Evaluation of PASP–ZnO Nanocomposites as Eco-Friendly Scale Inhibitors for Calcium Carbonate Deposition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jamst.v29n3.326Keywords:
Polyaspartic Acid (PASP), CaCO3 Scaling, Green InhibitorAbstract
Carbonate scaling is a significant operational issue in oil and gas production and water treatment systems, leading to blockages and reduced efficiency. Conventional scale inhibitors often face environmental restrictions, prompting a shift towards greener alternatives like polyaspartic acid (PASP). However, the performance of traditional PASP is limited. This study evaluates an eco-friendly PASP–ZnO composite as an enhanced scale inhibitor for calcium carbonate. The nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized using Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), which confirmed the successful incorporation of zinc. The scale inhibition performance was assessed through static inhibition tests and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Results showed that the PASP-Zn composite exhibited more stable and effective inhibition than pure PASP, reaching an efficiency of approximately 44.85% at a 50 ppm concentration. SEM images revealed that the composite significantly distorted the calcium carbonate crystal morphology, indicating its effectiveness in disrupting scale formation. These results indicate that the PASP–ZnO nanocomposite is an environmentally friendly and effective inhibitor for controlling calcium carbonate scaling and may also serve as a promising modifier for polymeric membranes to enhance their antifouling properties.
References
Adelnia, H., Sirous, F., Blakey, I., & Ta, H. T. (2023). Metal ion chelation of poly(aspartic acid): From scale inhibition to therapeutic potentials. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 229, 974–993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.256,
Ahmed, M. A., Amin, S., & Mohamed, A. A. (2024). Current and emerging trends of inorganic, organic and eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. RSC Advances, 14(43), 31877–31920. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ra05662k.
Ali, K., & Ali, M. I. H. (2024). A numerical study of CaCO₃ deposition on the membrane surface of direct contact membrane distillation. Desalination, 576, 117364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.117364.
Chen, Y., Xing, W., Wang, L., & Chen, L. (2019). Experimental and electrochemical research of an efficient corrosion and scale inhibitor. Materials, 12(11), 1821.
Chen, Y., Chen, X., & Liang, Y. (2020). Synthesis of polyaspartic acid/graphene oxide grafted copolymer and evaluation of scale inhibition and dispersion performance. Diamond and Related Materials, 108, 107949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diamond.2020.107949.
Chen, J., Chen, F., Han, J., Su, M., & Li, Y. (2020). Evaluation of scale and corrosion inhibition of modified polyaspartic acid. Chemical Engineering & Technology, 43(6), 1048–1058. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.201900518.
Cheng, Y., Guo, X., Zhao, X., Wu, Y., Cao, Z., Cai, Y., & Xu, Y. (2021). Nanosilica modified with polyaspartic acid as an industrial circulating water scale inhibitor. NPJ Clean Water, 4(1), 46.
Dong, M., Liu, G., Ji, W., Bai, Y., Xia, Y., Pan, Y., Jia, X., Wei, H., Chen, G., & Ying, T. (2024). Study on the effect of particles in oilfield produced water on the deposition process of CaCO₃. Desalination and Water Treatment, 320, 100706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dwt.2024.100706.
Goldie, I. (2008). Anti-scaling studies on high CaCO₃ waters in industry. Water Research Commission Report.
Grigorescu, R. M., Ion, R.-M., Iancu, L., Slamnoiu-Teodorescu, S., Anca Irina Gheboianu, Alexandrescu, E., David, M. E., Constantin, M., Raut, I., Damian, C. M., Nicolae, C.-A., & Bogdan Trica. (2025). Sustainable and functional polymeric coating for wood preservation. Coatings, 15(8), 875–875. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15080875.
Jalab, R., Saad, M. A., Hussein, I. A., & Onawole, A. T. (2021). Calcite scale inhibition using environmental-friendly amino acid inhibitors: DFT investigation. ACS Omega, 6(47), 32120–32132. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c04888.
Kan, A. T., Fu, G., Al-Saiari, H. A., Tomson, M. B., & Shen, D. (2009). Enhanced scale-inhibitor treatments with the addition of zinc. SPE Journal, 14(4), 588–596.
Mady, M. F., Charoensumran, P., Ajiro, H., & Kelland, M. A. (2018). Synthesis and characterization of modified aliphatic polycarbonates as environmentally friendly oilfield scale inhibitors. Energy & Fuels, 32(6), 6746–6755. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01168.
Mady, M. F., Rehman, A., & Kelland, M. A. (2021). Synthesis and antiscaling evaluation of novel hydroxybisphosphonates for oilfield applications. ACS Omega, 6(9), 6488–6497. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c00379.
Mazumder, M. A. J., et al. (2020). A review of green scale inhibitors: process, types, mechanism, and applications. Coatings, 10(10), 928.
NACE International. (2001). Standard test method: Laboratory screening tests to determine the ability of scale inhibitors to prevent the precipitation of calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate from solution (for oil and gas production systems). NACE International.
Osorio-Celestino, G. R., Pérez, M. Á. H., Solis‐Ibarra, D., Tehuacanero-Cuapa, S., Rodríguez‐Gómez, A., & Gómora‐Figueroa, A. P. (2020). Influence of calcium scaling on corrosion behavior of steel and aluminum alloys. ACS Omega, 5(28), 17304–17313. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c01538.
Rasool, K., Nasrallah, G. K., Younes, N., Pandey, R. P., Rasheed, P. A., & Mahmoud, K. A. (2018). “Green” ZnO-interlinked chitosan nanoparticles for the efficient inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria in injected seawater. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6(3), 3896–3906. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b04248.
Safari, M., Golsefatan, A., & Jamialahmadi, M. (2014). Inhibition of scale formation using silica nanoparticle. Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 35, 1502–1510. https://doi.org/10.1080/01932691.2013.840242.
Shen, Z., Zhi, X., & Zhang, P. (2016). Preparation of fluorescent polyaspartic acid and evaluation of its scale inhibition for CaCO₃ and CaSO₄. Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 28(3), 367–372. https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.3897.
Wang, Q., et al. (2012). Calcium carbonate scale formation and inhibition in the presence of zinc ions. Materials Performance, 51(11), 60–67.
Wang, H., Hu, J., Yang, Z., Yin, Z., Xiong, Q., & Zhong, X. (2021). The study of a highly efficient and environment-friendly scale inhibitor for calcium carbonate scale in oil fields. Petroleum, 7, 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petlm.2021.01.005.
Wang, D., Xu, J., Wang, J., & Hu, W. (2021). Preparation and corrosion resistance of polyaspartic acid-zinc self-assembled film on carbon steel surface. Colloids and Surfaces A, 608, 125615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125615.
Yang, J., Hu, Z., Wang, Z., Wu, C., Dong, L., Meng, X., Lin, X., Zhao, J., & Chen, Y. (2024). Preparation and scale inhibition performance of modified polyaspartic acid (M-PASP). Journal of Molecular Liquids, 401, 124712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.124712.
Zhou, Y., Wang, J., & Fang, Y. (2021). Green and high-effective scale inhibitor based on ring-opening graft modification of polyaspartic acid. Catalysts, 11(7), 802. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11070802.
Ahmed, M. A., Amin, S., & Mohamed, A. A. (2023). Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions. Heliyon, 9(4).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright of articles that appear in Journal of Applied Membrane Science & Technology belongs exclusively to Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Penerbit UTM Press). This copyright covers the rights to reproduce the article, including reprints, electronic reproductions, or any other reproductions of similar nature.
