Flow Enhancement of Water-Soluble Polymers through Porous Media by Preshearing

We examine the role of preshearing on flow properties polymer solutions containing essentially an acrylamide-based copolymer obtained from emulsified emulsion inverted by a surfactant. The were presheared using three methods: (1) Buddeberg disperser, (2) Ultra-Turrax and (3) pressure-driven through capillary. Shearing solution was done under fast to induce high stretching chains thus promote break-up longest ones (i.e., decrease in relaxation time shear-thinning level). unsheared forced sand packs compare their corresponding resistances. observed that reduction viscosity screen factor is path independent regardless shearing device. found critical Weissenberg number (Wic ∼ 13) above which started decrease. resistance for with disperser at energy input 31.3 290.7 MJ/m3 nearly 3 7 times, respectively, lower than solution, while decreased only 27 48%, respectively. sand-pack experiments successfully interpreted numerical model taking into account time-dependent retention. showed enhanced mainly due breaking chains, results smaller mechanical entrapment. This water-soluble polymers can be used multiple industrial applications, including chemical oil recovery optimization processing.