US 12,006,469 B2
Tube coating with polar surface treated silica-based nanoparticles to prevent build-up of solid sulfur
John Edmond Southwell, Glen Ellyn, IL (US); and Samuel James Maguire-Boyle, Spring, TX (US)
Assigned to Nissan Chemical America Corporation, Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/007,646
Filed by NISSAN CHEMICAL AMERICA CORPORATION, Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/035224
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/247554, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,558, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,555, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,719, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,715, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,729, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,718, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,703, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,706, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0227711 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. C09K 8/532 (2006.01); F16L 58/14 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/532 (2013.01) [F16L 58/14 (2013.01); C09K 2208/10 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
 
1. A method to reduce the deposition of solid sulfur (S8(s)) in a natural gas producing well, the method comprising the steps of
a) Operating a natural gas production field comprising one or more natural gas production wells with each well containing a tubing string of connected pipes that allow gas to travel from a reservoir to the surface,
b) Identifying the sections of pipe within the tubing string where there is the buildup of solid sulfur,
c) Coating the sections of pipe within the tubing string where there is a buildup of solid sulfur by either
(i) leaving the sections of pipe in place and applying an inner surface tube coating “in-situ” with a coating comprising polar surface treated silica-based nanoparticles and a coating binder, or
(ii) removing those sections of pipe and replacing them with pipe that has been coated on its inner surface with a coating comprising polar surface treated silica-based nanoparticles and a coating binder,
d) allowing the sulfur in the natural gas to flow through the tubing string and contacting the coating comprising the polar surface treated silica-based nanoparticles and coating binder with the gaseous sulfur (S8(g)) present in the gas resulting in an interaction that causes the reduction of the deposition of solid sulfur (S8(s)),
wherein said polar surface treated silica-based nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of silica-aluminate,
wherein the coating binder in either (i) or (ii) is chosen from polyurethane, epoxy, polyester, polyamide, acrylic, alkyd, or an inorganic sol-gel type binder system.