysis of quantum chemical parameters, including global and local reactivity descriptors, offered crucial insights into molecular reactivity, stability, and interaction-prone atomic sites. QCCs revealed that the fraction of transferred electron ∆N aligned with SCC-DFTB results, while other parameters of purely isolated molecules failed to predict the same. These findings pave the way for potential advancements in anticorrosion strategies leveraging phenolic compounds.

Computational Foretelling and Experimental Implementation of the Performance of Polyacrylic Acid and Polyacrylamide Polymers as Eco-Friendly Corrosion Inhibitors for Copper in Nitric Acid

Copper is primarily used in many industrial processes, but like many other metals, it suffers from corrosion damage. Polymers are not only one of the effective corrosion inhibitors but also are environmentally friendly agents in doing so. Hence, in this paper, the efficacy of two polyelectrolyte polymers, namely poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and polyacrylamide (PAM), as corrosion inhibitors for copper in molar nitric acid medium was explored. Chemical, electrochemical, and microscopic tools were employed in this investigation. The weight-loss study revealed that the computed inhibition efficiencies (% IEs) of both PAA and PAM increased with their concentrations but diminished with increasing HNO₃ concentration and temperature. The results revealed that, at similar concentrations, the values of % IEs of PAM are slightly higher than those recorded for PAA, where these values at 298 K reached 88% and 84% in the presence of a 250 mg/L of PAM and PAA, respectively. The prominent IE% values for the tested polymers are due to their strong adsorption on the Cu surface and follow the Langmuir adsorption isoform. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were also calculated and discussed. The kinetics of corrosion inhibition by PAA and PAM showed a negative first-order process. The results showed also that the used polymers played as mixed-kind inhibitors with anodic priority. The mechanisms of copper corrosion in nitric acid medium and its inhibition by the tested polymers were discussed. DFT calculations and molecular dynamic (MD) modelling were used to investigate the effect of PAA and PAM molecular configuration on their anti-corrosion behavior. The results indicated that the experimental and computational study are highly consistent.

New application of brown sea algae as an alternative to phosphorous-containing antiscalant

Over the past decade, green chemistry research has focused on the importance of protecting the environment, especially to align with UN sustainable development goals by avoiding the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment and society. In this study, an aqueous extract derived from brown sea algae was prepared and its performance as antiscalant was compared to commercial antiscalant (Hydroxy ethylidene, 1-Diphosphonic Acid, HEDP) and evaluated using electrochemical measurements, conductivity and standard NACE test in addition to microscopic examination. It was found that there is a significant inhibition efficiency of brown algae towards the tested scales as HEDP. The obtained extract had the ability to prevent precipitation of calcium sulphate, calcium carbonate, barium sulphate and strontium carbonate with percent inhibition of 100%, 80%, 84% and 75%, respectively. The inhibitory effect of the extract can be attributed to the presence of carboxylate and hydroxyl groups that are adsorbed on the surface sites and disturb the normal crystal growth of the scale. The results of the study will lead to the discovery of further new applications of ecologically, cost-effective, renewable source and benign antiscalant that can be considered as an alternative to non-green technologies particularly those used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as well as in desalination plants.

Scale inhibition in industrial water systems using chitosan‐alginate mixture

The study aims to establishing the possibility of using eco‐friendly natural polymers to formulate scale inhibitor for industrial water applications. The performance of a blend of two natural polymers, chitosan and sodium alginate as scale inhibitor in comparison with a commercially available inhibitor formulation, HEDP (Hydroxyethylidene, 1‐Diphosphonic Acid), is carried out using electrochemical measurements, conductivity and NACE test complemented with crystals morphology characterization using optical and electronic microscopic examination. Overall results show that chitosan is more efficient for the inhibition of calcium carbonate scales formation, whilst it has poor efficiency in the inhibition of sulfate scales, whereas sodium alginate has the highest efficiency in inhibiting calcium sulfate scales. However, the addition of sodium alginate to chitosan, as a package, has a dual control effect on carbonate and sulfate scale formation with good efficiency compared to HEDP. This new phosphorus‐free package represents an effective antiscalant to have green environment.

НОВИЙ ЕКОЛОГІЧНО БЕЗПЕЧНИЙ ІНГІБІТОР НА ОСНОВІ ЕКСТРАКТІВ РОСЛИННОЇ СИРОВИНИ ТА ТЕХНОЛОГІЯ ХІМІЧНОГО ОЧИЩЕННЯ ТЕПЛОЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОГО ОБЛАДНАННЯ З ЙОГО ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ

Вступ. Покращення екологічного стану довкілля пов’язано із забезпеченням стабільного протикорозійного захистуметалофонду в хімічній, газо-, нафтодобувній та енергетичній промисловостях. Зокрема, проведення якісного хімічного очищення теплоенергетичного обладнання вимагає застосування ефективних екобезпечних інгібіторів корозії.Проблематика. Проблемі створення екоінгібіторів в Україні приділено недостатньо уваги, хоча наявність рослинної сировини у вигляді відходів харчового, деревообробного та низки інших виробництв дозволяє успішно вирішувати цю проблему.Мета. Розробка нового екологічно безпечного інгібітора на основі екстрактів з рослинної сировини та технології хімічного очищення теплоенергетичного обладнання з його використанням.Матеріали й методи. Вихідною сировиною слугували стружка та тирса дуба; застосовано методи екстракції з використанням водних, органічних та змішаних розчинників, гравіметричний та електрохімічні методи дослідженнязахисних властивостей екстрактів та синергічних композицій на їх основі, методи аналітичної хімії.Результати. Розроблений екоінгібітор є синергічною композицією на основі екстракту дуба з додаванням екобезпечних допоміжних речовин (ксантанову камедь, уротропін, тіосечовину, сегнетову сіль, карбамід, технічний гліцерин та інших) (можна вказати їх перелік). Встановлено, що ефективність інгібітору у 5% хлоридній кислоті становить понад 90%, механізм його захисної дії має змішаний характер і полягає в адсорбції складників синергічної композиції. Інгібітор у складі промивних розчинів не змінює повноту розчинення карбонатних відкладів порівняно знеінгібованим розчином, проте вдвічі зменшує час усунення солей твердості та продуктів корозії з поверхонь теплообміну енергетичного обладнання. Розроблено технологічний регламент і тимчасові технічні умови на його одержання та технологічну інструкцію на проведення кислотно-інгібіторного очищення теплоенергетичного обладнання.Висновки. Отримано дослідну партію екоінгібітору, який пройшов стендову та натурну апробацію, що підтвердили його ефективність у складі промивного розчину

A Review of Green Scale Inhibitors: Process, Types, Mechanism and Properties

In the present time, more often, it has been seen that scaling has grown as widely and caused problems in the oilfield industry. Scaling is the deposition of various salts of inorganic/organic materials due to the supersaturation of salt-water mixtures. Many works have been proposed by researchers using different methods to solve the problem, of which scale inhibition is one of them. The scale inhibitors, particularly for antiscaling, have derived from natural and synthetic polymers. Among different polymers, inorganic and organic compounds (polyphosphates, carboxylic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), etc.) can effectively manage the oilfield scales of which many are toxic and expansive. Scale inhibitors of alkaline earth metal carbonate and sulfates and transition metal sulfide are commonly used in oilfield applications. Scale inhibition of metallic surfaces is an essential activity in technical, environmental, economic, and safety purposes. Scale inhibitors containing phosphorus appear to have significant achievements in the inhibition process despite its toxicity. However, phosphorus-based inhibitors can serve as supplements prompting eutrification difficulties. Besides these increasing environmental concerns, green scale inhibitors are renewable, biodegradable, and ecologically acceptable that has been used to prevent, control, and retard the formation of scale. Considering the facts, this review article summarized the concept of scale, various green scale inhibitors, types, mechanisms, comparative performance, significance, and future aspects of green scale inhibitors, which will shed light and be helpful for the professionals working in the oil and gas industries.

Production of an environmentally stable anti-corrosion film based on Esfand seed extract molecules-metal cations: Integrated experimental and computer modeling approaches

This study aims at finding a suitable alternative for traditional and hazardous organic/inorganic corrosion inhibitors. In this study, the aqueous extract of Esfand seed (ESE) was used as a unique green source of nitrogen-based organic compound with great capability of the steel corrosion inhibition in a saline solution. Surface and electrochemical analyses were carried out by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and polarization methods. Furthermore, the adsorption of inhibitors on the steel surface was explored by Monte Carlo (MC), molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics (QM) methods. The electrochemical studies established the effectiveness of the zinc cations addition to the ESE containing solution on its inhibition efficiency. The sample inhibited by 300 ppm ESE + 700 ppm Zn showed the highest anti-corrosion properties. The inhibition efficiency of this sample was reached 98.8% after 264 h which is much higher than those reported in the previous studies. QM computations proved the formation of complexes via donor-acceptor action. MC and MD simulations supported the inhibitors adsorption on the steel.

The inhibition of crystal growth of gypsum and barite scales in industrial water systems using green antiscalant

Mineral scale is a major flow assurance problem in industrial water systems. The antiscale properties of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed extract for CaSO4 and BaSO4 scales were investigated using NACE and conductivity tests, respectively. Comparative studies between the extract and 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), as commercial antiscalants, were done. The results revealed that the inhibition of CaSO4 scales using sunflower seed extract reached 100%, while HEDP achieved a maximum inhibition of 88%. Moreover, the maximum inhibition of BaSO4 scale in the presence of the extract was 84% compared with 86% in the presence of HEDP. Also microscopic examination showed that both inhibitors modified CaSO4 and BaSO4 crystals.

Looking Beyond Energy Efficiency: An Applied Review of Water Desalination Technologies and an Introduction to Capillary-Driven Desalination

Most notable emerging water desalination technologies and related publications, as examined by the authors, investigate opportunities to increase energy efficiency of the process. In this paper, the authors reason that improving energy efficiency is only one route to produce more cost-effective potable water with fewer emissions. In fact, the grade of energy that is used to desalinate water plays an equally important role in its economic viability and overall emission reduction. This paper provides a critical review of desalination strategies with emphasis on means of using low-grade energy rather than solely focusing on reaching the thermodynamic energy limit. Herein, it is argued that large-scale commercial desalination technologies have by-and-large reached their engineering potential. They are now mostly limited by the fundamental process design rather than process optimization, which has very limited room for improvement without foundational change to the process itself. The conventional approach toward more energy efficient water desalination is to shift from thermal technologies to reverse osmosis (RO). However, RO suffers from three fundamental issues: (1) it is very sensitive to high-salinity water, (2) it is not suitable for zero liquid discharge and is therefore environmentally challenging, and (3) it is not compatible with low-grade energy. From extensive research and review of existing commercial and lab-scale technologies, the authors propose that a fundamental shift is needed to make water desalination more affordable and economical. Future directions may include novel ideas such as taking advantage of energy localization, surficial/interfacial evaporation, and capillary action. Here, some emerging technologies are discussed along with the viability of incorporating low-grade energy and its economic consequences. Finally, a new process is discussed and characterized for water desalination driven by capillary action. The latter has great significance for using low-grade energy and its substantial potential to generate salinity/blue energy.

Progress on pharmaceutical drugs, plant extracts and ionic liquids as corrosion inhibitors

In the past, lives and wealth have been lost due to corrosion in almost all engineering fields. Not only this, the cost of reviving damaged equipments in the industry due to corrosion contributed a lot to the gross domestic product of a nation. Thus, all hands must be on desk to combat this harzadous act via time to time research on its final resolution. However, current research works have revealed effective and reliable corrosion inhibitors from pharmaceutical drugs, plant extracts and ionic liquids as organic green corrosion inhibitors (OGCIs) with accommodative attributes such as being environmentally friendly, readily available, biodegradable, non-harmful, relatively cheap and many others to mention a few. This paper opens readers mind into the detailed classifications, mechanisms and active functional groups of these eco-friendly OGCIs. Not only the corrosion efficiency calculation ways but also influencing factors on efficiency were presented. Plant extracts, pharmaceutical drugs, ionic liquids and synthetic inhibitors, as among major sources of OGCIs, used in preventing material corrosion in corrosive media were separately and comprehensively examined. The significance of values obtained from simulating presented mathematical models governing OGCIs kinetics, adsorption isotherm and adsorption thermodynamics was also included. In conclusion, beneficial recommendations for both current and prospective researchers in the field of Corrosion Engineering were presented.

Inhibition of calcium carbonate deposition on stainless steel using olive leaf extract as a green inhibitor

The antiscale properties of the aqueous extract of olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves as a natural scale inhibitor for stainless steel surface in Hammam raw water were investigated using chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques in conjunction with a microscopic examination. The X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the scale deposited over the pipe walls consists of pure CaCO₃ calcite. The CA, in accordance with electrochemical impedance spectra and scanning electron microscopy, shows that the inhibition efficiency increases with increasing extract concentration. This efficiency is considerably reduced as the temperature is increased.

Inhibitory effect of glutamic acid on the scale formation process using electrochemical methods

The formation of calcium carbonate CaCO3 in water has some important implications in geoscience researches, ocean chemistry studies, CO2 emission issues and biology. In industry, the scaling phenomenon may cause technical problems, such as reduction in heat transfer efficiency in cooling systems and obstruction of pipes. This paper focuses on the study of the glutamic acid (GA) for reducing CaCO3 scale formation on metallic surfaces in the water of Bir Aissa region. The anti-scaling properties of glutamic acid (GA), used as a complexing agent of Ca(2+) ions, have been evaluated by the chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods in conjunction with a microscopic examination. Chemical and electrochemical study of this water shows a high calcium concentration. The characterization using X-ray diffraction reveals that while the CaCO3 scale formed chemically is a mixture of calcite, aragonite and vaterite, the one deposited electrochemically is a pure calcite. The effect of temperature on the efficiency of the inhibitor was investigated. At 30 and 40°C, a complete scaling inhibition was obtained at a GA concentration of 18 mg/L with 90.2% efficiency rate. However, the efficiency of GA decreased at 50 and 60°C.