Abstract
In the oil industry, strontium sulfate (SrSO4) scale deposits have long plagued oilfield and gas production operations. This remains an unsolved problem. We here show how the bubble column evaporator (BCE) can be used to control aqueous precipitation from salt solutions. Mixtures of strontium nitrate and sodium sulfate in the BCE system were used to precipitate strontium sulfate at different degrees of supersaturation. The effectiveness of the BCE system was compared to standard mechanical stirring. The precipitation of strontium sulfate in both processes was monitored through turbidimeter, particle counting, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results show that the BCE system has a significant inhibition effect and so can be used to control precipitation growth rate, even from supersaturated solutions. This remarkable effect also provides new insights into mechanisms of crystallisation, of bubble interactions and mineral flotation.
Highlights
Coatings of partially soluble salts pose significant problems
The main factors were the degree of supersaturation, purity of background solution and the bubble column evaporator (BCE) process as it affects precipitation compared with simple solution stirring
A standard stirring system and a BCE system were compared for the precipitation of SrSO4 particles from supersaturated solutions of Sr(NO3)[2] and Na2SO4
Summary
Coatings of partially soluble salts pose significant problems. The growth of deposits on the surface of industrial equipment like boilers, heat exchangers, wastewater treatment plants and in oil and gas drilling operations is always an issue. The scales generally contain sparingly soluble carbonates and sulfates of calcium, barium and strontium. The formation of scale deposits from mixing of two incompatible solutions, such as seawater and natural brines, presents a serious problem in industry, e.g. in the operation of oil fields, desalination plants and geothermal wells. Calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate scales are typical. Strontium sulfate (SrSO4) scale is not so common. SrSO4 deposits have long plagued oilfield and gas production
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