Irreversible adhesion of particulates onto surfaces that leads to damage or reduced function of engineering systems through fouling is a complex and costly issue. Crude oil pipelines, heat exchangers, engines, turbines and solar panels are only but a few of the affected engineering systems.

 

While a multitude of posthoc solutions have been thrown to the issue, a fundamental understanding of the adsorption and adhesion mechanism has been lacking. 

 

In my PhD work, I collaborated with experimentalists and modellers across fields to take on this challenge. More specifically, I worked towards:

• mapping the interaction of the soft particles, known as asphaltenes, that precipitate out of crude oil at fluctuating temperature and pressure conditions with a variety of representative and model surfaces
• investigating the effect of pre-existing deposits and degradation of surface properties on future adhesion
• devising a pipeline for testing of adhesion inhibitors and a strategy for fouling mitigation

References:

• Kaimaki D-M, Haire BT, Ryan HP, Jiménez-Serratos G, Alloway RM, Little M, Morrison J, Salama IE, Tillotson MJ, Smith BE, Moorhouse SJ, Totton TS, Hodges M, Yeates SG, Quayle P, Clarke SM, Müller EA, and Durkan C. 2019 Multiscale Approach Linking Self-Aggregation and Surface Interactions of Synthesized Foulants to Fouling Mitigation Strategies. Energy & Fuels. 33 (8), 7216-7224. (doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b01390)
• Kaimaki D-M, Smith BE and Durkan C. 2018 On the use of nanomechanical atomic force microscopy to characterise oil-exposed surfaces. RSC Adv. 8, 6680. (doi: 10.1039/c7ra12209h)
• Kaimaki D-M, Smith BE, Filip SV, and Durkan C. 2016 Characterisation of carbonaceous deposition in oil exposed surfaces at the nanoscale. 2016 IEEE 16th International Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO), 573-576. (doi: 10.1109/NANO.2016.7751396)