Can hydrolyzed polyacrylamide be degraded?

For oil field applications, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is the most widely used polymer. HPAM must maintain high viscosity to achieve good oil recovery. In reality, however, polymers can be severely degraded by shearing and heat in the underground environment. This phenomenon is studied in this paper.

Can partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) polymer fluid be used to drill into soil?

The present study conducted a comprehensive investigation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) polymer fluids, an alternative to bentonite ones, to drill into a soil-limestone mixture. The fluid flow pattern, aging behavior, and the influence of finer silty clay on polymer fluid were explored.

What is partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM)?

Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) was widely implemented to improve the rheological properties of displacing fluids, but the high temperature and salinity of the reservoir brine limited their applications.

Which polymer is used in heavy oil fields?

This technology is also being tested in heavy oil fields (Gao 2011). For field applications, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is the most widely used polymer, due to its relatively cheap price and good solubility in water. The molecular structure of HPAM is given in Fig. 1 (Sheng 2010). Structure of HPAM

What is the viscosity retention of polyacrylamide in pure water?

In pure water, the sample viscosity retention at 90 o C is about 38% of that value at 25 o C (Supplementary Figure S2D), which is comparable with the hydrophobically associating polyacrylamide under similar conditions (Zheng and Huang, 2019).

Can we predict the viscosity of HPAM solution under shearing and thermal degradation?

Unfortunately, it is still a challenge to correctly predict the viscosity of HPAM under shearing and thermal degradation. This paper studies these phenomena through laboratory testing and builds correlations for viscosity of HPAM solution. This work can improve the understanding of flow of polymer solution in underground environment.