Dry Water Pickering Emulsions: Encapsulation and Triggered Release of Chemicals for Polymer Schmoo Degradation

Abstract A straightforward method to encapsulate hydrogen peroxide as a dry powdered emulsion is presented to address handling and transport issues in oil fields. Results explaining particle morphology of prepared silica nanoparticles are presented as electron micrographs, followed by emulsion morphology analysis and a simple method of release, i.e., breakdown of these emulsions. The dry powdered emulsion was prepared by mixing the 5-weight percent H2O2 solution and hydrophobic silica particles at a high shear rate. Droplet sizes were analyzed via optical microscopy images. Surfactant-triggered release of H2O2 is presented as a consequence of a change in the wettability of treated particles under surfactant action. The amorphous hydrophilic silica particles prepared through the sol-gel process had an average primary particle diameter of approximately 38.59 nm. The optical microscopy images of the prepared emulsion showed an average droplet size of a few microns with an increasing trend with the amount of hydrogen peroxide encapsulated at constant nanoparticle weight. The breakdown of these emulsions at the point of interest was studied through the action of the emulsion with a suitable surfactant solution. The results confirm the action of surfactant molecules on the wettability change of silica particles, hence breaking down the otherwise stable emulsions. This straightforward method, coupled with the idea of corrosion rate inhibition, easy transportability, and a high encapsulation ratio, renders this process significant for reducing process downtimes in oil fields encountering polymer deposition problems.