Surfactant–solid complex for enhancing the flow in pipelines: an experimental approach

Abstract Background Viscoelastic soluble polymeric additives have been used successfully for a long time as drag reducers in pipelines carrying commercial liquids like crude oil. Most of these polymers suffer from irreversible degradation when exposed to high shearing zones valves, elbows, and pumps which reduces, or eliminates, its flow enhancement effect. Insoluble were proven be an effective reducer that overcomes the drawback additives. On other hand, insoluble lack viscoelasticity limits their use enhancers. The creation complexes is field research rarely explored despite importance introducing new methods higher reduction performance. present work introduces surfactant–solid complex drag-reducing agent turbulent pipelines. Results surfactant, solid, complexes’ performance was tested closed-loop liquid circulation system, while rheological characteristics using standard rheometer. All surfactant solutions showed non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior all investigated concentrations ranged between 500 1300 wppm. initial experimental result indicated solution's than solid suspensions. enhanced by 52% creating wppm surfactant–2000 complex. This improvement due formation surfactant–solid-enforced aggregates with resistance forces turbulence suppression efficiency. Conclusions solid–surfactant combining viscoelastic properties surfactants exerted particles. polar nature micelles form single-phase systems contributed significantly trapping solid's micro-particles enforcement resist applied system.