Aqueous suspension of a hydrophobic polymer prepared via O/W emulsion for drag reduction in fluid transport
Name: JÚLIA MATHIAS CASTRO
Publication date: 31/03/2026
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| CLEOCIR JOSE DALMASCHIO | Presidente |
| EDSON JOSE SOARES | Coorientador |
| MARCUS VINÍCIUS LISBOA MOTTA | Examinador Externo |
| MARTA ALBUQUERQUE MACHADO | Examinador Interno |
Summary: In crude oil transportation through pipelines, significant energy losses occur due to frictional resistance. In deepwater operations, the injection of polymers at high concentrations presents challenges associated with umbilical injection, mainly due to high viscosity and other operational constraints. This study investigated the preparation of aqueous suspensions of polyisobutylene (PIB) obtained via solvent evaporation from oil-in-water (O/W) polymeric emulsions, aiming to produce systems with high polymer concentration, low apparent viscosity, and preservation of polymer chain integrity. The optimization of emulsification conditions was carried out using a central composite design (CCD), considering agitation time and stirring speed as critical variables. The optimized emulsions exhibited mean droplet sizes below 800 nm, low PIB degradation (~15%), and satisfactory kinetic stability. Solvent removal resulted in flocculated PIB suspensions with high redispersibility and favorable rheological behavior. Drag reduction tests demonstrated significant efficiency, confirming the feasibility of the proposed approach for crude oil transportation applications. The results indicate that the emulsification strategy followed by solvent evaporation effectively overcomes operational limitations, enabling concentrated polymer formulations with strong potential for industrial application.
