Mechanism and control of triboelectrification on oil-solid interface and self-powered early-warning sensor in petroleum industry

Oil–solid triboelectrification in the petroleum industry has been extensively studied because of its severe electrostatic hazards. Here, the manipulation strategies of oil–solid interface electrification were proposed. The influence of surface structure, composition, and interface wettability of the solid wall on the oil–solid triboelectrification based on the friction of aluminum/alumina sheet and liquid paraffin was systematically studied for controlling oil–solid friction charges. In comparison with surface structures, the output performance was very sensitive to the surface components. For instance, the output performance of 1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H–perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane–modified alumina is 114 times greater than that of octadecyltrichlorosilane–modified alumina. For interface wettability, it enhances the generation and accumulation of net charge. A fully packaged oil–based triboelectric nanogenerator is a promising sensor to reflect the electrification behavior of water in the oil in situ. When the volume ratio of water is 4.7%, the charge in the oil is even increased by 6.5 times. Therefore, to avoid the continuous accumulation of electric charge in the oil causing fire or explosion, we designed a concealed wireless early-warning sensor to alarm when the charge in the oil reaches a critical predetermined value. This study may provide theoretical basis and technical guidance for the prevention of oil–solid friction charges in the petroleum industry.