New pressure flow cell to monitor BaSO4 precipitation using synchrotron in situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction.
A flow cell has been commissioned to monitor in situ precipitation reactions under non-ambient conditions. The majority of high-pressure systems use anvils and presses to obtain high pressures around a small reaction area; however, this prototype is unique in that solutions may be examined as they flow through the cell under pressure. The cell is made of single-crystal silicon, which is capable of withstanding the high pressures created by liquid flow within the cell. With the capability of reaching pressures of up to 4 x 10(7) Pa, the cell is ideal for work on geological and oilfield systems. Here it is used to examine the formation of barium sulfate scale in situ under non-ambient conditions using angle-dispersive XRD on beamline X17b1 at the NSLS.
Department of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK. alison.hennessy@pet.hw.ac.uk
Alison
A
Hennessy
Gordon
G
Graham
Jerry
J
Hastings
D Peter
DP
Siddons
Zhong
Z
Zhong