Study of Stability of Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃-ZrO₂ Composite Ceramics in Crude Petroleum Environment for Inert Coating Applications in Petroleum Industry

Abstract:

Crude petroleum storage and transportation systems suffer from constant physical stress caused by chemical attack of crude petroleum on its structure. Ceramics are materials with high chemical stability in hostile environment and therefore can be used as an inert coating material. In the present work we have produced Al2O3-Y2O3-ZrO2 composites with high mechanical strength, through thermo-mechanical processing. To evaluate the quality of materials developed and the possibility of using them as inert protective coatings, storage and transportation systems, we have studied the physic-chemical and mechanical stability of these materials in crude petroleum originated from onshore and offshore. Structural, microstructural and mechanical tests showed that 15-20wt% ZrO2 composite ceramics with 2 wt% of Y2O3 additives presented better results in terms of mechanical hardness and microstructural characteristics. The study of stability of composite ceramics in crude petroleum environment showed that ceramics did not present any additional phase except the constituent phases. Result of microscopy and Vickers hardness tests also showed that there is no visible change in these characteristics after even 90 days of submersion in crude petroleum. Thus we conclude that composite ceramics could be potential materials for inert coating in crude petroleum environment.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 881)
• Pages: 318-322
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.881.318
• Online since: November 2016
• Authors: Júlia Oliveira Pontual*, Noelle D’emery Gomes Silva, R.A. Sanguinetti Ferreira, Yogendra Prasad Yadava
• Keywords: Alumina, Crude Petroleum, Protective Coating, Storage System, Transportation System, Yttria, Zirconia

References

[1] J. van der Geer, J.A.J. Hanraads, R.A. Lupton: J. Sci. Commun. Vol. 163 (2000), p.51.

[2] W. Strunk Jr., E.B. White: The Elements of Style. (Macmillan third ed. New York, 1979).

[3] G.R. Mettam, L.B. Adams, How to prepare an electronic version of your article, in: B.S. Jones, R.Z. Smith (Eds. ), Introduction to the Electronic Age, E-Publishing Inc., New York, 1999, pp.281-304.

[4] R.J. Ong, J.T. Dawley, P.G. Clem: submitted to Journal of Materials Research (2003).

[5] P.G. Clem, M. Rodriguez, J.A. Voigt C.S. Ashley, U.S. Patent 6, 231, 666. (2001).

[6] Information on http: /www. weld. labs. gov. cn.