Experimental Investigation of Hydrogen Sulfide Adsorption From Drilling Fluid Wastes by Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Publisher



Pourjafar M¹ ; Askari A^{2, 3} ; Abadi ASS⁴ ; Pourjafar M¹ ; Rahimi SA⁶ ; Nemati A⁷ Show Affiliations
Source: International Journal of Environmental Health Engineering Published:2023

Abstract

Aim: Hydrogen sulfide is one of the most harmful substances known in the drilling industry. Hydrogen sulfide can cause health, environmental, safety, and damage to property problems. Therefore, we conducted this study on a laboratory scale to make carboxylated carbon nanotubes and investigate their performance in removing hydrogen sulfide from drilling mud. Materials and Methods: In the first step, we prepared multi‑walled carbon nanotubes with 90%–95% purity. In the next step, we provide the drilling fluid. The fluid used in these experiments was a simple water‑based mud consisting of water and bentonite. In the last step, we used the Qualitek‑4 software to design experiments, and the Taguchi model was used to investigate the obtained results. Results: Results show that pH is the most effective parameter in the adsorption process. Interaction of adsorbent concentration with retention time shows the highest SI = 85.85%. Optimal conditions of H2S adsorption are adsorbent concentration = 100 ppm, pH = 6, and retention time = 30 min. According to the Langmuir model, the adsorption capacity of carbon nanotube (CNT)‑COOH was 2480 (mg/mg). By increasing CNT‑COOH concentration from 50 ppm to 100 ppm, the adsorption percent of H2S increased from 51.6% to 66.1%. By increasing the retention time from 2 min to 30 min, an increase in adsorption will be seen from 57.5% to 65.3%. Conclusion: Using functionalized nanocarbon tube with at least 90% efficiency is a reliable method to remove hydrogen sulfide from drilling mud. © 2023 International Journal of Environmental Health Engineering | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.