Patent · US Expired

Use of radiation-induced polymers as friction reducing agents

US4236545A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
2References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1977
Grant dateDec 2, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T137/0391
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Drag reduction of fluids containing a water phase, e.g. hydrocarbon-in-water mixture, flowing through a conduit, is reduced by incorporating within the water phase a polymer obtained by radiation-induced polymerization of acrylamide, methacrylamide, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, alkali metal salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. The polymerization is preferably carried out in 10-60% aqueous monomer solution with gamma radiation. The mixture of monomers, before radiation, preferably contains 25-99% acrylamide and 75-1% sodium acrylate. The polymer preferably shows viscoelastic effects at high concentrations in a solvent. Concentrations of about 1-10,000 ppm of the polymer in the water phase is desired. Examples of fluids useful with this invention include hydrocarbon-in-water and water-in-hydrocarbon slurries, the hydrocarbon is preferably comminuted oil shale or coal, congealed particles of crude oil and/or wax, viscous crude oil, etc.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.