Abstract

The deposition of paraffin on pipelines during crude oil transit and low-temperature restart processes poses a significant challenge for the oil industry. Addressing this issue necessitates the exploration of innovative materials and methods. Pour point depressants (PPDs) emerge as crucial processing aids to modify paraffin crystallization and enhance crude oil flow. This study focuses on the combustion of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, a prevalent plastic, in two distinct oils (castor and jatropha). The resulting black waxy substances (PET/Castor and PET/Jatropha) were introduced in varying weights (1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm) to crude oil. The PET/castor oil combination demonstrated a remarkable reduction in pour point from 18 to −21 °C at 3000 ppm concentration, significantly more effective than PET/jatropha blends. Substantial decreases in viscosity (up to 75%) and shear stress (up to 72%) were also observed for both blends, most prominently at lower temperatures near the pour point. The synergistic effect of PET and oils as nucleating agents that alter crystallization patterns and restrict crystal growth contributes to this enhanced low-temperature flow. This highlights the potential of PET plastic waste as an economical, abundant, and eco-friendly additive to develop high-performance PPDs for crude oil.

Details

Title
Utilizing combusted PET plastic waste and biogenic oils as efficient pour point depressants for crude oil
Author
Ghobashy, Mohamed Mohamady 1 ; Rashad, A. M. 2 ; Attia, S. K. 2 ; Elsayed, A. E. 2 ; Osman, D. I. 2 

 Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Radiation Research of Polymer Chemistry Department, National Centre for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Cairo, Egypt (GRID:grid.429648.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9052 0245) 
 Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Evaluation and Analysis Department, Cairo, Egypt (GRID:grid.454081.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2159 1055) 
Pages
15887
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3078225480
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.