Preparation and Application of Poly(methyl methacrylate)/alkyl imidazolium Modified Bentonite Nanocomposites for Deposition Mitigation of Nigerian Waxy Crude Oil
Keywords:
Nanocomposites, Organoclay, Crude oil, Wax, Deposition, Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT), ParaffinAbstract
A Nigerian montmorillonite-rich local bentonite was modified with alkyl imidazolium salts to produce
organoclays and polymer/clay nanocomposites. The polymer/clay nanocomposites were evaluated for
effective control of paraffin deposition in one of the NAOC (Nigerian Agip Oil Company) installations with
severe paraffin deposit problems in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It demonstrated that efficient wax
deposition mitigation (control) strategies could be developed because HTGC can be used to directly and
quantitatively determine the distribution of high molecular weight components in crude oils. The results
from this study illustrate the complex nature of wax inhibition. The nanocomposites tested did reduce the
total amount of deposition, and nanocomposites containing 3-5wt% organic clay function better in
suppressing the deposition of the high molecular weight paraffin. However, nanocomposites containing 10
– 15 % organoclay have significant success in suppressing the deposition of the low molecular weight
paraffin components. Understanding the mechanism of these nanocomposite additives can lead to the
development of new inhibitors that can eliminate the requirement for mechanical removal and/or extensive
use of xylene-based solvents. Of the many acclaimed technology products, polymer-clay nanocomposites
are among those that meet expectations. Polymer-clay nanocomposite has superior properties, compared
with micro- or macro composites. For this reason, polymer-clay nanocomposites have shown a widespread
presence in a variety of application areas. Polymer nanocomposites, for a variety of applications, can be
created by selecting the appropriate matrix, modified organoclay, and synthetic methods. This study has
demonstrated a novel polymer nano-clay application in the control of crude oil wax deposition in a Nigerian
oilfield.
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