HOW COMB-TYPE POLY(MALEIC ACID ALKYLAMIDE -CO-α-OLEFIN) ASSEMBLES IN WAXY OILS AND IMPROVES COLD FLOWING ABILITY

摘要

Crude oils are complex hydrocarbon mixtures containing nonpolar paraffins and polar components, such as asphaltenes. At high temperature, crude oils behave as Newtonian fluids with low viscosities [1]. But at low temperature, the solubility of long chain n-paraffins and asphaltenes decreases sharply. In oil industry, the deposition of long chain n-paraffins and asphaltenes on the pipe wall can result in reducing oil flow and even blocking the pipeline. To solve this problem, thermal, mechanical (pigging) and chemical (wax inhibitor) methods are available, and the comb-type polymer additives are important chemical inhibitors. Polymers with crystalline /amorphous diblock structures such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer [2], polyethylene-poly(ethylenepropylene) [3], poly (ethylene-butene) (PEB) [4-5], and comb-type poly(maleic anhydride-co-α-olefin)s esterified by alkyl alcohols [6] have been reported as wax inhibitors for waxy oils [7].