<p>In this work, to prevent the formation of sand plugs in steel pipes during the flow of sand suspension through them, a new method has been developed, based on an analysis of the interaction forces between sand and various metal particles in an aqueous environment. It has been revealed that when metals with low negative standard electrode potentials (Cr or Zn) are used, the accumulation of clay particles on the surface of these metals is less than that of Ni and Fe metals. The results obtained are explained within the framework of the DLVO theory. Based on the results obtained, it is proposed to cover the inner surface of steel pipes with metal films with low negative electrode potentials and select the height of the metal coating equal to the maximum height of the sand plug formed in the pipe in order to completely remove the entire formed plug.</p>