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Simulation and Experimental Study in Inverse Emulsion Polymerization of Acrylamide, Styrene and Maleic Anhydride as Drag Reducing Agent

Matloob Moghaddam, Mojtaba | 2025

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  1. Type of Document: Ph.D. Dissertation
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 58356 (06)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Ramazani Saadatabadi, Ahmad
  7. Abstract:
  8. This thesis presents the synthesis of terpolymers composed of acrylamide (AM), styrene (St), and maleic anhydride (MAH) monomers, utilizing varying concentrations of the reaction components. The synthesis was conducted via inverse emulsion of water in cyclohexane (20/100), employing AIBN as initiator and Span80 as a surfactant. Various analytical techniques, including FTIR, NMR, SEM, viscometry, DLS, GPC, EA, EDS were performed on the samples. Additionally, the impact of polymer addition in water on the reduction of pressure drop was evaluated. Acrylamide is an inexpensive and water-soluble monomer that serves as a primary building block for producing high molecular weight polymers that are also water-soluble. It features an active amide group capable of forming hydrogen bonds and can be hydrolyzed to yield carboxylic acid or decomposed into amine. Styrene is a cost-effective and hydrophobic monomer that promotes the self-assembly of macromolecules. Maleic anhydride is characterized by its high reactivity and excellent copolymerization with acrylamide, along with compatibility with various other polymers. The specifics of the mathematical model concerning the kinetics of terpolymerization, which is founded on the mechanism introduced in this research, are detailed below. The model encompasses three concurrent reaction pathways occurring across two distinct phases: 1. Rapid copolymerization of acrylamide and maleic anhydride within water particles. 2. Gradual copolymerization of styrene and acrylamide in the continuous oil phase. 3. Creation of amphiphilic polymers at the interface between the particles and oil, resulting from the termination of macroradical combinations found in both the particle and continuous phases. Differential equations have been formulated using the method of moments, leading to the development of a model designed to forecast various parameters. These include the conversion percentage of each component, the average number and mass of molecular weights, the molecular mass dispersion index, the calculation of average particle diameter, and the influence of reactor stirring speed, surfactant quantity, and solvent viscosity. Ultimately, this model is intended to be compared with experimental data to estimate certain unknown kinetic constants and to identify the optimal pathway for terpolymer synthesis.The findings of this research indicate that to enhance the production of a water-soluble amphiphilic product containing the highest permissible level of styrene in the hydrophobic side chains (maximum St/AM ratio), it is essential to increase the proportion of styrene in the feed mixture and adopt a semi-continuous processing method. In particular, the styrene content in the feed can be as high as 33 wt%. Ultimately, this process yields a polymer with a molecular weight ranging from 4.5 to 6 MDa and a particle size of 1 micron.
  9. Keywords:
  10. Inverse Emulsion Polymerization ; Reactivity Ratio ; Acrylamide Copolymer ; Styrene ; Amphiphilic Nanoparticle ; Terpolymers ; Drag Reducing Agent ; Mathematical Modeling ; Activity Coefficient

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