Researchers Develop Superhydrophobic Coating and Application Process for Subsea Applications
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Materials scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have developed a superhydrophobic coating and a process for applying it to the internal surfaces of long tubular structures. The technology primarily is designed to mitigate or prevent hydrates and other deposits from adhering to subsea pipelines.
Hydrates are ice-like solids composed of water and a gas, typically methane or carbon dioxide. Hydrates have a density close to that of ice and can look like slushy ice. However, the gas molecules contained in hydrates stabilize the crystals and allow hydrates — unlike ice — to form at temperatures as high as 70 °F in hydrocarbon systems such as production-stream flow lines. Hydrates can deposit on the pipe’s inner wall and collect until they completely block the flow line and stop the transport of hydrocarbons to the processing facility.