EDUCTORS HAVING HYDROPHOBIC SURFACES AND METHODS OF REDUCING DEPOSITION OF A FRICTION REDUCER ON A SURFACE
The present invention provides eductors comprising: a component having a metal surface: and a hydrophobic surface layer applied thereto, directly or through an intermediate layer. The surface layer comprises a self-assembled monolayer prepared from a fluorinated material having the structure: wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative. Also provided is a method of reducing deposition of a friction reducer on a metal surface of a component of an eductor, comprising: contacting the surface with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the structure above; forming a film on the metal surface; and introducing the friction reducer into the apparatus.
1 . An eductor comprising:
a) a component having a metal surface; and
b) a hydrophobic surface layer applied to the metal surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer, said hydrophobic surface layer comprising a self-assembled monolayer prepared from a fluorinated material having the following structure:
wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative.
2 . The eductor of claim 1 , wherein the metal surface comprises stainless steel.
3 . The eductor of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a splicer, an inlet hopper, a converging inlet nozzle, a diffuser throat, or a diverging outlet.
4 . The eductor of claim 1 wherein Z is selected from:
where R″ is a hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon radical having up to 200 carbons, and R and R′ are each independently H, a metal or an amine or an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic radical having 1 to 50 carbons or an aryl or substituted aryl radical having 6 to 50 carbons.
5 . The eductor of claim 4 wherein Z is
6 . The eductor of claim 1 wherein n is 1 to 6; b is 5 to 12, m is 1 to 6, and p is 2 to 4.
7 . The eductor of claim 1 wherein the fluorinated material is adhered to an intermediate organometallic layer.
8 . The eductor of claim 7 wherein the intermediate organometallic layer is a polymeric metal oxide with alkoxide and hydroxyl groups.
9 . A method of reducing deposition of a friction reducer on a metal surface of a component of an eductor, the method comprising:
(a) contacting the surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the following structure:
wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative; (b) forming a hydrophobic surface layer on the surface; and (c) introducing the friction reducer into the eductor.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the friction reducer comprises a polyacrylamide polymer.
11 . The method of claim 9 wherein the component comprises an inlet hopper, a converging inlet nozzle, a diffuser throat, or a diverging outlet.
12 . The method of claim 9 wherein the surface comprises stainless steel.
13 . The method of claim 9 wherein the fluorinated material is dissolved or dispersed in a diluent to form a solution or dispersion, and the solution or dispersion is coalesced on the surface to form the hydrophobic surface layer.
14 . The method of claim 9 wherein Z is selected from:
where R″ is a hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon radical having up to 200 carbons, and R and R′ are each independently H, a metal or an amine or an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic radical having 1 to 50 carbons or an aryl or substituted aryl radical having 6 to 50 carbons.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein Z is
16 . The method of claim 9 wherein n is 1 to 6; b is 5 to 12, m is 1 to 6, and p is 2 to 4.
17 . The method of claim 9 wherein the fluorinated material in the hydrophobic surface layer is adhered to an intermediate organometallic layer.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the intermediate organometallic layer is a polymeric metal oxide with alkoxide and hydroxyl groups.
19 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the diluent comprises at least one of a glycol, a glycol ether, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxybutane, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-ethoxybutane, 3-ethoxyperfluoro(2-methylhexane), 1H,1H,5H-Octafluoropentyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether, and 1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-Decafluoropentane.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein Z is selected from:
where R″ is a hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon radical having up to 200 carbons, and R and R′ are each independently H, a metal or an amine or an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic radical having 1 to 50 carbons or an aryl or substituted aryl radical having 6 to 50 carbons.