China scientists find use for cigarette butts (chemical extracts protect steel pipes from rusting)

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 5/13/10 | Tan Ee Lyn

[NormsRevenge]

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chemical extracts from cigarette butts -- so toxic they kill fish -- can be used to protect steel pipes from rusting, a study in China has found.

In a paper published in the American Chemical Society's bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, the scientists in China said they identified nine chemicals after immersing cigarette butts in water.

They applied the extracts to N80, a type of steel used in oil pipes, and found that they protected the steel from rusting.

"The metal surface can be protected and the iron atom's further dissolution can be prevented," they wrote.

The chemicals, including nicotine, appear to be responsible for this anti-corrosion effect, they added.

The research was led by Jun Zhao at Xi'an Jiaotong University's School of Energy and Power Engineering and funded by China's state oil firm China National Petroleum Corporation.

Corrosion of steel pipes used by the oil industry costs oil producers millions of dollars annually to repair or replace.

According to the paper, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts find their way into the environment each year. Apart from being an eyesore, they contain toxins that can kill fish.

[Red Badger]

Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em!........................

[Right Wing Assault]

Smoke 'n joke!

scientists in China said they identified nine chemicals after immersing cigarette butts in water

That's nine out of probably hundreds.

[Frenchtown Dan]

“Cigarette butts contain toxins that can kill fish”.

Since when do the Chinese care about the environment or their own people? From a country that still paints toys with lead paint.

[Smokin' Joe]

For the uninformed, N80 is for non-corrosive applications, and applications where there is no sulfur present. For most 'mildly' corrosive situations, including the presence of H2S, L-80 is preferred in the oil industry.

The tarriff on oilfield tubular goods made in China went into effect yesrterday, effectively doubling the price of drill pipe and casing from there for oilfield applications.

[lakeman]

Duh I’m a smoker and I can tell you it’s the Tar.

[TigersEye]

According to the paper, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts find their way into the environment each year.

Circle of life. Where did constituents of a cigarette come from in the first place?