Ping (Peter) ZHANG   張平
Assistant Professor

My research is in the field of chemical and environmental engineering with primary focuses 

on mineral scale control, metal corrosion control, and understanding pollutant behavior.

I am currently seeking postdoctoral researchers and PhD students to join my research group. 

If you are interested, please feel free to reach out to me at pzhang@um.edu.mo.

Academic Qualification

  • Ph.D. degree, Rice University, Houston, Texas (2011)
  • M.Sc. degree, Rice University, Houston, Texas (2008)
  • B.Sc. degree, Nankai University, Tianjin, China (2006)

Working Experiences

11/2017-present Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau
04/2012-10/2017 Production Chemistry Engineer, British Petroleum, Houston, Texas
02/2011-03/2012 Business Analyst, Accenture Management Consulting, Houston, Texas
05/2008-01/2011 Research Assistant, Rice University Brine Chemistry Consortium, Houston, Texas

Professional Affiliations

  • Professional Engineer (P.E.), Texas Board of Professional Engineers
  • Chartered Chemist (CChem), Royal Society of Chemistry of the U.K.

Research Interests

  • Production chemistry engineering
  • Mineral scale deposition and control
  • Metal corrosion and control
  • Adopt machine learning to study chemical engineering processes
  • Fate and transport of contaminants in natural and engineered systems

Publications

Google Scholar Page

Selected Recent Journal Publications

(___ Student supervised; * Corresponding author)

 ·        Qiu, Y., Li, Z., Zhang, T., Zhang,  P.*  Predicting aqueous sorption of organic pollutants on microplastics with machine learning. Water Research, 2023, 244, 120503.

 ·  Huang, G., Guo, H.*, Tang, Z., Peng, S., Liang, H., Meng, G., Zhang, P.*  Tough hydrophobic hydrogels for monitoring human moderate motions in both air and underwater environments. Chemistry of Materials, 2023, 35, 15, 5953–5962.

 ·  Qiu, Y., Zhang, T.*, Zhang, P.*  Fate and environmental behaviors of microplastics through the lens of free radical. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2023, 453, 131401.

 ·  Cao, Z., Hu, Y.*, Zhao, H., Cao, C., Zhang, P.*  Sulfate mineral scaling: From fundamental mechanisms to control strategies. Water Research, 2022, 222, 118945. 

 ·   Qiu, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, T.*, Zhang, P.*  Sulfide modifies physicochemical properties and mercury adsorption of microplastics. Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 848, 157802.
 ·   Zhang, P.*, Liu, Y., Zhang, N., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B. Experimental evaluation of attach-and-release mineral scale control strategy for aqueous fluid transporting pipelines. Energy & Fuels 2022, 36, 24, 14673–14681.

 ·     Chen, S., Huang, Z., Yuan, M., Huang, G., Guo, H.*, Meng, G.*, Feng, Z.*, Zhang, P.* Trigger and response mechanisms for controlled release of corrosion inhibitors from micro/nanocontainers interpreted using endogenous and exogenous stimuli. Journal of Materials Science & Technology, 2022, 125, 67-70.

 ·   Liu, Y., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B., Zhang, P.* Interactions of common scale inhibitors and formation mineral (calcium carbonate): Sorption and transportability investigations under equilibrium and dynamic conditions. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 110696.

·    Ruan, G., Liu, Y., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B., Zhang, P.*  Sodium chloride (halite) mineral scale threat assessment and scale inhibitor evaluation by two common jar test based methods. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2021, 43, 102241.

 ·   Ruan, G., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B., Zhang, P.* Facile one-pot synthesis of metal-phosphonate colloidal scale inhibitor: Synthesis and laboratory evaluation. Fuel, 2020, 282, 118855.

 ·    Liu, Y., Dai, Z.*, Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B., Zhang, P.* Investigation of sorptive interaction between phosphonate inhibitor and barium sulfate for oilfield scale control. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, 208B, 109425.

 ·    Zhang, P.*, Huang, S., Zhang, N., et al. Automated analytical method to determine solution alkalinity of oilfield brine in the presence of weak organic acids. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2019, 58, 4667−4673.

 ·      Zhang, P.*, Liu, Y., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B. Laboratory evaluation of synergistic effect of transition metals with mineral scale inhibitor in controlling halite scale deposition. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 175, 120-128

 ·   Zhang, P.*, Zhang, Z., Liu, Y., et al. Investigation of the impact of ferrous species on the performance of common oilfield scale inhibitors for mineral scale control. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 172, 288-296.

 ·   Zhang, P.*, Liu, Y., Zhang, N., et al. A novel attach-and-release mineral scale control strategy: Laboratory investigation of retention and release of scale inhibitor on pipe surface. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2019, 70, 462-471.

 ·    Zhang, P.*, Zhang, N., Li, Z., Yean, S., Li, H., Shipley, H.J., Kan, A.T., Chen, W.*, Tomson, M.B. Identification of a new high-molecular-weight Fe-citrate species at low citrate-to-Fe molar ratios: Impact on arsenic removal with ferric hydroxide. Chemosphere, 2018, 212, 50-55.
 · Zhang, P.*, Liu, Y., Li, Z., Kan, A.T., Tomson, M.B. Sorption and desorption characteristics of anionic surfactants to soil sediments. Chemosphere, 2018, 211, 1183-1192.

Book Chapters

  ·    Feng, C., Zhang, P.* Control of composite oilfield scales and deposits (Page 353-368).In: Water-Formed Deposits Fundamentals and Mitigation Strategies, edited by Amjad, Z., Demadis, K.D. Elsevier Publishing, 2022. (https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822896-8.00009-1)
 ·   Zhang, P.*, Kan, A.T. and Tomson, M.B. Oil field mineral scale control (Pages 603-617). In: Mineral Scales and Deposits: Scientific and Technological Approaches, edited by Amjad, Z., Demadis, K., Elsevier Publishing, 2015 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63228-9.00024-3)

Conference Presentations

 ·   Zhang, P., Liu, Y., Kan, A., Tomson, M.B. Laboratory investigation of mineral scale deposition kineticsby adopting a plug-flow tube reactor in oilfield chemistry conditions. Fall 2019 American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA. August 2019.

·    Zhang, P., Huang, S., Li, Z., Kan, A.T. & Tomson, M.B. (2018). Preparation and laboratory evaluation of novel scale inhibitor nanofluids as delivery vehicles for oilfield mineral scale control. 256th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, Boston, M.A., August 2018.

 · Zhang, P., Harris, L., Demiroglu, M., and Gokool, A. Production Chemistry: Exposing Hidden Treasures or Generating Complications?  OTC 27666, Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, May 2017

 · Zhang, P., Allan, K. and Bourne, H. Selection of Calcium Carbonate Scale Critical Values for Deepwater Production.   SPE 173747, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, April 2015.

 · Zhang, P., Kan, A.T., Fan, C., Work, S.N., Yu, J., Lu, H., Al-Saiari, H.A., Tomson, M.B. Silica-templated synthesis of novel Zinc-DTPMP nanoparticles, their transport in carbonate and sandstone porous media and scale inhibition. SPE-130639-MS. SPE International Conference on Oilfield Scale, Aberdeen, UK, May 2010.

Honours and Awards

  • Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau (June 2020)
  • Tallow Certificate of Excellence, London, U.K. (November 2014)
  • Outstanding Reviewer, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Elsevier (2014 & 2016)
  • Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Young Professional Award, Aberdeen UK (May 2010)

Contact Details

Faculty of Science and Technology
E11 – 3011. University of Macau
Taipa, Macau

Telephone: (853) 8822-4917
Fax: (853) 8822-2426
Email: pzhang@um.edu.mo