Drag-reducing polymers and drag-reducing polymer suspensions and solutions
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsStuart N. Milligan, Kenneth W. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drag-reducing polymer is described, along with a method for manufacturing the drag-reducing polymer. The drag-reducing polymer is manufactured by bulk polymerizing a vinyl aromatic with an α-olefin, wherein the α-olefin has a carbon chain length of between two and twenty carbons. A drag-reducing polymer suspension and drag-reducing polymer solution are also described.
Claims30
An ultra-high molecular weight copolymer useful as a drag reducer for hydrocarbons comprising:
- a) a vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer comprises one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, an alkyl-styrene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, a vinylnaphthalene, and a vinyl alkylnaphthalene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms and;
- b) a first α-olefin monomer having a carbon chain length of between 2 and 20 carbon atoms;
- wherein the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer has a molecular weight of greater than 5 million.
A method of manufacturing an ultra-high molecular weight copolymer useful as a drag reducer comprising:
- (a) bulk-polymerizing a mixture of a first α-olefin monomer having a carbon chain length of between 2 and 20 carbon atoms and a vinyl aromatic monomer in the absence of a solvent;
- and
- (b) forming the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer, wherein the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer has a molecular weight of greater than 1 million.
A method of manufacturing an ultra-high molecular weight copolymer useful as a drag reducer comprising:
- (a) mixing a first α-olefin monomer having a carbon chain length of between 2 and 20 carbon atoms with a vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer comprises one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, an alkyl-styrene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, a vinylnaphthalene, and a vinyl alkylnaphthalene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, to form a monomer mixture;
- (b) adding an initiator;
- (c) adding a catalyst;
- (d) adding a promoter;
- and
- (e) reacting the monomer mixture to form the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer, wherein the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer has a molecular weight of greater than 1 million.
A method for the preparation of a drag-reducing copolymer suspension comprising:
- a) preparing an ultra-high molecular weight copolymer by co-polymerization of at least one α-olefin monomer, with at least one vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the α-olefin monomer has a carbon chain length of between 2 and 20 carbon atoms;
- b) grinding the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer at a temperature below the glass-transition temperature of the ultra-high molecular weight copolymer to form ground polymer particles;
- and
- c) mixing the ground polymer particles with a suspending fluid to form the drag-reducing polymer suspension.
A drag-reducing polymer solution comprising:
- a) an ultra-high molecular weight copolymer having at least one vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer comprises one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, an alkyl-styrene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, a vinylnaphthalene, and a vinyl alkylnaphthalene with an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, and at least one α-olefin monomer having a carbon chain lengths of between 2 and 20 carbon atoms;
- and
- b) a heavy hydrocarbon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.