Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Inhibitors for Renewable Energy Applications

This PhD will investigate and optimise sustainable chemical inhibitors for the corrosion protection of geothermal energy infrastructure, in collaboration with Roemex. A multi-electrode flow cell, integrated with electrochemical sensing, will be designed and utilised to characterise existing inhibitor performance with a view to understand how to develop novel environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitors synthesised from industrial waste products, such as amino acids.

The cell will then be used in conjunction with newly synthesised chemistries to optimise chemical blends for corrosion protection of carbon steel in specific geothermal systems worldwide.

The materials utilised in the infrastructure of geothermal energy environments are exposed to demanding conditions, such as high temperature and low pH. This creates significant corrosion challenges, which are often mitigated by the application of corrosion inhibitors that adsorb onto the metal surface and establish a protective film. However, many chemical inhibitors possess toxic and unsustainable characteristics so are unsuitable for geothermal energy application, with the goal being to phase-out these chemistries.

By adopting a circular economy approach and synthesising chemical inhibitors from industrial waste products, a more sustainable approach to geothermal energy corrosion mitigation can be achieved.