Hydrate formation has long been a problem for hydrocarbon production in the Arctic.
Hydrate formation has long been a problem for hydrocarbon production in the Arctic. KFU's EcoOil research unit works on inhibitors to help mitigate the problem – one of the results was publicized by us just recently.
Co-author of the latest article, Research Associate of the Rheological and Thermochemical Research Lab Abdolreza Farhadian, explains, “So far, kinetic inhibitors prevail, created on the basis of polyvinyl polymers, showing good results, but they do not decompose at all under natural conditions. This is their huge disadvantage. With that in mind, over the past few years, our research team has focused on creating a unique inhibitor based on natural compounds. And we thought: maybe it's worth adding certain functional groups to the natural polymer chitosan, increasing its water solubility and its effectiveness in inhibiting hydrate formation and corrosion? And we've succeeded.”
KFU's inhibitors present a unique combination of biodegradability and eco-friendliness. According to Dr. Farhadian, they are also quite cheap and non-toxic.
Read more at Kazan Federal University
Image Credit: Kazan Federal University
