Behavior study of a thermo‐responsive hydrophobically associative water‐soluble terpolymer in laboratory test with heavy crude oil

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 139; no. 36
• Main Authors: Torres‐Martínez, Joseline G., Pérez‐Alvarez, Marissa, Jiménez‐Regalado, Enrique J., St Thomas, Claude, Alonso‐Martínez, Fernando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 20.09.2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Acrylamide; Asphaltenes; Carbonation; Contact angle; copolymers; Crude oil; Free radical polymerization; Free radicals; Heavy petroleum; hydrophilic polymers; Isopropylacrylamide; Laboratories; Laboratory tests; Materials science; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; oil and gas; Oil recovery; Polymer flooding; Polymers; Shear viscosity; Terpolymers; Viscosity
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.52860

In this work, a thermo‐responsive hydrophobically associative water‐soluble terpolymer was prepared and evaluated as polymer flooding in laboratory tests versus a heavy crude oil from a carbonated reservoir in southern Mexico. Terpolymer of acrylamide, N‐isopropylacrylamide and N,N′‐dihexylacrylamide were synthesized via micellar free radical polymerization. Reaction was carried out at 50°C using sodium dodecyl sulfonate as surfactant and 4‐(4′‐azobis)cyanovaleric acid as initiator. The terpolymer was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance. Steady shear viscosity of polymer solutions at different concentrations was determined in the presence of NaCl (from 1 to 5 wt%) at different temperatures (from 25 to 120°C). Heavy crude oil sample was characterized and revealed a viscosity of 2. 26 Pa s, 10.21° API with a content of Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, Asphaltenes of 26.4, 38.5, 22.3, and 12.8, respectively. The crude oil recovery of polymer at 2 and 3 wt% revealed a surface tensions of 49.6 and 48.2 mN × m and adsorption capacities of 1.33 and 1.77 wt%. Finally, polymer solutions at 2 and 3 wt% showed a contact angle between 29.6 and 26.5° and a crude oil recovery of 68.3 and 75.3%, respectively.