Feasibility study of fracturing flowback fluid degradation by dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Fracturing flowback fluid, which is the waste fluid generated following the hydraulic fracturing of oil wells, has garnered significant attention in recent years regarding its safe treatment technologies. Low-temperature plasma water treatment technology is particularly notable for its high degradation efficiency and the environmentally benign by-products it produces. This study represents the inaugural application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for the degradation of fracturing flowback fluid. The research investigates the influence of varying voltages and initial pH on degradation efficiency, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, and viscosity of the flowback fluid. Furthermore, the mechanism of DBD plasma degradation of fracturing flowback fluid has been proposed. The findings indicate that the optimal parameters for DBD plasma degradation are as follows: a discharge voltage of 18 kV, a frequency of 10 kHz, a discharge duration of 120 min, and an initial solution pH of 7. Under these specified conditions, the degradation efficiency and COD of the flowback fluid were determined to be 71.41% and 104.00 mg/L, respectively. These results suggest that the degradation of fracturing flowback fluid via DBD plasma is a viable approach.