Characterization of the dissolved organic matter in steam assisted gravity drainage boiler blow-down water

• Author / Creator

  Guha Thakurta, Subhayan

• The presence of high concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the boiler blow-down water (BBD) causes severe equipment fouling during the SAGD operation. For effective BBD management, a detailed understanding of the BBD chemistry is important. In this work, BBD DOM was fractionated using ion-exchange resins into hydrophobic and hydrophilic acids, bases and neutral fractions. Fluorescence excitation emission contours established discerning signatures of the organic fractions. The molecular weight distribution of the DOM was determined through filtration of BBD using membranes of different molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO). The effect of acidification on the BBD DOM and the mechanism of silica-DOM co-precipitation in presence of high salt concentration was determined. The DOM consisted mostly of low molecular weight compounds. Hydrophobic acids present in the BBD were predominantly humic acids and not naphthenic acids as observed in oilsands process affected waters.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Fluorescence characterization
  • SAGD boiler blow-down
  • Naphthenic acids
  • Dissolved organic matter

• Graduation date

  Fall 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3CH6Q

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.