Materials Science on EARTH Magazine

Coatings may prevent pipeline clogs

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 14:01:14 -0400

Clogs caused by the formation of gas hydrates are a major concern for oil and gas pipeline operators. Water-repellent films coating the inside of pipes could prevent hydrate formation. Credit: Luca Galuzzi, CC BY-SA 2.5.

When ice forms in household water pipes, blockages and expansion can cause the pipes to burst. Similar problems can arise in the transportation of oil and gas when ice-like substances called gas hydrates build up inside pipelines — an issue traditionally mitigated by insulating pipes or by using antifreeze additives. But in a new study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, researchers report an alternative solution: specialized coatings for the inside of oil and gas pipes that prevent hydrate buildups and clogs. The coatings could prove more reliable than the usual approaches, but whether the method can be applied cost-effectively on a large scale is uncertain.

Down to Earth With: Deanna D'Alessandro

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:41:46 -0500

Deanna D'Alessandro. Credit: Sam D'Agostino, SDP Photo.

Deanna D’Alessandro, a chemist at the University of Sydney in Australia, is working on a new material that may make it cheaper and easier to clean greenhouse gases from power plant emissions. D’Alessandro has developed crystals composed of metals and organic molecules that can trap molecules of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and release them on cue — or even transform them into more useful compounds. Her work won her one of three L’Oreal Australia For Women in Science Fellowships given last year.

The quicker oil picker upper

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard use containment booms and absorbent materials to clean up an oil spill. U.S. Coast Guard

Microscopic views of the nanowire paper that may someday clean up oil spills. Francesco Stellacci, MIT and Nature Nanotechnology

After the Cosco Busan container ship crashed into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge last November and leaked more than 58,000 gallons of fuel into the bay, the U.S. Coast Guard deployed floating containment booms and absorbent pads to mop up the mess. Such technologies have been used to clean up oil spills for two decades. Soon, however, oil spill cleanup crews may have a more high-tech tool: Researchers have developed reusable sheets of nanowire “paper” that absorb oil without soaking up any water.