Study of oil soluble polymers as drag reducers

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Abstract
This investigation was undertaken to find the most effective material which would reduce the friction coefficient in turbulent flow when added in small quantities to oil pipelines. For this purpose, a series of oil‐soluble polymers, namely homopolymers and copolymers of alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylates, and alkyl styrenes were synthesized. Emulsion polymerization techniques were used. Commercially available alkyl methacrylate and alkyl acrylate monomers were used in the synthesis. Monomeric alkyl styrenes were synthesized and structures established prior to polymerization. Intrinsic viscosities were measured and viscosity average molecular weights were calculated for several of the homopolymers synthesized in this study. Reduction of factional drag and resistance to shear degradation were measured by pumping a solution of the polymer in a hydrocarbon solvent through a pipe and recording the pressure drop across the pipe. Drag‐reducing properties of several of the polymers were correlated in terms of their viscosity average molecular weights. Drag reduction of poly (isodecyl methacrylate) was studied in various hydrocarbon solvents. Drag‐reducing behavior of polymers prepared in this study exhibited a strong dependence on molecular weight; increasing the molecular weight increased the drag reduction for a given polymer concentration and pipe size. Several of these polymers were found to be superior to commercially available polyisobutylene as drag reducers, especially in terms of shear stability.