Degradation of hydraulic fracturing additive 2-butoxyethanol using heat activated persulfate in the presence of shale rock

Changes in fluid composition during hydraulic fracturing (HF) for natural gas production can impact well productivity and the water quality of the fluids returning to the surface during productivity. Shale formation conditions can influence the extent of fluid transformation. Oxidizers, such as sodium persulfate, likely play a strong role in fluid transformation. This study investigates the oxidation of 2-butoxyethanol (2-BE), a surfactant used in HF, by sodium persulfate in the presence of heat, pH changes, Fe(II), and shale rock. Increasing temperature and Fe(II) concentrations sped up 2-BE oxidation, while pH played little to no role in 2-BE degradation. The presence of shale rock impeded 2-BE oxidation with increasing shale concentrations causing decreasing pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant to be observed. Over the course of reactions containing shales, dissolved solids were tracked to better understand how reactions with minerals in the shale impact water quality.