In the pipeline – how graphene could reduce corrosion
Our partners Research impact and institutes 31 August 2018
A new breakthrough means that the inclusion of graphene in the manufacture of underwater oil and gas networks could be in the pipeline.
Corrosion is not only very expensive to fix, but it can also lead to “catastrophic failure” when not addressed. However, graphene could act as the perfect barrier to the problem.
A paper published in Advanced Materials Interfaces by a team of researchers from The University of Manchester and The Welding Institute (TWI) outlines a new method that should allow graphene to be integrated into the regular polymer lining of the pipes. Doing so could help to prevent the expensive – and potentially dangerous – corrosion of this underwater pipe network.
A graphene sandwich
Graphene has numerous unique and interesting qualities, from its unparalleled strength to its flexibility and super conductivity. According to the team behind the new paper, one of its most remarkable abilities is its impermeability to gas molecules. In fact, a monolayer of graphene is even impervious to helium – which is the smallest atomic element in the periodic table. As a result, it’s the perfect material with which to line an oil and gas pipe.
The problem is that rolling this out on an industrial scale is extremely difficult in practice. The layer of graphene needs to be perfect to ensure that gas molecules cannot pass through, which means there can be no defects. One way around this is to produce several layers and sandwich them on top of each other to fill any gaps, but this takes time, is very expensive and it can be difficult to calculate exactly how many layers are needed.
However, a new manufacturing method put forward by the team could overcome these issues. By laminating a thin layer of graphene nanoplatelets to the plastic that typically lines the pipes, the researchers created an effective barrier. In contrast, simply mixing the graphene with the plastic or only using a single layer of graphene meant that gas could still pass through.
“Amazing properties”
The new multi-layered laminate was tested at temperatures of 60oC, as the liquid and gas carried by the underwater pipes can reach extremely high temperatures. It was also tested at pressures of 400 times atmospheric pressure.
Overall, the laminate was shown to reduce carbon dioxide leaks by 90 per cent when compared to the plastic liner alone. Meanwhile, the permeation of hydrogen sulphide was reduced to a level where it was undetectable.
Commenting on the breakthrough, Professor of Polymer Chemistry and project lead Peter Budd said: “Graphene has many amazing properties, but it is not always easy to realise them on a large scale. Our work represents an important step in taking graphene out of the laboratory and into the real world.”
Billion dollar savings
Solving the problem of corrosion could save the oil and gas industry billions. According to The TWI, corrosion and the mitigation of corrosion sets the sector back $1.4 billion (£1.07 billion) each year, which means graphene has the potential to revolutionise the industry and save it a small fortune.
Of course, this should come as no surprise to regular readers of the blog, as graphene – which was first isolated here at The University of Manchester – is itself a revolutionary material. From extending battery life and desalinating seawater, to assisting athletes and inspiring artists, this 2D material has seemingly limitless potential. And to think, it was discovered simply by using sticky tape to peel layers from the lead of an ordinary pencil – talk about making a point!
Words
Hayley Cox
Images
The University of Manchester
