PROCESS FOR PREVENTING OR MITIGATING BIOFOULING
Biofouling may be prevented or at least mitigated by employing a cinnamaldehyde additive to augment the affect of the conventional biocide. Exemplary cinnamaldehyde additives include, but are not limited to, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid and cinnamyl alcohol. A cinnamaldehyde additive by itself, in some applications, may also inhibit biofouling.
1 . A process for preventing or mitigating the occurrence of biofouling comprising introducing a cinnamaldehyde additive into an industrial water system as a biocide.
2 . The process of claim 1 further comprising introducing a conventional biocide into the industrial water system.
3 . The process of claim 1 further comprising introducing an inert synergistic component into the industrial water system.
4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive is introduced into an industrial water system in the substantial absence of a conventional biocide and/or an inert synergistic component.
5 . The process of claim 1 wherein the industrial water system is selected from the group consisting of:
a cooling water system, especially those systems that include cooling towers;
an industrial cleaning process water system; and
a process water preparation system.
6 . The process of claim 1 wherein the industrial water system is selected from water systems used in the field of exploration for and production of oil and gas selected from the group consisting of:
aqueous drilling fluids,
fluids used for secondary and tertiary recovery, and
fracture fluids.
7 . The process of claim 1 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive comprises at least one compound having the general formula:
where A-E are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides, alkyl, alkoxy, amino, nitro and hydroxyl, and F and G are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides and alkyl.
8 . The process of claim 7 wherein, under low pH conditions, the cinnamaldehyde additives may be in the form of an acetal or a hemiacetal.
9 . The process of claim 1 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive is selected from the group consisting of: cinnamaldhydecinnamyl acetate, 3-phenylpropionaldehyde, 2-bromocinnamaldehyde, phenyl propiolic aldehyde, benzalacetone, ethyl cinnamate, 4-chlorocinnamaic acid, 4-nitrocinnamaic acid, and 4 aminocinnamic acid, vanillin, capsaicin, eugenol, and combinations thereof.
10 . The process of claim 2 wherein the conventional biocide is oxidizing and is selected from the group consisting of: chlorine gas, hypochlorous acid, hypobromous acid, trichloroisocyanuric acid, sodium bromide, chlorinated isocyanurates, hypochlorites, chlorinated hydantoins, and combinations thereof.
11 . The process of claim 2 wherein the conventional biocide is non-oxidizing and is selected from the group consisting of:
quaternary ammonium compounds;
thiocarbamates;
dithiocarbamates;
thiocyanates;
hydroxyalkylaminoalkanols;
formaldehyde;
p-formaldehyde;
glutaraldehyde;
isothiazolin-3-ones;
complexed copper;
metaborate;
sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate;
sodium benzoate;
thione;
tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate (THPS);
chloromethylphenol; and
combinations thereof.
12 . The process of claim 3 wherein the inert synergistic component is selected from the group consisting of: sodium nitrite, sodium molybdate, anthraquinone, and mixtures thereof.
13 . The process of claim 1 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive additionally functions to disperse biofilms.
14 . A composition useful for preventing or mitigating biofouling in an industrial water system comprising a cinnamaldehyde additive and a conventional biocide.
15 . The composition of claim 14 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive comprises at least one compound having the general formula:
where A-E are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides, alkyl, alkoxy, amino, nitro and hydroxyl, and F and G are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides and alkyl.
16 . The composition of claim 14 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive is selected from the group consisting of: cinnamaldhydecinnamyl acetate, 3-phenylpropionaldehyde, 2-bromocinnamaldehyde, phenyl propiolic aldehyde, benzalacetone, ethyl cinnamate, 4-chlorocinnamaic acid, 4-nitrocinnamaic acid, and 4 aminocinnamic acid, vanillin, capsaicin, eugenol, and combinations thereof.
17 . A composition useful for preventing or mitigating biofouling in an industrial water system comprising a cinnamaldehyde additive and an inert synergistic component.
18 . The composition of claim 17 wherein the wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive comprises at least one compound having the general formula:
where A-E are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides, alkyl, alkoxy, amino, nitro and hydroxyl, and F and G are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halides and alkyl.
19 . The composition of claim 17 wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive is selected from the group consisting of: cinnamaldhydecinnamyl acetate, 3-phenylpropionaldehyde, 2-bromocinnamaldehyde, phenyl propiolic aldehyde, benzalacetone, ethyl cinnamate, 4-chlorocinnamaic acid, 4-nitrocinnamaic acid, and 4 aminocinnamic acid, vanillin, capsaicin, eugenol, and combinations thereof.
20 . The composition of claim 17 wherein the inert synergistic component is selected from the group consisting of: sodium nitrite, sodium molybdate, anthraquinone, and mixtures thereof.
21 . A process for treating a completion or production fluid comprising introducing a cinnamaldehyde additive into the completion or production fluid wherein the cinnamaldehyde additive functions to compatibilize:
the phases of the completion or production fluid,
a friction reducer with a production fluid, and
combinations thereof.