Influence of hydrophobic groups on thickening and emulsification properties of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamides

Abstract

Hydrophobically modified polyacrylamides can be used to enhance oil recovery in tertiary oil recovery process because they have good thickening and emulsification properties. Hydrophobically modified polyacrylamides with different hydrophobic groups were synthesized using micellar polymerization. Above CAC, elastic polymer gel is formed by the aggregation of hydrophobic groups. Hydrophobicity of hydrophobic groups plays a substantially important role in properties of HMPAMs solutions. Higher hydrophobicity of hydrophobic groups leads to more intensive intermolecular association and thus helps to enhance the apparent viscosity of HMPAMs solutions and form stronger elastic polymer gel network structures in HMPAMs solutions which can enhance the stability of the O/W crude oil emulsions stabilized by HMPAMs.