Study of the effective parameters in synthesis of the nanostructured scaling inhibitors applicable in oil fields using sea water injection process

Nano-structured calcium diethylenetriaminepenta (methylenephosphonic acid) (Ca-DTPMP) as a mineral scale inhibitor is prepared in an aqueous reaction media using cationic surfactant CTAB. The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of particular factors such as pH, sonication and concentrations of the surfactant, calcium and DTPMP on the crystallite size, particles size distribution, shape and morphology. The physical characteristics of the prepared nanoparticles are assessed by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The results show that more dispersed and fine nanoparticles of Ca-DTPMP are obtained at higher pH values. At the beginning, the size and morphology of the produced Ca-DTPMP become more favorable with increasing of the CTAB/Ca molar ratio; however their properties decline with further enhancing of the CTAB/Ca molar ratio. The effect of concentration of the calcium and DTPMP show that the fine and dispersed spherical Ca-DTPMP nanoparticles are produced by either increasing calcium concentration or decreasing of the DTPMP concentration. The sonication treatment causes the size of the particles increases, but has a significant decrease in coherency and agglomeration of the particles so that a more dispersion of the particles are produced.