Scale Formation Research Articles

Key Challenges for Internal Corrosion Modelling of Wet Gas Pipelines

Abstract The presence of CO2 and H2S in wet gas pipelines often creates the potential for high internal corrosion rates, which is typically mitigated by the injection of corrosion inhibitors. In practice, however, it is difficult to ensure that the inhibitor is always injected at the right level, while actual conditions in the pipeline may sometimes vary from those for which the inhibitor was qualified. Consequently, pipelines are also likely to be inspected from time to time using In-Line-Inspection tools. Various empirical and mechanistic models are used to estimate corrosion rates in such pipelines, both during the design phase to establish corrosion allowances and inhibitor availability requirements, and then during operation to help interpret inspection results and guide further operational decisions. These models can differ considerably in how they incorporate the effects of surface scaling, while the effects of inhibitors are generally not included in any mechanistic sense. This paper provides an overview of corrosion assessment for wet gas pipelines, with a particular focus on recent developments in modeling scale formation and the influence of inhibitors.

Corrosivity of KOH(g) towards superheater materials in a simulated air reactor environment for chemical looping combustion of biomass

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) of biomass has the potential to improve the electrical efficiency in power plants that utilize carbon capture and storage (CCS). This is attributed to the mild corrosive environment anticipated in the air reactor (AR). However, previous studies have measured alkali emissions in the AR, likely in the form of KOH(g), suggesting that alkali may transfer from the fuel reactor (FR) to the AR. To investigate the corrosive effect of KOH(g) release in the AR, a novel experimental set-up was developed to simulate two scenarios for the AR 1) Clean scenario: no release of KOH(g) in the AR (5 % O2 + 3 % H2O + N2 bal.) and 2) Alkali slip scenario: continuous release of KOH(g) in the AR (5 % O2 + 3 % H2O + N2 bal. + 16 ppm KOH(g)). The exposure was carried out at 700 °C and six alloys, relevant as superheater material, ranging from stainless steels to nickel-base (Ni-base) alloys as well as a FeCrAl alloy were investigated. The samples were exposed for a total of 168 h and the morphology of the corrosion products was investigated using SEM-EDX and XRD. The presented results suggest that KOH(g) significantly accelerates the corrosion of the stainless steels and Ni-base alloys investigated, by rapidly destroying the protective Cr-rich oxide scale, resulting in the formation of a multilayer oxide scale with inferior protective properties. On the contrary, the FeCrAl alloy retained a protective Al-rich oxide scale irrespective of the presence of KOH(g). The findings in this study highlight that the release of KOH(g) in the AR during combustion of biomass in CLC could introduce corrosion challenges for installed superheaters that can be significantly mitigated by utilizing FeCrAl alloys.

Examining the factors that impact the formation of barite scale in water injection operations: experimental study and quantification of scale formation

Barium sulfate (BaSO4) scale formation in oilfield operations is a significant problem that leads to severe operational challenges, including reduced production efficiency and increased maintenance costs. Understanding the factors that influence BaSO4 scale formation, such as injection rate and temperature, is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies. In this study, we systematically investigated the effects of injection rate and temperature on BaSO4 scale formation using a series of controlled laboratory experiments. The injection rates varied between 1 and 5 mL/min and temperatures between 25 and 75 °C, simulating realistic field conditions. Our findings indicate that higher injection rates and elevated temperatures significantly increase the amount of BaSO4 scale formed. Specifically, the scale formation increased from 15.2 mg/L at 1 mL/min and 25 °C to 22.3 mg/L at 5 mL/min and the same temperature. Similarly, at a constant injection rate of 3 mL/min, the scale formation increased from 18.1 mg/L at 25 °C to 26.5 mg/L at 75 °C. The study employed Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to analyze the crystal morphology and structure of the formed scales. SEM images revealed a transition from dendritic structures at lower temperatures and slower injection rates to spherical crystals at higher temperatures and faster injection rates. XRD patterns indicated variations in crystallinity and phase purity corresponding to the experimental conditions. Our results align with previous studies that report increased nucleation rates and reduced solubility of BaSO4 at higher temperatures and injection rates. These findings highlight the critical role of controlling operational parameters to mitigate scale formation in oil and gas operations. By optimizing injection rates and temperatures, it is possible to reduce scale deposition, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. This study provides valuable insights for the development of scale management strategies and underscores the importance of a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical factors affecting BaSO4 scale formation.

Investigation of an annular photonic crystal sensor for real-time monitoring of calcium carbonate scales in water distribution systems

This research exhibits a new configuration of photonic crystals known as annular photonic crystals (APCs) for real-time detection of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) scale in the water pipeline. The proposed sensor features a circular arrangement of porous silicon materials with varying levels of porosity. A central defect layer is incorporated into the design to capture the target analyte, allowing it to detect changes in the refractive index caused by scale formation. To analyze the reflectance spectrum of this structure, a modified transfer matrix method is utilized. An extensive optimization process is conducted based on the characteristics of the defect mode, focusing on various geometric parameters, including layer thickness, porosity levels, core circle radius, and structural periodicity, to achieve optimal sensor performance. The simulation outcomes revealed that at the optimized structure parameters, the sensor offers a remarkable QF, sensitivity, and FoM of 1215, 176.85 nm/RIU, and 350.5 1/RIU, respectively. Moreover, the proposed structure is simple, cost-effective, and compact, which makes it an ideal candidate for the detection of calcium carbonate scales formed in pipes and devices in water supply networks.

HPAL of a lateritic nickel ore: An investigation on the relationship between nickel and cobalt extraction and acid consumption

Nickel and cobalt raw materials have become essential in industries like batteries such as robotics, and drones, which are considered as future technologies due to their expanding applications and diversity. Research towards the development of environmentally friendly and relatively low-cost alternative methods for extracting nickel, particularly from low-grade deposits, is becoming increasingly crucial. Laterite ores processing is plagued by high reagent consumption and scale formation. This study focused on investigating the relationship between Ni and Co extraction and acid consumption in the high-pressure acid leaching of lateritic ore, as well as the characterization of leach residue. Analysis has shown that the lateritic ore contains 1.05 % Ni, 0.05 % Co and 21.94 % Fe. In the acid leaching tests based upon a Box-Behnken Design, the initial acid concentration and leach time have a beneficial effect on the Ni extraction (70–94 %). Cobalt extractions ranged between 93 % and 96 %. To facilitate Fe dissolution and increase Ni extraction, cuprous ions were added into the leach solution. Moderate level copper addition (0.025 M) resulted in a significant improvement in Ni extraction, whereas high levels of cuprous addition (0.050 M) did not have further benefit. It has been noted that adding cuprous ions significantly reduces the amount of scale that forms in the autoclave. The lowest Ni extraction was obtained under two different test conditions that did not include copper ions. Increased acid addition was correlated with the increase in Ni leaching and decreased Fe content in residue. There will exist an optimal situation where the acid addition is enough to enhance Ni dissolution and the Eh condition, leading to minimal dissolved Fe.

New insight on the formation of uneven oxide scales on AFA steel in supercritical CO2: Roles of recrystallization degree on the high temperature corrosion resistance

Uneven oxide scale is a common phenomenon in high-temperature corrosion, but the formation mechanism has not been fully uncovered. A new alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steel with superior corrosion resistance in 650°C/15MPa SC-CO2, has been systematically investigated. It is demonstrated that the uneven oxide was formed by the significant impact of the recrystallization behavior of AFA steel on its microstructural evolution and subsequent corrosion behavior. Compared with the thin oxide scale, the thick oxide scale was caused by the relatively higher density of dislocations and grain boundaries of matrix resulting from delayed recrystallization, which facilitated the rapid outward diffusion of ions.

Micro/nano plastics inhibit the formation of barium sulfate scale on metal surface

Mineral scale (scale) is the crystalline inorganic precipitate from aqueous solution. Scale formation in pipelines has long been a challenge in various industrial systems. Micro/nano plastics (MNPs) have the potential to strongly influence scale formation process. However, comprehensive studies and mechanistic understanding of the interactions between MNPs and scales remain significantly underexplored. To fill this gap, we firstly adopted quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) technology to monitor the in situ formation of barium sulfate (BaSO4) (0.001M, saturation index 2.5) scale influenced by MNPs on metal surfaces. Microplastic (MP) (5µm)-loaded surface exhibits hydrophobicity (contact angle > 123.1º), which reduces the rate of scale formation (90.86±11.01 (ng cm-2 min-1)). Electrostatic repulsion impeded crystal growth while ion adsorption has a limited effect. Experiments on BaSO4 formation on metal pipes loaded with foam packaging debris were conducted over 30 days, and similar inhibition results were obtained. This study highlights the important role of MNPs in controlling heterogeneous nucleation and crystal growth of scale on metal surfaces, providing valuable insights for both MNPs and scale research.

Oxidation behavior of an ultra-high strength and ductile Ni-enriched complex concentrated alloy

Recent research work revealed that Ni43.9Co22.4Fe8.8Al10.7Ti11.7B2.5 HEA is one of the ultra-high strength and ductile superlattice alloys. In this work, high-temperature oxidation behavior of the as-cast Ni43.9Co22.4Fe8.8Al10.7Ti11.7B2.5 alloy was investigated at 1000 ℃ up to 100 h. The oxidized samples were characterized using X-ray Diffractometer, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The results revealed that the initial microstructure of the alloy consists of face centered cubic (FCC) and L12 structures. High-temperature exposure resulted in the formation of Al2O3 and TiO2 scales during the initial hours of oxidation, which eventually spall-off after 25 h of exposure allowing further oxidation. The results showed that protective oxide layers such as Al2O3 and TiO2 were not present after 100 h of exposure. The external layer of the 100 h oxidized sample was composed of Fe, Co, and Ni-rich oxides which are known to have mere effective resistance against oxygen ingression. The alloy which has superior strength and ductility may be used for high temperature applications after attaining the thermally stable fine-grain microstructure by suitable thermomechanical processing / providing oxidation resistance coating / by doping with elements having superior oxidation resistance.

Aluminide Coatings by Means of Slurry Application: A Low Cost, Versatile and Simple Technology

The present study focused on demonstrating the versatility of the slurry deposition technique to produce aluminide coatings to protect components from high-temperature corrosion in a broad temperature range, from 400 to 1400 °C. This is a simpler and low-cost coating technology used as an alternative to CVD and pack cementation, which also allows the coating of complex geometries and offers improved and simple repairability for a lot of industrial applications, along with avoiding the use of non-hazardous components. Slurry aluminide coatings from a proprietary water-based-Cr6+ free slurry were produced onto four different substrates: A516 carbon steel, 310H AC austenitic steel, Ti6246 Ti-based alloy and TZM, a Mo-based alloy. The resulting coatings were thoroughly characterised by FESEM and XRD, mainly so that the identification of microstructures and appropriate phases was reported for each coating. The importance of surface preparation and heat treatment as key parameters for the coating final microstructures was also evidenced, and how those parameters can be optimised to obtain stable intermetallic phases rich in Al to sustain the formation of a protective Al2O3 oxide scale. These coating systems have applications in diverse industrial environments in which high-temperature corrosion limits the lifetime of the components.

Influence of Carboxymethyl Chitosan and Sodium Humate Composite Corrosion Inhibitor on the Corrosion Resistance of EH40 Steel in Seawater.

In this study, corrosion weight loss experiments were conducted to explore the corrosion-inhibiting properties of a composite inhibitor consisting of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and sodium humate (SH) at varying concentrations on EH40 steel in seawater. An investigation was conducted into the electrochemical behavior of EH40 steel in seawater and the mechanism of composite inhibitor consisting of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and sodium humate (SH) at varying concentrations on EH40 steel in seawater through an electrochemical test. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR), and contact angle measurements were performed to confirm the mechanism of CMCS and SH as well as their composite corrosion inhibitors at the interface between seawater and EH40 steel. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculation supports the experimental findings. The results show that CMCS, SH, and their composite inhibitor are a mixed type of corrosion inhibitor that mainly inhibits cathodic reactions and corrosion through the active site blocking mechanisms. Their corrosion inhibition effect increases with the increase of mass concentration, and the composite inhibitor performs better in corrosion inhibition and scale inhibition than the individual inhibitor. When the CMCS mass concentration reaches 100 mg/L and the SH mass concentration reaches 50 mg/L, the corrosion inhibition rate is 74.65%, the corrosion potential shifts by about 47.39 mV, the Rp value increases from 358.6 to 1102.4 Ω·cm2, and the Ydl value decreases from 177.31 Sn Ω-1cm-2 × 10-6 to 92.672 Sn Ω-1cm-2 × 10-6. CMCS and SH are adsorbed onto the surface of EH40 steel, forming a protective film through the complexation of carboxyl, amino, and other functional groups to inhibit corrosion and prevent the further formation of scale. In addition, synergistic coadsorption occurs between CMCS and SH, and the composite corrosion inhibitor exerts a better effect than the individual corrosion inhibitor.

Sensitive Monitoring of the Minimum Inhibitor Concentration under Real Inorganic Scaling Scenarios.

Flow assurance is a long-term challenge for oil and gas exploration as it plays a key role in designing safe and efficient operation techniques to ensure the uninterrupted transport of reservoir fluids. In this regard, the sensitive monitoring of the scale formation process is important by providing an accurate assessment of the minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC) of antiscale products. The optimum dosage of antiscale inputs is of pivotal relevance as their application at concentrations both lower and higher than MIC can imply pipeline blockages, critically hindering the entire supply chain of oil-related inputs and products to society. Using a simple and low-cost impedimetric platform, we here address the monitoring of the scale formation on stainless-steel capillaries from its early stages under real topside (ambient pressure and 60 °C) and subsea (1000 psi and 80 °C) sceneries of the oil industry. The method could continuously gauge the scale formation with a sensitivity higher than the conventional approach, i.e., the tube blocking test (TBT), which proved to be mandatory for avoiding misleading inferences on the MIC. In fact, whereas our sensor could entail accurate MICs, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, TBT suffered from negative deviations, with the predicted MICs being lower than the real values. Importantly, the impedance measurements were performed through a hand-held, user-friendly workstation. In this way, our method is envisioned to deliver an attractive and readily deployable platform to combat the scale formation issues because it can continuously monitor the salt precipitation from its early stages and yield the accurate determination of MIC.

The corrosion inhibition performance of a diissocyanate-imidazole based organic compound during acid cleaning of MSF desalination plant

Inorganic scale formation is a common issue in multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination plants, significantly impacting operational efficiency. To address this, acid cleaning is frequently employed, but it can lead to severe corrosion of alloy components if not properly controlled with corrosion inhibitors. This study investigates the effectiveness of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate-4-(1H-imidazole-ly) aniline (TDIA) as a corrosion inhibitor for 304L stainless steel in a simulated acid cleaning solution (1M HCl and 3.5 % NaCl). A range of tests, including electrochemical analysis, weight loss measurements, and surface characterization techniques such as AFM, EDS, and SEM, were used to assess the inhibitor's performance at temperatures of 25, 45, 65, and 90 °C. At a concentration of 50 ppm, TDIA achieved inhibition efficiencies of around 90% at 25 °C and above 80% at 90 °C, demonstrating effective protection across all temperatures studied. The adsorption behavior of TDIA followed the Langmuir adsorption model, and it acted as a mixed-type inhibitor by forming a protective layer on the metal surface, which prevents corrosive agents from accessing the steel. The dual-environment testing method, simulating conditions in desalination plants, offers valuable insights into the inhibitor's practical performance, enhancing the applicability of these findings to real-world industrial scenarios.

Ablation behavior of Cf/ZrC–SiC ultra–high temperature ceramic composites in oxyacetylene torch and plasma wind tunnel

Ablation performance of Cf/ZrC–SiC composites was evaluated in both oxyacetylene torch and plasma wind tunnel and further comparative study was conducted on the ablation behavior under two environments. An oxyacetylene torch test led to a pitting corrosion of Cf/ZrC–SiC composites and their ablated surface was covered by a porous zirconia layer. The Cf/ZrC–SiC nose tip endured the plasma wind tunnel test rather well with only 0.43 % height loss after total 1050 s exposure due to the formation of a compact zirconia scale. This compact zirconia scale kept its consolidation to the composite body and acted as the ablation-resistant and thermal shielding layer of the nose tip.

Synthesis, performance and application of environmental protection scale inhibitorβ-CD-MA-SSS copolymer——in electric power industry

The issue of water scaling in the treatment of cooling water has become an imperative problem that should be solved urgently for the sake of safe operation in large-scale flexible DC converter stations. However, the coexistence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in high content in this sort of pending raw water is quite hard to tackle. β-CD-MA-SSS, an eco-friendly ternary co-polymer antiscalant with good performance of inhibiting the formation of scale, was applied to address this conundrum in this paper. The efficacy of the antiscalant β-CD-MA-SSS was investigated in cooling water systems under the conditions of low hardness, low alkalinity, a temperature not exceeding 80 °C, and a pH range of 6–8. After optimization, this reagent dem onstrated an excellent scale inhibition rate up to 80% for both calcium carbonate and calcium-magnesium mixed scales. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a noticeable reduction in the size of CaCO3 particles when subjected to the action of β-CD-MA-SSS. It was postulated from FTIR analysis that nanoinpurity and chelation effects mainly contributed to the mixed scale inhibition. Further, the effect of β-CD-MA-SSS on the actual production wastewater was comprehensively evaluated from the technical, economic and environmental aspects.

Coupled adsorption/precipitation (Γ/Π) modelling of scale inhibitor transport in porous media using the coupled isotherm, AΓΠ(c)

Scale inhibitor (SI) “squeeze” treatments are widely used operations in production assurance to prevent inorganic scales as one of the main flow assurance problems. In these treatments, a high concentration SI slug is injected (“squeezed”) into the porous medium, retained in the formation rock, and is gradually produced back at relatively small concentrations that can prevent (or significantly reduce) scale formation. The retention of SI in the formation is governed by coupled mechanisms of adsorption (Γ) and precipitation (Π) of SI species in the system. To design such SI treatments in an optimized manner, it is important to have good mathematical models of both the transport and the coupled interactions of adsorption/precipitation (Γ/Π) processes. In this study, a 1D advection-dispersion-reaction transport model has been developed, considering the coupled Γ/Π retention processes, and it is used to model linear core flood systems. The parameters for the equilibrium Γ/Π model can be derived from the routine bulk SI “apparent adsorption” tests that are usually conducted before any treatments. From previous works, equilibrium adsorption isotherm, Γ(c), is used to describe the adsorption behavior in such systems. However, although the precipitation kinetics are “fast” (almost at equilibrium), the kinetics of SI dissolution are “slow” and is therefore modelled by a kinetic rate law. From the derived dimensionless form of the transport-Γ/Π model equations, it is shown that the system is governed by 4 dimensionless numbers, NA, NP, NPe and NDa, which are the adsorption number, the precipitation number, the Peclet number, and the Damköhler number, respectively. The shape of the adsorption isotherm also plays a very important part in the extent and form of the effluent SI returns from the linear system. The developed model was then employed to carry out a series of sensitivity calculations relating to coupled adsorption/precipitation (Γ/Π) processes. Both equilibrium and kinetic SI precipitation were modelled coupled with the equilibrium SI adsorption, and the effect of these processes on the form and extent of the SI effluents was assessed. A range of sensitivities was then carried out to determine the effect of a wide range of parameters, including the effects of flow rate and shut-in periods on the kinetic dissolution effluent behavior. The findings from this work present the most clear explanation to date of why and how “precipitation squeezes” can greatly extend squeeze lifetime. A novel feature of this analysis is to show how the role of precipitation and adsorption changes over the various stages of the return effluent by developing plots of the %SI adsorbed on the rock, in the precipitate, and the mobile fluid phase.

Impact of magnetic and electric fields on the free energy to form a calcium carbonate ion-pair.

Electromagnetic fields are used in water treatment and desalination to regulate scale formation and extend the lifetime of membranes. External electric and magnetic fields can promote or suppress mineral nucleation and growth. However, the molecular-scale mechanisms of such processes remain unknown. Computing the free energies needed to form ion pairs under external fields provides important insights into understanding the elemental steps during the initial formation of mineral scales. In this paper, we used molecular dynamics combined with metadynamics simulations to investigate the free energies of forming the [Ca-CO3]0 ion pair, a fundamental building block of carbonate scales, under a range of magnetic (up to 10 T) and electric (up to 10 V m-1) fields in water. The presence of constant magnetic or electric fields favored the ion pairing reaction and lowered the free energies by up to 3% to 6%. The internal energy and entropic components of the free energy showed significant changes and exhibited non-linear behavior with increasing field strength. The [Ca-CO3]0 ion pairing is an entropy-driven process in the absence of an external field, but the mechanism shifts to an internal energy-driven process under selected external fields, suggesting possible changes in the nucleation pathways.

Comprehensive Utilization of Formation Water Scale to Prepare Controllable Size CaCO3 Nanoparticles: A New Method to Improve Oil Recovery.

Formation water scale blocks pipelines and results in oil/gas production decreasing and energy consumption increasing. Many methods have been developed to inhibit scale formation. However, these previous methods are limited by their complications and low efficiency. A new method is proposed in this paper that uses the scale in formation water as a nanomaterial to improve oil recovery via controlling particle size. A series of ligands were synthesized and characterized. Micrometer-CaCO3 was formed and accumulated to form scale of a large size under uncontrolled conditions. The tetradentate ligands (L4) exhibited an excellent capturing yield of Ca2+ (87%). The particle size was very small, but they accumulated to form large particles (approximately 1300 nm) in the presence of Na2CO3. The size of the CaCO3 could be further controlled by poly(aspartic acid) to form sizes of about 700 nm. The flooding test showed that this material effectively improved oil recovery from 55.2% without nano CaCO3 to 61.5% with nano CaCO3. This paves a new pathway for the utilization of Ca2+ in formation water.

Eco-friendly corrosion inhibition and scale control in seawater using Foeniculum vulgare and Pimpinella anisum extracts with chemical compounds

This study investigated the corrosion inhibition and scale control properties of both natural extracts and chemical inhibitors for C25 galvanized steel sheets with an 85-μm thick zinc coating steel exposed to seawater. The inhibitors, including Foeniculum vulgare (AF-Sha), Pimpinella anisum (AF-Sim), M640, and Veo, underwent rigorous evaluation through techniques such as Tafel extrapolation, potentiodynamic polarization analysis, concentration factor scale, seawater analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and conductivity-temperature analysis. Notably, AF-Sha and AF-Sim exhibited outstanding corrosion prevention capabilities, achieving inhibitory efficiencies of 87% and 85%, respectively. Comparative analyses with chemical inhibitors, M640 and Veo, demonstrated promising performance, positioning natural inhibitors as environmentally friendly alternatives. Corrosion rates, inhibition efficiency, and concentration factor scale results provided insights into the inhibitory effectiveness of each compound, with Veo showing superior performance. The study also explored the antiscalant behavior of inhibitors, revealing their ability to prevent corrosion and scale formation. XRD analysis indicated the impact of inhibitors on the crystal structure of scales, while IR spectra provided insights into vibration properties. Conductivity and temperature analyses illustrated the inhibitors' role in reducing ion exchange and gypsum concentration in seawater. These findings suggest that the inhibitors offered robust protection for ferrous metal surfaces and hold significant potential for practical applications. Additionally, our weight loss investigation extends this understanding, demonstrating the practical applicability of corrosion inhibitors like AF-Sha and AF-Sim in real-world scenarios. The presented results contribute significantly to the understanding of galvanized steel corrosion behavior in seawater, offering valuable insights for corrosion engineering applications.

Astragaloside IV suppresses the proliferation and inflammatory response of human epidermal keratinocytes and ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin damage in mice.

The primary pathological features of psoriasis include excessive epidermal keratinocytes and infiltration of inflammatory cells, which are pivotal targets for psoriasis therapy. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), the principal active compound of astragalus, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory properties. This study aims to investigate AS-IV's anti--psoriatic effects and underlying mechanisms. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) were stimulated with a combination of TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-1α, IL-22, and oncostatin M (M5) to replicate psoriatic keratinocyte pathology in vitro. Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK8 and EDU staining. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were measured via qRT-PCR. In addition, an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mouse model was utilized. Skin histology changes were evaluated with HE staining, while IL-6 and TNF-α levels in mouse serum were quantified using ELISA. NF-κB pathway protein expression was analyzed by western blotting. The results demonstrated that AS-IV inhibited M5-induced proliferation of NHEKs. AS-IV reduced M5-stimulated IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23, and MCP-1 expression in NHEKs. Moreover, M5-induced phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 was significantly attenuated by AS-IV. Furthermore, AS-IV application ameliorated erythema, scale formation, and epidermal thickening in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse models. AS-IV also decreased IL-6 and TNF-α levels in mouse serum and inhibited IκBα and p65 phosphorylation in skin tissues. However, prostratin treatment reversed these effects. These findings underscore AS-IV's capacity to mitigate M5-induced NHEK proliferation and inflammation. AS-IV shows promise in alleviating IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions and inflammation by suppressing the NF-κB pathway.

Advancing Oil Production Efficiency with Next-Generation Nano emulsion Capsules: Harnessing Doped MgZnO2 for Superior Inhibition of Calcite Scale Formation

Abstract This work presents doped MgZnO2 nano emulsion capsules as a novel approach for reducing calcite scale formation in oil production. The nano emulsion capsules are synthesized via ultrasonication and precipitation methods, with morphology and size distribution analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope [TEM] and dynamic light scattering (DLS).` with an average particle size of 50 nm. Static scale inhibition tests showed over 90% inhibition efficiency at a Nano emulsion concentration of 100 mg/L. Rigorous static and dynamic scale inhibition testing precipitation and showcases remarkable efficiency exceeding 80% in preventing calcite deposition under simulated conditions. Gravimetric validates cation and online pressure monitoring validate superior performance compared to conventional inhibitors, with up to 30% enhancement in mitigation. The controlled release properties of the Nano emulsion capsule allow for persistent scale inhibition even after 72 hours of continuous operation. Furthermore, ecotoxicity evaluations through bioassays affirm the eco-friendly characteristics of the Nano emulsion technology. As a whole, this research shows how highly promising doped MgZnO2 Nano emulsion capsules are as a long-term, high-performing solution to scale-related problems in the oil sector.