Enhancing oxygen scavenging properties of erythorbic acid through transition metal catalysis

The presence of oxygen in pipelines used in power plants and the oil industry requires vigilant attention and utilization of oxygen scavenging to prevent the deleterious effects of corrosion. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of four transition metal catalysts (manganese, copper, nickel, and chromium) on the effectiveness of erythorbic acid as an oxygen scavenger. The experimental approach involved injecting varying concentrations (5 ppm, 10 ppm, and 20 ppm) of transition metal catalyst solutions with erythorbic acid at concentrations of 20 ppm, 50 ppm, and 100 ppm, while maintaining a controlled temperature of 25 °C and a pH of 9.0 at a saturated oxygen concentration. The outcome of the study demonstrated that nickel and chromium did not improve the oxygen removal rate, while copper exhibited notable results compared to the control catalyst (manganese). Specifically, the copper (I) chloride solution proved to be the most efficient in reducing dissolved oxygen content to levels below 20 ppb.