Production and study of the stability of the ceramic compound Sr₂NiZrO₆ in crude petroleum for use as encapsulation for temperature sensors in the petroleum industry

Abstract

Ceramic compounds with complex cubic perovskite structures have shown to be promising materials for encapsulations for temperature sensors in the petroleum industry due to their high mechanical resistance and chemical inertness to the corrosive environment of crude oil. In this work, ceramic compounds were produced by solid-state calcination and the X-ray diffraction analysis verified the formation of the compound Sr₂NiZrO₆ with the ordered complex cubic perovskite structure of the A₂BB’O₆ type. The sintered Sr₂NiZrO₆ compound was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Vickers microhardness. The chemical stability of the compound was verified through the structural, microstructural, and mechanical characterization of the specimens after 60 days of immersion in crude oil. The results showed that the compound did not present changes in the structure and did not suffer a chemical attack on its surface, thus presenting suitable properties for use as encapsulation for temperature sensors in oil wells.

Keywords:
perovskite; stability in oil; ceramic temperature sensors