Hydrate-phobic Pipe Surfaces

Problem: Hydrates that form in deep-sea oil and gas exploration cause plugging of flow-lines, valves, etc leading to flow restrictions and catastrophic failures. Technology: This invention proposes to reduce hydrate formation in deep-sea O&G exploration pipes by increasing the pipe hydrophobicity. It is found that hydrate adhesion decreases with surface energy, and tailoring acid base components of surface energy could further optimize surfaces for lower hydrate adhesion. Up to 5 times reduction in adhesion strength with low surface energy coatings was measured. Christopher Noble crn@mit.edu