Surface Chemistry now offers a first-of-its-kind polymer made from a combination of synthetic and natural materials that is composed of up to 65% renewable raw material, yet performs virtually on a par with fully synthetic counterparts. As part of the Alcoflow™ product range, the hybrids meet the specifications of the North Sea legislation, which mandate that all chemicals must be inherently biodegradable at >20% in 28 days. for full article:

When chemical service companies work on petroleum projects in environmentally-sensitive areas – such as the North Sea, or the coastal waters of Africa, Indonesia and Australia – they have access to new hybrid polymer technologies designed to minimize the impact of scale inhibition.

This is a great opportunity for AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry, which now offers a first-of-its-kind polymer made from a combination of synthetic and natural materials that is composed of up to 65 percent renewable raw material, yet performs virtually on a par with fully synthetic counterparts.

As part of the Alcoflow™ product range, the hybrids meet the specifications of the North Sea legislation, which mandate that all chemicals must be inherently biodegradable at >20 percent in 28 days.

According to Stuart Holt, Petroleum Innovation Manager, the new hybrids combine existing synthetic polymers with a polysaccharide that serve to boost the biodegradability of products.

“Our intention from the beginning was to develop a hybrid that would allow us to utilize our existing synthetic polymers and modify them in such a way that the technique could add biodegradability across the product range” he said. “Accordingly, we applied for a very broad patent which covers the hybridization of our synthetic materials using polysaccharide end groups. This patent strategy gives us a broad area from which to develop new products exclusively at AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry.”

One of the primary advantages of this new technology is that while 65 percent of the synthetic raw material is replaced with non-functionalized polysaccharides, only limited impairment is seen with respect to the performance of the end product. Moreover, some unexpected improvement was seen in the area of brine stability.

Using polysaccharides in hybrid polymers also achieves part of the AkzoNobel directive geared towards the sustainability of existing and future product lines, and at the same time, partially shelters the company from raw material pricing related to the volatility of crude oil-based feedstocks.

According to Mats Wessberg, Business Director, Petroleum & Water Treatment Europe, when it comes to the oilfield industry, customers now look to novel technologies as a way of improving their chances of gaining access to petroleum production in sensitive areas.

“In the past year, we have seen some of the world’s largest oilfield companies push ahead in an effort to be recognized as leaders when it comes to responsible petroleum production,” he explained.

Most recently, the surfactant team worked with a major customer to optimize the performance of a green demulsifier technology. Analysis and application experts at Stenungsund in Sweden found a viable AkzoNobel technology already in the toolbox – one which is currently utilized outside of oilfield applications. Today, that technology is deployed in a field trial. With a few adjustments, the technology may be commercially available in oilfield applications within a year.

The oilfield chemical market is estimated to be worth €10 billion per year. A total of six SBUs within AkzoNobel supply products to the oilfield industry, and because they serve as one face to the customer, new and better solutions can be expected in the years ahead.