Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of Gemini Hydrophobically Associating Polyacrylamide

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Enhanced Oil Recovery
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional acrylamide polymers face limitations in harsh oil reservoir conditions (high temperature, high salinity).
• Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is currently used but has performance constraints.
• Novel polymer architectures are needed to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate a novel Gemini-type hydrophobically associating polymer (PAAD).
• To assess PAAD's performance in terms of solution behavior, stability, and enhanced oil recovery.
• To compare PAAD's properties against HPAM for oilfield applications.

Main Methods:

• Micellar copolymerization of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, and a Gemini surfactant monomer.
• Comprehensive evaluation of solution properties, thermal stability, salt tolerance, and shear resistance.
• Comparative performance analysis with partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM).

Main Results:

• The critical association concentration of PAAD was determined to be 1.5-2.0 g/L.
• PAAD exhibited superior thermal stability, salt tolerance, and shear resistance compared to HPAM.
• PAAD effectively reduced oil-water interfacial tension to 0.3 mN/m.

Conclusions:

• PAAD demonstrates significant advantages over HPAM for applications in high-temperature, high-salinity reservoirs.
• The synthesized Gemini-type polymer offers a promising alternative for enhanced oil recovery.
• This research provides a theoretical and technical foundation for deploying advanced polymers in challenging oilfield environments.