Drag Reduction in Nonaqueous Solutions: Structure-Property Correlations for Poly(Isodecyl Methacrylate)
Authors: Farley David E. 
Published: December 2007

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc.

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The addition of part per million quantities of diacrylate and trimethacrylate monomers to isodecyl methacrylate monomer causes an abrupt loss of the drag reduction properties of the resulting polymers. Loss of drag reduction effectiveness is accompanied by decreasing intrinsic viscosity and polymer solubility. The drag reduction performance, intrinsic viscosity, and solubility of poly (isodecyl methacrylate) are reported as a function of percent conversion of monomer to polymer. Monomer quality as it relates to drag reduction properties is also discussed. The reported data support the postulate that the most effective drag reducers are postulate that the most effective drag reducers are those with excellent solubility in the fluid in which they are used.

Introduction

High molecular weight polymers soluble in crude oil petroleum distillates are potentially useful as drag reduction additives for pipeline transportation of these hydrocarbons. Such polymers also serve as drag reducers in well polymers also serve as drag reducers in well stimulation processes.

The drag reduction properties of homopolymers of isobutylene, isoprene Chydrop genated), -olefins with C6 to C20 aliphatic chains, and selected alkyl methacrylates have been measured in crude oil both in small scale laboratory tests and full scale field trials. Many other polymer/solvent combinations have been used to study drag reduction in nonaqueous liquids. Combinations reported in the literature are listed in Table 2.

This paper summarizes a study of the drag reduction properties of poly (isodecyl methacrylatel in kerosene. The affect of small concentrations of diacrylate or trimethylacrylate monomers on the drag reduction properties of poly (isodecyl methacrylate) is reported. poly (isodecyl methacrylate) is reported. Evidence that a multifunctional iv-purity in commercial isodecyl methacrylate monomer is responsible for reduced drag reduction effectiveness is presented.

THEORY AND DEFINITIONS

Savins defines a drag reduction ratio, Dr, as the ratio of the observed pressure gradient for a solution to the observed pressure gradient for the solvent in a system where flew rate and tubing size are kept constant:

Dr = (P) solution/(P) solvent ........(1)

This effect has been labeled drag reduction, the Toms effect. or more recently the MOT phenomenon. In this paper, the effect will be referred to as drag reduction. Quantitative data will be reported as percent drat reduction as defined in equation 2:

(2) % DR F = ( 1 − Dr ) 100