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Oil

Research Area

How we support the Oil industry

We remain reliant on fossil fuels for our current and future energy supply and one of the greatest challenges facing scientists today is to make the most efficient use of our resources. This drive for increased efficiency affects all aspects of the oil industry from upstream enhanced oil recovery technologies to downstream refining processes through to lubricants, additives and coatings.

Diamond provides specialist analytical techniques for the atomic to microscale characterisation of materials ranging from crude oil, petroleum additives, lubricants and anti-corrosion coatings through to the next generation of catalysts for refining.

 

Upstream Exploration & Production

  • Structural investigations of complex functional materials, e.g oilfield fluids;
  • Study solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces including clay and mineral systems;
  • Analyse particle shape, particle growth and size distribution in colloidal suspensions including asphaltenes.

Downstream processing

  • Investigation of catalyst behaviour under in situ conditions;
  • Follow corrosion processes under realistic conditions;
  • Structural and chemical information to aid the development of high performance materials and coatings;
  • Element specific detection of contaminants even at very low concentrations.

Fuels, Chemicals and Additives

  • Structural identification and characterisation of crystalline solids and waxes;
  • Understand interfacial phenomena relating to friction, lubrication and wear;
  • Examine surface structure and ordering in thin films and coatings;
  • Explore phase behaviour in oil additives, detergents and lubricants.

Pipeline and Processing

  • Follow chemical composition changes during corrosion;
  • Detect the presence of specific element contaminants;
  • Uncover the chemical composition of worn films;
  • Non destructive testing of failure and fatigue in pipes and welds;
  • Image microscale cracks and pores in pipes and welds.
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Studying solid-liquid interfaces under shear

A novel tribometer developed by Infineum, the University of Cambridge, and Diamond Light Source enables in situ X-ray and neutron reflectivity studies of engine oil additives—revealing how friction modifiers behave under real-world conditions.

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