Inorganic surface fouling is a problematic issue that poses both economic and safety risks to a number of industries, particularly the oil and gas sector. Current scale prevention methods vary and can be both costly and inefficient. LIS (Liquid infused/Lubricant Impregnated Surfaces) or SLIPS (Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces) represent a new development that has the potential to provide a surface engineering solution to the scale dilemma. SLIPS are driven by a low surface energy lubricant held in place by a textured surface, underpinning the surfaces self-healing, self-cleaning and omniphobic capabilities. In the current study, an original SLIPS has been fabricated on carbon steel by utilizing an iron carbonate corrosion by-product (FeCO3) layer, functionalized with an aminosilane and infused with either fluorinated ionic liquid or fluorinated oil.

A combination of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray has been used to study the anti-fouling performance of the new surface in a high scaling CaCO3 environment. Scaling tests indicate substantial reduction in scale on the FeCO3 SLIPS compared to untreated carbon steel, the prevalent material used in oil and gas pipelines. Surface deposition and crystal adhesion mechanisms are disrupted with the SLIPS surface by reducing the density of nucleation sites and increasing the activation barrier to nucleation. These results shed light on the growing importance of surface engineering as an effective tool in the comprehensive management of scale. It also importantly exploits the naturally forming corrosion product (FeCO3) and adopts it to give the surface scale reduction functionality. Normally the formation of FeCO3 corrosion product complicates scale management.

Subject
Steel surfaces, Water, Droplets, Substrates, Iron carbonate, Metal surfaces, Nucleation, Lubricants, Substrate surfaces, Surface layers, Carbon steel, Slip, Scaling
Keywords:
Mineral scale, surface fouling, calcium carbonate, surface engineering, SLIPS
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2021
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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